16 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
17 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
18 But the seventh day, the sabbath of the Lord thy God, thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates;
19 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
I’ve learned a lot from pondering the Fourth Commandment this week. One basic principle embedded in this commandment is the importance of rest. Yes, it can be good to push ourselves and to work hard, but we also need to make sure that we are managing our lives wisely, including giving ourselves and others the opportunity to take an occasional break, unwind, and prepare ourselves to work hard again after we are rested.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord gives us this counsel: “Retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated” (D&C 88:124). Part of taking care of our mortal bodies is acknowledging their limitations and pacing ourselves appropriately in order to give them the rest they need.
Today, I will remember the importance of giving my body the rest it needs. Just as God created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh, I will include in my schedule time to relax and enjoy the fruits of my labors.
Book of Mormon Study Notes 