Sabbath Day Teachings


trulykiwi
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Hey just wondering what the teachings are for the Sabbath Day regarding watching television... can anyone point me to any of our Prophet's talks/writings regarding this??

Thank you!

Kiwi

It's been my experience that Prophets focus more on the spirit of the law rather than the letter. Knowing the spirit of the law, it's easy to pray and ask God whether a certain thing is wrong or right on the Sabbath.

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Basically we have 2 children (3 & 4) who enjoy watching their 'Barbie' movies. One of us think that it's ok, as it is good morals and not bad to watch - even on the Sabbath. The other of us thinks no tv at all - unless it is a Church video or something like that. Guess I'm just wanting to know how do others entertain young ones on the Sabbath without resorting to the dreaded tv?

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Honestly, I think you know what is best for your family. I remember families who had to wear their Sunday clothes all day, while other familes jumped into their pajamas when they got home. One family wasn't allowed to watch TV on Sundays, so they let their kids listen to the Super Bowl on the radio...makes no sense to me. At any rate, if you think that going on a bike ride, playing ball with your kids, or letting them watch one episode of Barbie brings you closer together....do it. Like I said before, you know what is best.

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Children forced into rigid obedience of strict Sabbath rules are going to rebel. Children taught to love to respect the Sabbah and keep TV watching within the spirit of Sabbath keeping will learn to make their own choices as they grow up and respect the Sabbath more.

Carrots are more effective than sticks.

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for us we do not watch much tv, but we do keep our little ones occupied with other things like games. We only own a few video games that are child geared, so they play those- Sonic, Cars.. they also love to paint so we do that ( after the church clothes are off LOL)

I try not to get on the internet much on Sunday, but I do.. so its not just the kids we need to focus on.. I am sure I am not the only one who needs to do more teaching by example ;)

we try to do the activity as a family.. there are 7 children, the oldest is 10. As they get older their activities are geared more towards how to spend the Sabbath-(8 and up), but when they are little, its just teaching reverence and to enjoy being a kid.

Those talks look like good reads... thanks for the links

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Basically we have 2 children (3 & 4) who enjoy watching their 'Barbie' movies. One of us think that it's ok, as it is good morals and not bad to watch - even on the Sabbath. The other of us thinks no tv at all - unless it is a Church video or something like that. Guess I'm just wanting to know how do others entertain young ones on the Sabbath without resorting to the dreaded tv?

If it invites the Spirit and teaches good principles, I'd say it's probably okay, as long as the kids know that that is why it's okay. However, if it does neither, then it's best left for the other six days.

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Some awesome answers.. thank you for your input.

I guess the main thing is that we don't want to be so strict that the kids end up rebelling when they are older.

So it's great to get some points of view and input from those that have either been bought up in the Church or those that have older kids.

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Basically we have 2 children (3 & 4) who enjoy watching their 'Barbie' movies. One of us think that it's ok, as it is good morals and not bad to watch - even on the Sabbath. The other of us thinks no tv at all - unless it is a Church video or something like that. Guess I'm just wanting to know how do others entertain young ones on the Sabbath without resorting to the dreaded tv?

I love the Barbie movies! They have great morals and plots and are just adorable. If you must watch something on Sundays...and I know how difficult it is to make dinner with kids that age...these are good ones.

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One of the worse fights my wife and I had early in our marriage was determining how to keep the Sabbath day Holy. She was raised in a home where TV was forbidden but family picnics and other social functions were okay. In my home TV was okay and picnics and other social functions were forbidden.

Besides the problem we had with each other if any of our individual family members visited us on a Sabbath they would criticize or make fun of the side of the other side of the family’s traditions.

We solved the problem by sitting down with each other and deciding what would be our traditions in our home. We came to a conclusion that we needed to establish our own Sabbath covenants according to our understanding and appreciation of a Sabbath.

The point I would like to make here is that often we establish our sacred obligations to please friends, extended family and neighbors (including ward members) rather than our L-rd. Rather than to seek what is ok or not ok for the Sabbath seek to establish your covenants and provide an environment of a day of devotion and worship of your L-rd on the day that is your Sabbath.

The Traveler

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Doctrine and Covenants 58

D&C 58:26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

We are given the agency to choose what activities on the Sabbath will bring us closer to our Heavenly Father and those activities that don't.

I suggest that Sabbath day observance is a progressive learning experience for us. Try things out. But if you invoke a spirit of contention in your home, might I suggest that it's not a good thing.

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Hey just wondering what the teachings are for the Sabbath Day regarding watching television... can anyone point me to any of our Prophet's talks/writings regarding this??

Thank you!

Kiwi

The one comes to mind is what another member asked President Joseph Fielding Smith concerning the Sabbath and television but I do not have a Internet link for you but paste it here for your own edification:

Question: "What can we do on the Sabbath? The opinion of the class as to keeping the Sabbath day holy seems to be quite negative. To the teen-agers, reading or visiting all day constitutes nothing but boredom. We often hear that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, so it is not hard to see where the idea that what is rest for the individual is keeping the Sabbath day holy. In other words, one who does manual labor all week deserves physical rest on Sunday; one who works in mental labor should be able to get out and stretch his bones on Sunday. Is this true? Is it wrong to take rides on Sunday? What of the watching of TV on Sunday? What are some of the things we can do on Sunday?"

Answer: The observance of the Sabbath day is one of the great commandments of the Decalogue. It is well to repeat it here as it was given to ancient Israel; also as it has been given to modern Israel in our dispensation.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.( Exodus 20:8-11.)

This commandment is quite definite and in this dispensation the Lord gave further instruction as follows:

Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.

Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;

Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;

But remember that on this, the Lord's day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.

And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.

Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.( D. & C. 59:7-14.)

BLESSINGS AWAIT THOSE WHO OBEY COUNSEL

There is much more said in relation to this subject, but this will suffice for our purpose. Here the Lord speaks emphatically, but kindly. There must be great blessings awaiting those who have faith and integrity enough to obey this counsel. The faithful members of the Church who keep the first great commandment—to love God—never find any commandment from him unfruitful or difficult to keep. The Lord has never given a commandment to the members of the Church, or to the world, except it has been given for the everlasting welfare and blessing for all who obey it. Every commandment given has to do with spiritual things. The Lord declared that never at any time has he given unto man a law which is temporal in its nature. Although we fail to see it, every commandment has a spiritual application. This is definitely so in relation to the observance of the Sabbath day.

It is very natural for children to ask why they should obey the law of the Sabbath as the Lord has proclaimed it. They are indeed worthy of an answer. This I shall endeavor to supply.

If we had sufficient faith and humility, we would be willing to follow the commandments of the Lord, not only in relation to the Sabbath, but also every other commandment he has given. Even the young children should have this faith impressed upon them, and by skilful teaching in the home it will be developed. The Lord has given us six days of each week in which we can work and earn our living and in these days most of us, and especially children, can and do find time for some amusement and relaxation. The demands upon the time of working men and likewise professional men, seldom, if ever, require all of the time during these six days without any hours for relaxation and amusement. School children have one day free out of the six, and each school day leaves some period for relaxation. The athletics, playing of games, and other amusements that they engage in indicate that the entire time of the six days is seldom occupied without some hours free. Most businessmen and professional men can find time for golf or fishing and hunting; and they do not need the Sunday to "stretch their bones," in sports and other entertainment. Some working men today work only five days a week, yet they have formed the habit of taking the Sabbath for additional time for leisure and amusement. There are very few exceptions where no free time can be found. Most of us, if we would consider carefully the time that we have free, will discover that there are free moments when we could improve our minds by study and the reading of good books.

SIX DAYS AMPLE FOR TEMPORAL NEEDS

These six days give ample time for men to care for the temporal needs of their bodies, to clothe and feed themselves and their dependents, and the Lord has asked us to take the seventh, or Sabbath, to feed the spirit. The great majority of men and children today are not content to take only the six days for the purposes of the physical needs of the body and are starving their spirits. If we go without food, we get hungry; if we go without sleep, we get weary and ill; but we seldom think that the starving of the spirit is anything that should worry us. When we do this, we feel no pain, no misery, unless it is that our conscience troubles us. If we persist in the violation of the Sabbath day, the time comes when our conscience becomes seared, and we fail to heed its warnings or its call for spiritual food. Surely it is not unreasonable for us to be commanded to obey the Sabbath when the Lord has given us six-sevenths of our time for all temporal purposes.

Children need to feed the spirit as well as adults do, and surely the man or the woman who obeys the will of the Lord feels better and has more claim upon the blessings of the Lord than does the rebellious brother or sister. It has been demonstrated many times by those who have forsaken the seventh day for business and have given it to the service of the Lord as he has required, that they have prospered. They testify that they have been more abundantly blessed in their temporal affairs as well as in spiritual needs. Did not the Lord say through Malachi that he would bless us abundantly if we would keep his commandments?( Malachi 3:16-19.) Surely his promises do not fail.

It is true the Sabbath day was not given to man just as a whim and to please the Lord, or to take away from man the opportunity to do what he is wont to do on the six days of the week. He did it because it is for man's good. The spirit calls for it. One day out of seven is essential for the spiritual feeding of both spirit and body. Learning the things of the kingdom of God is essential to our eternal existence. Thus we are guided in our progress towards perfection in the kingdom of God. Surely, for our own eternal good, we should be willing to devote one-seventh of our time in religious study and reflection, and as the Lord has pointed out, lay aside our daily occupations and obtain rest from such labors and pay our devotion to the Most High in the house of prayer in the spirit of fasting that our joy may be full.

GIVE DILIGENT HEED TO WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE

As things are today, none of us gives too much time to the development of our spiritual natures. The Latter-day Saints are not burdened with knowledge concerning the fundamental principles of the gospel. It behooves us, one and all, to give more diligent heed to these things. As early as September 1832, the Lord said to the Church:

And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.

For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.( D. & C. 84:43-45.)

It is true that small children wonder why they are not to play, go to picture shows, and engage in other amusement on the Sabbath day. Here is a duty devolving on the parents who can furnish the amusement and at the same time enlighten themselves as well as their children by the right kind of instruction. This instruction can be found in stories taken from the scriptures, the history of the Church, biographies of the brethren who performed wonderful work in the early days of the Church. Thus the Sabbath day can be made attractive during the hours between Sunday School and the sacrament meeting in the evening. In this way pitfalls of the picture shows and the other unwholesome amusements will be avoided. You ask if it is wrong to take rides on the Sabbath, to view television and listen to the radio. Certainly it is not in harmony with the day to view shows on crime and scenes of murder, banditry, and other things contrary to the spirit of the gospel; and it must be admitted that these dominate the picture shows. So far as my practice is concerned, the radio and television are not turned on in the home on the Sabbath day, except it be to listen to religious sermons or other programs sponsored by the Church. We never go automobile riding on the Sabbath except in the line of religious duty and appointment.

ISRAEL PUNISHED FOR BREAKING THE SABBATH

One of the charges the Lord brought against Israel which brought upon them their punishment and dispersion from the land of Israel, was in large measure the fact that the law of the Sabbath had been broken. Ezekiel by the voice of the Lord said to them at the time of the Jewish captivity—

I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;

And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.

Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.

I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;

Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.( Ezekiel 20:19-24.)

PRUDENCE AND MODERATION

President Joseph F. Smith once wrote to two of his daughters who were in the east attending college in answer to a letter from them in which they asked him a similar question to the one asked here. In the letter he said after quoting Exodus 20:8-11:

All things should be done with prudence and in moderation. This is the command. It is binding upon us. There are sound religious reasons for it and physiological reasons not less sound. Indeed it is a physical as well as a divine law. Those who heed it will reap the reward of obedience to divine law, and enjoy the benefits of the physical law. It is not less needful to the human being than sleep—although not so speedily felt. No one can live without sleep, neither can one survive long without rest. The result of sleep is no more potential to prolongation of life than the Sabbath rest, although we may survive longer without the latter than the former, speaking from a physical point of view. From a spiritual point of view the wilful violation of the law of Sabbath rest is as deadly to moral growth and faith, as is the sleepless eye to the mortal being. But the great point is, God has said it! and not for his own but for man's well being; he therefore should obey. If he does not he will have to abide the consequences both temporal and spiritual to himself.

To those who love human pleasures and pursue them, the duties of life, the essential parts of life, are irksome, dry, pleasureless, seemingly valueless. But their pleasure will fade away, and their joy will perish and leave them but the ashes of their treasure, with hopeless regrets.

Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy; and you will know more about it.( Conference Report, October 1938, pp. 38-39.)

SABBATH DAY REQUIREMENTS LISTED

On another occasion President Joseph F. Smith said:

To observe the Sabbath day properly is the plain duty of every Latter-day Saint—and that includes the young men and the young women and the boys and girls. It may seem strange that it should be necessary to repeat this often asserted fact; but there appear to be some people, and sometimes whole communities, who neglect this duty, and therefore stand in need of his admonition.

What are we required to do on the Sabbath day? The revelations of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith are very plain on this subject, and these should govern us, for they are in strict harmony with the teachings of the Savior. Here are some of the simple requirements:

The Sabbath is appointed unto you to rest from your labors.

The Sabbath is a special day for you to worship, to pray, and to show zeal and ardor in your religious faith and duty—to pay devotions to the Most High.

The Sabbath day is a day when you are required to offer your time and attention in worship of the Lord, whether in meeting, in the home, or wherever you may be—that is the thought that should occupy your mind. . . .

The Lord is not pleased with people who know these things and do them not. . . .

Men are not showing zeal and ardor in their religious faith and duty when they hustle off early Sunday morning in, cars in teams, in automobiles, to the canyons, the resorts, and to visit friends or places of amusement with their wives and children. They are not paying their devotions in this way to the Most High.( Ibid., October 1935, p. 15.)

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One of the worse fights my wife and I had early in our marriage was determining how to keep the Sabbath day Holy. She was raised in a home where TV was forbidden but family picnics and other social functions were okay. In my home TV was okay and picnics and other social functions were forbidden.

Besides the problem we had with each other if any of our individual family members visited us on a Sabbath they would criticize or make fun of the side of the other side of the family’s traditions.

We solved the problem by sitting down with each other and deciding what would be our traditions in our home. We came to a conclusion that we needed to establish our own Sabbath covenants according to our understanding and appreciation of a Sabbath.

The point I would like to make here is that often we establish our sacred obligations to please friends, extended family and neighbors (including ward members) rather than our L-rd. Rather than to seek what is ok or not ok for the Sabbath seek to establish your covenants and provide an environment of a day of devotion and worship of your L-rd on the day that is your Sabbath.

The Traveler

Me and my wife had similar issues when we first got married. I was raised not to watch TV but rebelled and watched it. My wife does not and thinks that we should be doing other things. So we came to a compromise. The TV does not go on before dinner (5 or 6pm), after that it's fair game. So far it's worked out well. My son is a little put out by it, but it forces him to do other things, which is good.
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The below is from this resource put out by the church: LDS.org - Family Table of Contents - True to the Faith

“Sabbath,” True to the Faith, (2004),145–47

The Sabbath is the Lord’s day, set apart each week for rest and worship. In Old Testament times, God’s covenant people observed the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week because God rested on the seventh day when He had created the earth. The Lord emphasized the importance of Sabbath observance in the Ten Commandments:

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8–11).

After the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which occurred on the first day of the week, the Lord’s disciples began observing the Sabbath on the first day of the week, Sunday (see Acts 20:7).

In the latter days, the Lord has commanded us to continue observing the Sabbath. He has promised that if we obey this commandment, we will receive “the fulness of the earth” (see D&C 59:16–20).

Because the Sabbath is a holy day, it should be reserved for worthy and holy activities. Abstaining from work and recreation is not enough. In fact, if we merely lounge about doing nothing on the Sabbath, we fail to keep the day holy. In a revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1831, the Lord commanded: “That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; for verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High” (D&C 59:9–10). In harmony with this revelation, we attend sacrament meeting each week. Other Sabbath-day activities may include praying, meditating, studying the scriptures and the teachings of latter-day prophets, writing letters to family members and friends, reading wholesome material, visiting the sick and distressed, and attending other Church meetings.

Additional references: Exodus 31:16–17; Mosiah 18:23; D&C 59:11–14; 68:29

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My family do watch TV sometimes on sundays if their something interesting I like if we are watching something meaningfull(I try to practice this always)usually on dvd we like the classics wizard/oz sound music alot rogers/hammerstien stuff but as long as we know its the sabbathday(sunday) what we should be doing or reframing ourselves from treating it as a normal day if that makes sense

BTW we only have 2tvs one works(in our bedroom) and the other used fot dvd our kids are pretty ingenious without having a "Proper TV"

KIA ORA KIA KAHA

Born ALLBLACK base in Aussie

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The bible says that on Saturday one is not to work.

Exodus capt. 20

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

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The bible says that on Saturday one is not to work.

Exodus capt. 20

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

If a person was to travel east long enough (say over 5 years) they would finely come back to the same place they left. The question I have is that in order to strictly conform to the scriptures they would have their Sabbath one day before everybody else.

With the scriptures and personal records and calendars they could prove that they are right and everybody else is wrong. My point? Scriptures are not really the highest or best authority.

The Traveler

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One of the worse fights my wife and I had early in our marriage was determining how to keep the Sabbath day Holy.

Seems to be where we are at right now. We don't have big arguments about it, but the contention is there... So I think it's about time we did what you did, and sit down and discuss what we should do with our Sunday's. At the moment, asides from going to Church, I don't feel I get as much as I should out of the Sabbath.

Thank you for your input, it's helped a lot! I guess it's all about establishing our own traditions in our family where we both feel in tune.

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The one comes to mind is what another member asked President Joseph Fielding Smith concerning the Sabbath and television but I do not have a Internet link for you but paste it here for your own edification:

Now everything you pasted into there was exactly what I needed to know.

Thank you for that!

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The bible says that on Saturday one is not to work.

Exodus capt. 20

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The Bible also says

Mark 2

24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

This tells me that if Jesus is Lord of the sabbath, then He can make the rules of observation, including whether it should be on Saturday or Sunday.

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