The Sabbath Day

During the last year it seems like there has been an enormous emphasis on the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy.  Elder Ballard spoke about it during last year's Southern Utah Regional Conference, our Stake President spoke about it during Stake Conference, Elder Nelson gave a talk about it in General Conference and now there are a couple articles in March's Ensign.  Every time I hear talks about the Sabbath I am reminded that it is a very important commandment that I need to be better at keeping. But how? What is expected of me?
So, I started studying.

"Elevating the spirit and power of the Sabbath day would be most influential in drawing members and families closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Brethren have identified this doctrine as critical to us obtaining the conversion necessary to navigate the world we are facing today and in the future.  The Law of the Sabbath has been one of the most important and enduring commandments given by the Lord to His people." -Stake Presidency

"The Sabbath day is His gift to us, not for amusement or daily labor, but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief.  We make the Sabbath a delight when we teach the gospel to our children and show our love for the Lord.
Not pursuing your own pleasure on the Sabbath requires self-discipline.  You may have to deny yourself of something you might like.  If you choose to delight yourself in the Lord, you will not permit yourself to treat it as any other day.  Routine and recreational activities can be done some other time.  True believers keep the Sabbath day holy." -Elder Nelson

"Our Sabbath day behavior is a reflection of our commitment to honor and worship God.  We should refrain from shopping on the Sabbath and participating in other commercial an sporting activities that now commonly desecrate the Sabbath." -PMG

"Honoring the Sabbath is a form of righteousness that will bless and strengthen families, connect us with our Creator, and increase happiness.  The Sabbath can help separate us from that which is frivolous, inappropriate, or immoral.  It allows us to be in the world, but not of the world.  Truly keeping the Sabbath day holy is a refuge from the storms of this life.  It is also a sign of our devotion to our Father in Heaven." -Elder Cook

"As we avoid worldly distractions on the Sabbath day, we are blessed with protection from obsession with worldly things.  In this day of increasing access to and preoccupation with materialism, there is a sure protection for ourselves and our children against the plagues of our day.  The key to that sure protection surprisingly can be found in Sabbath observance."  President Faust

So, we know that keeping the Sabbath day holy is a commandment that we have covenanted to keep, and will be greatly blessed for doing so, but how do we keep the Sabbath day holy?  This is my question and it must be important or the Brethren wouldn't talk about it as much as they do!

I found a post by Greg Trimble that brought up some good points and helped me to answer this question!
His Sabbath rule is:

"Always make sacrifices that strengthen your relationship with God and with family.  You know you're violating the Sabbath if you are making sacrifices that weaken those relationships."

To know if our activities on the Sabbath are right, we first need to understand the "why" of the Sabbath.  The purpose of the Sabbath is to feel peace, recharge and for families to come closer together and closer to God.  The why is eternal families.  The Sabbath is a gift to us to preserve and protect our families.
Elder Christofferson said that instead of focusing on what we can and cannot do, that we should be focusing on outcomes.  Everyone does Sunday different and the church isn't going to come out with a list of do's and don'ts.  It is alright to have fun on the Sabbath, but that does not mean that we should do whatever we want as long as we're with our family.
The Sabbath is for bringing families back together after they have been separated by school and work all week long.  All I want my Sabbath to be is a day to really tune in to my family, enjoy each other's company, have a gospel discussion, feel the spirit, and make quality time for one another. 
Personally, I love Sunday!  I love going to church and listening to my church music and family dinners and just talking about everything there wasn't time to talk about during the week.  Quality talking. 
I also love the idea of preparing my children to serve missions by spending Sunday living like a missionary would- by fasting from worldly media, visiting families, rendering service, going for a walk, increasing in gospel knowledge, writing in journals etc. That doesn't mean that we have to stay in our Sunday clothes all day, but I do agree that there are Sunday appropriate activities.
I believe the Sabbath should be a special and enjoyable day, different from any other day of the week, however each family decides to set it apart.  Find a way to make it a delight and it can become the best day of the week!
I know my Sunday worship isn't quite where it should be, but the desire to claim those spiritual blessings is there so I will keep trying!  The blessings that come from keeping this commandment will be worth it!