Planning to Play

Since our family members had full-time jobs or activities Monday through Friday, we spent Saturday doing yard work and household tasks. That meant we seldom had a work-free day when we could enjoy recreational activities. To avoid the Saturday “chore crunch,” we held a family council to discuss ways to more efficiently use our time during the week.

During our discussion we read, “Wherefore, if ye believe me, ye will labor while it is called today” (D&C 64:25). Though the word today here refers to the time between now and the coming of the Savior (see D&C 64:23), we found that this scripture had an everyday application for us.

We agreed that each of us wasted some time each day and that if we used our time more efficiently Monday through Friday, we could ordinarily do all the household chores and yard work throughout the week instead of leaving them undone until Saturday. To accomplish this goal, each family member committed to do chores during the week and to do them as they saw the need, without being assigned.

What a marvelous change our family experienced! Not only did the chores get done by Friday evening, but we strengthened our family unity as we helped each other. Except for the occasional unforeseen need, we then enjoyed work-free Saturdays, participating in many recreational activities together or letting family members enjoy individual interests. Perhaps the greatest benefit of enjoying work-free Saturdays was that our desire to keep the Sabbath day holy increased. Having enjoyed our recreation on Saturday, we were content to do appropriate Sabbath activities on the Lord’s day of rest.

LaVerd and Flora John, North Ogden Fifth Ward, North Ogden Utah Stake