Ken Ivory is a member of the Utah House of Representatives, a Republican serving District 39, and a member of the Latter Day Saints. He is also working to pass a law that would prevent major corporate franchises such as Burger King, Jiffy Lube, Pizza Hut, and others from requiring their local franchise owners to operate on Sundays. As an elected official, Ken Ivory’s job is to pass laws that address the needs of the state—and Sunday laws mandating time off for rest and worship have become a priority.
On January 9, 2025, The Salt Lake Tribune published an article titled “LDS House Republican Proposes Bill to Keep Franchise Locations from Having to Open Sundays” and expressed the following:
• “Many Christians, including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, take the biblical proscription ‘thou shalt not do any work’ on the Sabbath not as a recommendation but as a commandment.” [1]
• “Now, a Utah legislator wants to make that edict a tad easier to heed by adding his own ‘thou shalt not’ into state law, forbidding corporations — from Burger King to Jiffy Lube to Pizza Hut — from requiring that franchise owners open on Sunday.” [1]
• “This bill is about respecting the religious beliefs and practices of those who choose to own and operate a franchise so they can choose to preserve a day of rest or worship,” Rep. Ken Ivory said in a news release. “This bill provides them with the freedom to observe the same ‘Sundays excepted’ right and expectation enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.” [1]
• “It appears the West Jordan Republican is extrapolating from Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that any bill not returned by the president “within 10 days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law.” This is the only place where the “Sundays excepted” phrase appears in the nation’s founding document.” [1]
• “Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, recently announced a bill that would prevent franchisors from demanding store owners operate on Sundays unless business owners have already contracted to do so.” [1]
• “The news release only mentions a Sunday exemption. It doesn’t state whether the proposed measure would offer similar religious freedom protections for Friday, the Sabbath for Muslims, or Saturday, the principal worship day for Seventh-day Adventists and followers of Judaism.” [1]
Sunday law advocates in the United States are making gradual progress toward the ultimate goal of mandating nationwide business closures on Sundays. This recent initiative in Utah, which targets major franchises under the guise of promoting worship, family values, and rest, demonstrates a strategic plan to normalize Sunday restrictions. If passed, this will undoubtedly help create a precedent that could be replicated elsewhere, framing the policy as a moral and social benefit.
Think about what is happening. We are talking about a calculated push by Republicans in Utah to pass a law with the goal of enforcing Sunday closures. It would be a statewide Sunday law for franchises. How long before all other businesses face the same pressure? How long will it be before other states become emboldened with these actions and impose their own Sunday closings? In any event, the Sunday movement is working to make Sunday laws more widely enforced, and we’re getting closer every day to the Mark of the Beast crisis.
Ellen G. White, a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, extensively warned about the coming of Sunday laws in her writings. She described Sunday laws as part of a broader movement that would lead to the enforcement of false worship and persecution of those who honor the biblical Sabbath (Saturday). Sunday laws would emerge under the pretext of promoting morality and social order but would ultimately restrict religious freedom and compel individuals to act against their conscience.
“The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance” (Great Controversy, p. 592).
“The Protestant churches will unite with the papal power in persecuting the commandment keepers. This union will be cemented by the grand apostate. While he seeks to unite his adherents in a grand unity, he will urge his followers to suppress dissent and enforce Sunday observance” (Last Day Events, p. 144).
“Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world” (Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 18).
“The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world. In a limited degree, it has already gone forth. In several places the civil power is speaking with the voice of a dragon” (7BC 976).
Sources
[1] https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/01/09/lds-lawmaker-proposes-bill/
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The Seventh Day, the Sabbath is Saturday and our Lord Jesus Christ is where we should be resting in. He’s our Sabbath. Our Resting place, woe to you who practice and support this blasphemy of Sunday or who sin from idolatry, praising the Seventh Day as their god. It’s Jesus Christ only, shall we abide in.
The bible states that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Luke 6
He cannot be Lord of Himself, that is confusion.
What do you mean? Observing sabbath is not taking the place of Christ. Is that what you mean?
We keep the sabbath out of obedience for our creator, for sanctification. Just like the tree in the garden the sabbath is a test of our loyalty, it is our seal that we are His. Jesus didn’t do away with the law he did away with the condemnation of it. He brought us back to true worship which is love. Isaiah 56
I pray we do not grow weary of hear about the coming National Sunday Law. The political powers move tediously slow. Therefore, we can be lulled asleep. But as sure as the sun rises, Sunday is coming. These articles demonstrate that it is the ultimate prize of evil.
I pray we do not grow weary of hearing about the coming National Sunday Law. The political powers move tediously slow. Therefore, we can be lulled asleep. But as sure as the sun rises, Sunday is coming. These articles demonstrate that it is the ultimate prize of evil.
In Utah, there is no respect for any other religion other than latter-day Saints. Everything must be what the latter-day Saints want. There is no respect for those of us that observed Saturday Sabbath there is no respect for any other faith other than the latter-day Saints here. They have their statue of Jesus everywhere and don’t consider it to be idolatry.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don’t worship Christ’s statue—we don’t bow down to it or pray to it. Just as we wouldn’t pray to a picture of anyone. As for not forcing businesses to open on the sabbath, all businesses were closed on Sundays when I was growing up. It did us no harm then, & people respected God’s commandments, were more respectful & committed less crime then. We believe that when Christ was resurrected on Sunday, He was the Lord of the Sabbath & Sunday became the new Sabbath. For those who believe differently that is your right of course. The issue here is FORCE. Forcing a business owner to be open when his/her religious beliefs dictate otherwise. Someone who believes in a Saturday sabbath should also be free to close on Saturdays. Baker Creek Seed Company (which I buy seeds from!) is a prime example. A teen or college student shouldn’t be forced to work on the Sabbath if he/she doesn’t want to, whether that’s Sunday or Saturday. Force is the problem with companies like Burger King & others that answer to parent owners. I am LDS, live in PA & work for a “plain people”-owned food store that is closed on Sunday, which works well for me. You are welcome to open companies that close on Saturday. Actually, 7th Day Adventists should join in this bill & request that franchise owners be permitted to close on whichever day THEY recognize to be the Sabbath. That would be true religious freedom. Personally, I would want nothing to do with a franchise.
thank you Deb for Sharing your beliefs and thoughts.
I have to agree with some of your points, one should be free to choose whether they keep Saturday or Sunday as their day of worship or no day at all
Likewise, one should have a choice if they work on Saturday or Sunday, it is a free choice which our great God has given us. Which day God commands us to keep is another matter. As with each command we are free to choose, but there are consequences for our choices.
With the point in question, one should be able to choose if they work or not on Sundays and not have the government legislate this.
The issue for Adventist is that decreeing that one can’t work on Sunday is a precursor to greater things, ultimately that one has to worship on Sundays which we have seen in history before.
As for the change from Saturday to Sunday, I would encourage you to be able to support this assertion from scripture. The gospels were written some 20-60 years after Christ and no-where is it recorded Thus says the Lord that my day to keep holy is changed from Saturday to Sunday. Conversely Daniel 7:25 says that one shall seek to change times and laws. Also, if Gods laws could be changed Christ would not need to have been crucified.
May you have a blessed Sabbath.
I totally disagree with your premise Deb. You are assuming people who buy a franchised business are working on Sunday’s against their will. If they didn’t want to work Sundays then they should have never bought into that business. I am an SDA and would hope not a single SDA would support such a bill. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about work, worship, or anything else; if you are mandating it then it is wrong. You are them trampling on liberty and conscience. The Puritans left England over mandated worship, and then when they came to the New World they started to mandate worship again and even going as far as not allowing people to vote unless they were a member of the church. This changed when Roger Williams came along and stated that mankind has inalienable rights given by God, and that people should not be forced into going to church against their conscience. Roger Williams was actually very instrumental as the forefathers of our country put much of what he stood for as part of our Declaration of Independence. Any act of coercion or force are acts of Satan. God never forces anyone’s conscience. God could have squashed the rebellion in heaven, but he didn’t. Liberty is at the core of God’s government. He allowed Lucifer and the fallen angels to think and choose the way they did because God does not force the conscience. God is love, and true love requires freedom of choice and conscience. Just so you know, I would also never be in favor of this bill if it was to force rest on Saturday, even though I believe the 7th day (Saturday), is the true sabbath.