What is Worship?

Elder Christofferson, April 2025 General Conference

Written by April T Giauque

The Magi. That word conjures up Christmas, gifts, Jesus, and wisdom in their quest to find and worship the Messiah. For the Magi, worship meant preparing for Him, reading scriptures and other accounts about Him, seeking Him, and finally falling before Him and offering Him gifts of gold and precious, fragrant spices. Elder Christopherson said, “They dedicated their lives to finding and worshiping Jesus.” Are we like the Magi? Are we dedicating our lives to researching, praying, seeking, connecting, and displaying our love of and to Jesus? In fact, these actions are tied to one word: worship. Are our lives, the action of our lives, the very worship that Jesus so desires of us?

When we think of worship, our thoughts typically turn to the ways we show religious devotion both privately and in Church services.

Four concepts regarding worship:

1. Your actions

2. Your attitudes and feelings

3. Your exclusivity of worship

4. You need to emulate the Father and the Son. 

First, the actions that constitute one’s worship. The Sabbath day is the day for worship. How are we preparing ourselves for the Lord’s day?  Are we gathering on the Lord’s day? During that gathering, we must “worship together, as the ‘body of Christ’ because it has a unique power and benefit as we teach, serve, and sustain one another.”

The Sabbath is to show our devotion to God!  Elder Kearon said, “We do not gather on the Sabbath simply to attend sacrament meeting and check it off the list. We come together to worship. There is a significant difference between the two. To attend means to be present at an event or gathering. But to worship is to intentionally praise and adore our God in a way that transforms us!”

Keeping the Sabbath day holy is not a list of to-dos and don’ts. It is our demonstration of love for Jesus! Elder Christofferson said, “When I had to decide whether an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, ‘What sign do I want to give to God?’ A particular focus on the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ marks worship on the Lord’s day.”  A beautiful and profound way to worship is by teaching children on the Sabbath Day!

In the Book of Mormon, Alma and Amulek taught that worshiping God is not merely once a week, but always, and “in whatsoever place ye may be in.” They spoke about prayer as worship:

“Ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. This worship is our daily devotion, and as a benefit, it keeps us focused on Jesus, who, in turn, strengthens and blesses our lives. 

Second, what are our attitudes and feelings about worshiping? They are inherent in worship: Look at Jesus’s own worship of His Father. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”  

Elder Christofferson said that “Feeling and expressing gratitude to God is, in fact, what infuses worship with a sense of joyful renewal as opposed to seeing it as just one more duty.” but if each day we “offer for a sacrifice unto [Him] a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” He will again baptize us with His Spirit and fill us with His grace.

Third, what is the exclusivity of our worship? Elder Christofferson said,  “Whatever takes precedence over worship of the Father and the Son becomes an idol. Those who reject God as the source of truth, or disavow any accountability to Him, in effect substitute themselves as their god.”  

Think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. They knew their God and covenanted to worship Him always. These three refused to worship an image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar. The King commanded that they be thrown into a burning fiery furnace, saying to them, “And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” 

They trusted in Jehovah for deliverance, “but if not,” that is, even if God in His wisdom did not prevent their death, yet they would remain true to Him. Elder Christofferson stated, “Whatever takes precedence over worship of the Father and the Son becomes an idol. Those who reject God as the source of truth or disavow any accountability to Him, in effect, substitute themselves as their god.”

Ultimately, we should strive to emulate the Father and the Son. Think about how you are living your lives. Elder Christofferson said that “how we live may be the best, most genuine form of worship. Showing our devotion means emulating the Father and the Son — cultivating Their attributes and character in ourselves. …This suggests an active, sustained effort on our part to seek holiness. But becoming more Christlike is also the natural outcome of our acts of worship.”

This is the beauty of the covenant path—the path of worship, love, and loyalty to God. We could even say that in repentance, we are worshipping Him.

Remember the four ways to worship God:

• Your actions

• Your attitudes and feelings

• Your exclusivity of worship

• You need to emulate the Father and the Son.

Elder Christofferson then reminds us to “receive the Holy Spirit and yield our hearts to God, have no other gods before Him, and as disciples of Jesus Christ, emulate His character in our own lives.” Let us worship Him daily and especially on the Sabbath and find Joy therein! 

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