How Deepening My Sabbath Worship Brings Me Joy

After the October 2024 general conference, I pondered how to deepen my worship. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke on the difference between simply attending church and actually worshipping: “To attend means to be present at. But to worship is to intentionally praise and adore our God in a way that transforms us!”

When I heard that, I wondered if I focused more on attendance or worship at church. Intentionally praising and adoring were practices I’d been lacking, and I received a prompting that I needed to change some things about my worship. I needed to increase my thoughtfulness, so I made a goal to be more mindful in my worship.

As I prayed for a way to work toward this goal, I remembered Elder Kearon’s teachings on the sacrament: “We may have been conditioned to suppose that the purpose of the sacrament is to sit in the pew thinking only about all the ways we messed up during the week before. But let’s turn that practice on its head. In the stillness, we can ponder the many ways we have seen the Lord relentlessly pursue us with His wonderful love that week! We can reflect on what it means to ‘discover the joy of daily repentance.’ We can give thanks for the times the Saviour entered into our struggles and our triumphs and the occasions when we felt His grace, forgiveness, and power giving us strength to overcome our hardships and bear our burdens with patience and even good cheer.”

I was in the habit of reflecting only on all the mistakes I had made during the previous week and how I could correct them in the following week. Each time I took the sacrament, I felt discouraged and unsatisfied because I focused only on what I needed to change. While it’s good to work on becoming better, I realized that to really change, I needed to reflect and appreciate the Savior’s influence in my life.

Elder Kearon also taught, “If we are gathering in remembrance of the Saviour and the redemption He has made possible, our faces should reflect our joy and gratitude!” I realized I wasn’t properly radiating joy that existed in my life, so I decided to make a change.

I felt guided to focus on the joy of the sacrament. I started using sacrament time to think about how the gospel of Jesus Christ brought me joy during the week and how I could better share, express, and appreciate His hand in my life the next week. We are promised, “And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you” (3 Nephi 18:7).

Some weeks I thought about how scripture study put me in a better mood. Other weeks I noticed the strength I felt when I prayed earnestly and attended the temple. Taking time to notice the Spirit and power of Jesus Christ helped me see His influence in my life each week. It reminded me that Christ sees and knows me deeply.

This approach changed how I felt about my efforts and my worship. I am grateful to have the opportunity to take the sacrament weekly, and I appreciate Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for me. I now see more clearly how His power works in my life—how it positively influences the feelings of my soul. When my worship of Him deepens, my joy in His gospel deepens.