Orem • Sundays in Orem soon may get a lot busier.

University Place, a shopping center just off of State Street and University Parkway in Orem, has announced that its doors are now open to the public on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. The schedule change began Aug. 7.

The change has been met with mixed reactions.

In comments on the shopping center’s Instagram post announcing the schedule update, some Utahns expressed enthusiasm for the change, writing comments such as “finally” or “about time.”

Others shared concerns for mall employees working more hours and the religious significance of Sundays, particularly among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Utah’s dominant faith. A church website reports that 2.2 million Utahns are members, in a state of more than 3.5 million people.

Like many other faiths, Latter-day Saints believe Sundays are sacred and desire the faith’s adherents to “keep it holy.”

Traditionally, the church has taught its members that the Sabbath was a day of rest and worship. Members are encouraged to participate only in activities on the Sabbath deemed holy, such as attending church meetings, reading scriptures or resting. Sports activities and shopping on Sundays have been discouraged among Latter-day Saints.

In recent years, the church has shifted its stance on Sundays, away from a list of do’s and don’ts and toward a more personalized approach.

In a 2015 General Conference address, apostle Russell M. Nelson, who would become church president, spoke about Sundays and why members should view it as sacred.

“In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath,” he said. “It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of do’s and don’ts.”

With this personalized approach to Sundays, many Latter-day Saints still find that they prefer less-commercialized Sundays.

Allie Davison, a Latter-day Saint and student at church-owned Brigham Young University, said she finds that businesses open on Sundays in Utah tend to perform worse.

To her, opening on Sundays just is “not worth it,” Davison said. “I believe rest is sacred to God.”

Others, however, look forward to another day of shopping.

Utahn Bella Miller McKee said opening an extra day of the week gives the mall’s guests more flexibility in their shopping schedules.

“It’s difficult to run all of your errands with only one day on the weekend,” she said.

In a statement, University Place said that the new Sunday hours are an attempt to expand access to its guests.

“The update reflects evolving customer and tenant requests,” the mall said, “and the needs of a growing community.”

Not every store in the mall will be open on Sundays — and some businesses on the property with separate access, like the Cinemark movie theaters, have been open on Sundays for a while. The mall’s directory shows which locations will be available during weekend hours.

Note to readers • Dylan Eubank is a Report for America corps member covering faith in Utah County for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories.