M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

LDS Sports and the Sabbath: A Look Back and Forward
written and compiled by Kelly L. Martinez

It's been nearly five months since I wrote the article "A Sobering Look: LDS Sports and the Sabbath." To date, the article has generated over 250 e-mails. In the letters to the editor follow-up on May 21, we shared a few of the comments made in regard to the article. I have received requests to share some of the other comments made about the article and the Sabbath day observance issue.

I'd like to preface the following comments made by Meridian readers by sharing something of a personal nature. In that article, I admitted to being less-than-perfect in the observance of the Sabbath day in relation to sports-watching on television in the past. Over the years, I have gotten better at not watching sports on the Sabbath, but would still make occasional exceptions for the Super Bowl or NBA Finals. As I prepared the article in May, a funny thing happened: my own actions came under self-scrutiny. I committed then to refrain from any activity that would detract from the Sabbath's intention. I would like to testify that the Sabbath can be properly observed and that the world will not stop if sports are not a part of your Sabbath. I am still in the process of trying to improve the quality of my Sabbath observance, but I can honestly say something I never thought I would: I do not miss watching sports on Sunday in the least. The Sabbath can indeed be called a delight if we do what the Lord and His prophets have counseled us to.

Read on for some very interesting comments offered by Meridian readers:


As far as playing on Sunday, that's their choice, BUT, I reserve the right to teach my son that even though Joe Mormon plays on Sunday, you shouldn't do it because it's still contradicting what the prophets and the scriptures teach us. Judgmental? Yes. Condemning? No.

Jim Croasmun


I really enjoyed the article on Sabbath observance in sports. In my view, keeping the Sabbath day holy has been so underwhelmingly observed. I joined the Church in 1998 and so I did many things that were definitely not so good in a gospel sense. As time went on though, I have looked at what the Prophets and Church leaders have counseled and have sought to make improvements. I am in sales and have had to make tough choices in where and under what terms I will work in order to better observe the Sabbath. I made the choices and still take a hard stand on what is and what is not appropriate. To me, it boils down to how obedient you intend to be. Living this commandment is easy and enjoyable with the right perspective. I know that I and my family do all we can to keep the Sabbath. We regard Sunday as the best day of the week. Sabbath day observance does not limit us in our lives, it opens up enormous opportunities to honour our commitments to the Lord. Living gospel principles may not be easy but they are the best things going.

Eugene Layden-Tapp
London Ontario Canada

I have been in the Air Force for the last 30 years and have often had to work on the Sabbath. As the world has learned since 9/11, the "bad guys" don't always give you the choice of when to make yourself available for duty. I have numerous friends and acquaintances who have been policemen, firefighters, physicians, nurses and other professions that find themselves required to fulfill duties on the Sabbath. Most of us would much prefer spending our time on Sunday in church and/or with our families, but I think we all realize that the "ox" finds itself "in the mire" even on the Sabbath more than we would care to think about. I don't mean to try to justify anyone's choices for Sabbath activities, but each of us knew or should have, that our choice of employment/livelihood would also have certain repercussions with regard to our gospel responsibilities.

This life was meant to be a time of choices and accountability, but I believe that those who are required to work on the Sabbath can still be a good role model for others if, when they are available for church duties, they take care of them whole-heartedly and at the same time give a full measure when required to work ( I think they refer to this as integrity).

Bishop Dale Jones
Lt. Colonel
U.S. Air Force


Last Sunday, we turned off the TV and read your article about Sports and the Sabbath, with our family. We have two teenagers and a ten year old still at home. Though not avid sports fans, we do enjoy the occasional sporting event. But more than applying to just sports, your article helped us discuss our own observance of the Sabbath beyond sports watching. It was a good discussion, yet another one in our ongoing struggle to keep all of God's commandments more fully. I'm not sure what the long range consequences of our conversation will be, but we didn't turn the TV back on. Right away, anyway.

Patsy Peterson
West Valley City, Utah

My wife relates the story of an LDS nurse who was mortified when President Kimball was admitted to the hospital on the Sabbath and she was "caught" breaking the Sabbath. Needless to say, President Kimball reassured her that the service she was rendering was appropriate for the Sabbath.

There are many essential services and occupations that require work on the Sabbath. Should LDS people avoid them all? Obviously not.
What about non-essential occupations? If a God-given talent cannot be fully developed as an occupation without working on the Sabbath, such as professional American sports, should LDS people avoid these occupations? Frankly, other then emergency broadcasts, virtually all the mass-media occupations could be called non-essential. But then, how would the Church broadcast General Conferences?

In order to obey President Benson's counsel that mothers of young children should be in the home, I had to take a job as a computer consultant that often requires Sunday travel. Should computer consulting be avoided as an occupation?

Tough questions. If God really was concerned that the Church knew the answer unequivocally, then church leaders wouldn't publicly promote those who blatantly violate this commandment any more then they publicly promote jack Mormons who become big-name stars.

The fact that church leaders constantly leverage the positive publicity associated with sports stars seems to convey the message that the process an individual uses to determine how to balance the need to keep the Sabbath day holy with the many other commandments we have been given is the most important element. It is a deeply personal choice and one where two people may make the same choice, but only one of them is wrong.

Why we make a choice, and how we make a choice, is often as important as what choice we make.

A. Rick Anderson

How do we teach our young people to observe the Sabbath day, when it can be so easily broken by a returned missionary?

David A. Hicken

I wonder if the world realizes the connection of Sabbath observance to the conditions of drought, floods & famine? I wonder what the Lord thinks of his returned missionaries glued to their tubes on Sundays (or ANY day for sport or anything else that keeps them from patriarchal and priesthood obligations).

Ellen Crowfoot


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