Holy Convocations

Holy days are gathering days.

In Leviticus 23, the Lord specifies eight special days, one weekly (the sabbath) and seven annual:

1. Passover (Pesach) – the fourteenth day of the first month (v. 5)
2. Unleavened Bread (HaMatzot) – the following seven days (v. 6-8)
3. Firstfruits (Bikkurim) – the day after the Sabbath following Passover (v. 9-14)
4. Pentecost (Shavuot) – 50 days after firstfruits (v. 15-22)
5. Trumpets (Teruah) – first day of the seventh month (v. 23-25)
6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – tenth day of the seventh month (v. 26-32)
7. Tabernacles (Sukkot) – 15th to the 22nd of the seventh month (v. 33-43)

Each of these days or groups of days has its own characteristics, but they are all labeled “holy convocations” (miqra qodesh – מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ) A convocation is a large formal assembly. These holy days were intended for communal worship.

In support of this gathering, “servile work” (meleket abodah – מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָה) was prohibited on some of these days. “Servile work” is everyday work: your normal activities. The children of Israel set those things aside so that they could dedicate themselves to worship.

The Book of Mormon doesn’t mention the annual feasts, but it does speak of the sabbath in ways that parallel these descriptions.

Alma framed the sabbath as a day of gathering when he organized the church at the waters of Mormon:

There was one day in every week that was set apart that they should gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to assemble themselves together.

Mosiah 18:25

And Mormon described the practice of setting aside everyday work in order to meet with church leaders:

When the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors.

Alma 1:26

So God provided holy days not only for rest but to build community through shared worship. Gathering is an essential element of these sacred times.

This Sunday, I will treat the day as a “holy convocation,” a day for gathering with other believers and worshipping together.