Working Sundays...

                I am on the Insurance sales team currently for the company I work for and I really love who I work for. I have been paid better than I have ever in a job, I have great benefits, the company I work for is morally upstanding, and I have some great people to work with. If I have one complaint however it would be that we have a shift bid process once a calendar quarter that causes me to work a different shift every three months meaning that I may end up on a shift that would cause me to work Sundays, well that has happened.

            I have never liked working on Sundays. Even before I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I never liked working on Sundays. Even though I did not grow up in a religious house it was still instilled in me that Sunday was a day to relax, prepare, and reflect. Because of this I always seemingly was able to avoid working Sunday and enjoyed the day more than any other during the week. I need this day more than anyone realizes and now that I am a Mormon, I need it that much more.

            As member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we regard Sunday as the Sabbath instituted by God as a day of rest and worship. I day that we sacrifice solely for Him and it in turn, we are spiritually filled and blessed. Since joining the church however there have been several attempts from employers to get me to work those day and each time I bucked to the point of moving on to another venture. This time however I do not feel like I have a choice in the matter and that is extremely frustrating to me for variety of reasons with some being obvious to others I will not mention here because of the personal nature of the matter.

            There is a possible silver lining because I applied for a position within the company that would move me to the work force management side. This job though at the bottom of the “totem pole” of the area is still a slightly higher pay for me and most of all I would be learning a whole new skill set and doing something different which I so desperately need in my life. However this position requires shift flexibility which means I could vary from working days to graves and everything in between. I would also end up working some weekends including some Sundays and holidays. With all of that being layout to me however I am not so sure what I should do and what this all means for me and my future.

            As stated before, Sundays mean so much to me that the possibility of being stuck working them sincerely breaks my heart and causes me an enormous amount of stress. Those reading this may feel that is a bit melodramatic but let me take away something of such huge significance to you in order for equally important reasons to you in order for you to be able to take care of your family. Life however is not fair and these things do happen to us all in one form or another. This will not deter me from following my God and living the Gospel and in fact, living it as whole heartedly as possible will be ever so much more important in order to be the patriarch and example of my family. If I cannot partake in sacrament with my family on Sundays, then I need to step up my game every other day to make sure I am doing what is best for them.

The Sabbath day is given throughout the generations of man for a perpetual covenant [see Exodus 31:16]. It is a sign between the Lord and his children forever [see Exodus 31:17]. It is a day in which to worship and to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Lord. It is a day on which to surrender every worldly interest and to praise the Lord humbly, for humility is the beginning of exaltation. It is a day not for affliction and burden but for rest and righteous enjoyment. It is a day not for lavish banqueting, but a day of simple meals and spiritual feasting. … It is a day graciously given us by our Heavenly Father. -President Spencer W. Kimball