Fasting or Just Hungry?

                    Fasting is more than just going hungry.  Fasting accompanied by prayer is an opportunity to seek spiritual growth.  Prayerful fasting is an opportunity to be filled with the Spirit of God.

                    Imagine that you have a basket filled with rocks and you desire to use the basket for apples.  I am sure that you will soon realize that the only way that your basket can be filled with apples is to first dump out the rocks.  This principle is shown in the following scripture found in the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ about missionaries teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a Lamanite king.

"And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said:  What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken?  Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day?  Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.

"But Aaron said unto him:  If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou will repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.

"And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:

"O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day…" (Alma 22:15-18).

This king was in the process of repenting for his rebellion against God and offered to give up his kingdom and all his possessions in order to receive the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost.  Aaron taught the king that he needed to bow down before the Lord in prayer and repent of his sins.  Unlike most people, this king was ready to give up all his sins - not just one or a few but all - in order to receive the Holy Ghost.  He was willing to dump out all his rocks (sins) in order to fill his basket (soul) with apples (the Holy Ghost).  We can make room for the Holy Ghost in our souls by ridding ourselves of our unrighteous thoughts, words, and actions.

                    One very important way to overcome our weaknesses and rid ourselves of our sins is to regularly fast and pray.  Many people think that fasting is merely giving up food and drink.  Going without food is merely starving ourselves if we do not make the effort to gain spiritual strength.  We can be uplifted spiritually through the experience of fasting and prayer.  Our fasting can be more joyful and spiritually uplifting when we prepare properly for the experience and include prayer.  Even though our bodies are physically empty when we abstain from food, we can receive the Lord's Spirit when we partake of spiritual nourishment during the fast.

                    When Jesus Christ visited the inhabitants of the American continent after His resurrection, He told them:  "And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 3 Nephi 12:6).

                    Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints go without food and drink for two consecutive meals one Sunday each month.  We call it "fast Sunday."  On that day we attend fast and testimony meeting, and we make a donation called a fast offering to the bishop in order that he might have the necessary funds to help the poor and needy.  This donation is at least the amount that we would pay for the two meals.  Many members give many times more dollars as a fast offering.  My husband and I give about one percent of our monthly income for our fast offering in addition to the ten percent we pay as tithing.

                    In addition to the monthly fast, we can also fast any time we feel the need for extra spiritual help or in case of an emergency in our family or community.  We are not required to pay a fast offering on any of these occasions.

                    Why do we fast?  There are numerous scriptures that teach us of the importance of fasting.  Please notice the many scriptures that counsel us to include prayer with our fasting.  The scriptures are listed in the following order: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Doctrine and Covenants.

                    "Is not this the fast that I have chosen?  To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

                    "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house?  when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7).  Purpose given is to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked.

                    "Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning" (Joel 2:12).  Purpose given is to draw closer to God.

                    "And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (Luke 2:37).  Purpose given is to serve God.

                    "And he caused that the priests should assemble themselves together; and they began to fast, and to pray to the Lord their God that he would open the mouth of Alma, that he might speak, and also that his limbs might receive their strength - that the eyes of the people might be opened to see and know of the goodness and glory of God.

                    "And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort" (Mosiah 27:22-23).  Purpose given is to receive special blessings, such as healing. 

                    "Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God.  Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself.  And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me" (Alma 5:46).  Purpose given is to gain a testimony.

                    "Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God" (Alma 6:6).  Purpose given is for the conversion of people who are not yet members of the Church of Jesus Christ.   

                

                    "But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God" (Alma 17:3).  Purpose given is to gain the spirit of prophecy and revelation and the ability to teach.

  

                    "Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy" (Alma 45:1).  The purpose given is to worship God and to show gratitude to Him.

                    "Also, I give unto you a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:76).  Purpose given is to be obedient to God's commandment.

                    Numerous people understand that we can gain many blessings by observing the fast properly, but some people do not yet have this understanding.  The Lord told His people through the Prophet Joseph Smith that we should feel joy as we fast.

"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" (Doctrine and Covenants 59:13-14).

                    Do you feel joyful when you are fasting?  Do you know how to feel more joy in your fasting?  The answer is proper preparation and prayer.

                    When I plan ahead and look forward to fast Sunday, my fast is much more enjoyable.  Some of the things that we can do to make our fasts more joyful are as follows:  1) pray at the beginning of our fast as well as during the fast; 2) concentrate on our fast;

3) decide to make the fast a meaningful spiritual experience.

                    One of the most important ways that we can prepare for our fast is to choose a purpose for our fast.  Fasting with a purpose can make our experience more meaningful and may make the experience easier for us.  If it is an emergency fast, we would have an immediate purpose, but here are some suggestions for our monthly fasts:  1) choose a specific person or group of people who are in need of divine help; 2) choose a personal weakness to overcome; 3) fast for knowledge about a specific problem - such as a job offer or move; 4) fast for spiritual strength or for special blessings for ourselves or others.

                    It is very important that we include prayer with our fasting.  Our prayers can be 1) requests for strength in fasting;

2) opportunities to discuss our purpose for fasting with Heavenly Father; 3) expressions of our gratitude to Heavenly Father for the opportunity to fast and receive spiritual growth.

                    We may feel physically weak while we are fasting because we are depriving our bodies of food and drink; however, we can gain strength in other areas of our lives.  Bishop John H. Vandenberg gave the following counsel while he was serving as our Presiding Bishop:  "Fasting and prayer equip a person with a much greater degree of strength and power than would otherwise be his if he were left to his own devices.  Fasting and prayer can bring an individual to a point of humility and faith where the Lord can give him the extra strength and power needed to complete a task or to solve a problem" ("The Presiding Bishop Talks to Youth About:  Fasting," Improvement Era, Feb. 1969, 71).

                    I am very grateful for my many opportunities to fast and pray.  I consider these instances as two of the most valuable spiritual tools I can use.  I am grateful for my testimony of the purpose of the fast as well as for my positive attitude about it.  I know that spiritual strength and blessings can come through fasting and prayer.  I encourage you to remember to prepare for your next fasting experience and to include prayer with your fasting so that you can receive spiritual fulfillment instead of just going hungry.

  

                                       

Tithing and Offerings

The ancient prophet Malachi wrote, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings" (Malachi 3:8).

The opportunity to pay tithing is one of the great privileges of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tithing also blesses members of other Christian churches. I did not have any idea how widely the practice of paying tithes spread until I heard Dave Ramsey, a financial guru, remind a caller to his radio show to remember to tithe. I was grateful to hear this sound financial advice from a well-known financial expert. All human beings, some more than others, need all the help available in handling finances and receive much assistance from God when we remember that everything we have comes from Him.

The payment of tithes and offerings shows gratitude to Heavenly Father for all the blessings He gives to us. It is a way of telling our Father, "You have given me all that I have. Here is a portion back to do Thy work."

Heavenly Father has given commandments to His children to help us prepare to live in the presence of God. When we willingly pay tithes and offerings, we thank Him for His blessings to us; we also show Him that we love Him and that we are willing to obey His counsel.

An honest tithe is one-tenth of our increase. Tithing is an ancient commandment that was renewed in our day. Ancient prophets like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob paid one-tenth of their increase (see Hebrews 7:1-10; Genesis 14:19-20; 28:20-22). The commandment was renewed in our time through the Prophet Joseph Smith when he prayed, "O Lord, show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing" (Doctrine and Covenants 119, section introduction). The Lord answered: "This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever" (Doctrine and Covenants 119:3-4). The First Presidency explained that "one-tenth of all their interest annually" means our annual income (see First Presidency letter, March 19, 1970).

Paying our tithing shows our faithfulness to the Lord as well as teaches the value of the law to our children. Children learn from the examples of their parents and will want to follow their example to pay tithing. It is also helpful for us to share stories with our children about how paying tithes has blessed our family. A favorite story in my extended family happened to my parents. They were married on October 2, 1929, just a few weeks before the financial crash that began the Great Depression. There was no work available, and my newly-wed parents struggled financially. One day a man came to purchase some hay for his animals. The money for the hay was all the money that my parents had. They did not know when they would receive any more money, but they faithfully paid their tithe on the money. They continued to struggle throughout the Depression, but they always seemed to have enough.

The faith of my parents convinced me that I could put my trust in the Lord also. I have learned from personal experiences that God does bless those who pay their tithing. There has never been a time in my life when I had to worry about where my next meal was coming from or how to keep a roof over my head. Money has often been tight, but there was always enough.

It is important that we pay tithing willingly and with a good attitude about doing so. Stephen L. Richards taught, "When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of a part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed" (The Law of Tithing, p 8). The Apostle Paul also taught that what we give and how we give are both of equal importance. He said, "Let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints give tithing and other offerings to the Lord through local leaders who transmit the funds directly to Church headquarters. There a council consisting of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric determines specific ways to use the sacred funds.
Tithing funds are always used for the Lord's purposes: 1) Tithing is used to build, maintain, and operate temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings. 2) Tithing provides funds for stakes, wards, and other units of the Church to operate. These units use tithing funds to carry forward the ecclesiastical programs of the Church, which include teaching the gospel and conducting social activities. 3) Tithing is used to help the missionary program of the Church. 4) Tithing is used to educate young people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes. 5) Tithing is used to print and distribute lesson materials. 6) Tithing is used to further family history and temple work.

Obedience to the law of tithing requires sacrifice, but it also brings greater blessings. The prophet Malachi taught: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10).

God opens "the windows of heaven" and pours out blessings upon all who pay a full ten percent of their income. It doesn't matter to God whether our tithe is large or small; He still sends blessings both spiritually and temporally. In additions to all these blessings, the Lord promised another great blessing: "Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming" (Doctrine and Covenants 64:23).

People who have not yet established a pattern of consistent tithe paying have a difficult time believing that they can give the Lord ten percent of their income and still have enough. It is only after we become faithful tithe payers that we understand that we cannot afford to not pay tithing. In just one of the many miracles of God, He accepts our meager offerings and then stretches our remaining funds to cover our needs.

Offerings include fast offerings and other financial donations as well as service. Fast offerings are used by bishops to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for the needy. The funds come from Church members fasting each month by going without food and drink for two consecutive meals or for twenty-four hours. The individuals and families contribute at least the amount of money they would have otherwise spent on their meals, but they may contribute many times the amount of the meals. In addition to fasting and donating the funds, members attend a meeting called the fast and testimony meeting where members voluntarily share their testimonies of Christ and His gospel with each other.

Other donations include funds to help with missionary work, the Perpetual Education Fund, temple construction, and humanitarian aid. In addition to money, members also offer their time, skills, and material goods to help other people. Through the donations and service of the members, the Church is able to help needy members and nonmembers on community, national, and international levels any where in the world. This is especially true when natural disasters occur.

President Gordon B. Hinckley told Latter-day Saints in the Philippines that if people "will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them" ("Inspirational Thoughts," Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7). President Heber J. Grant taught that the Lord will help us grow "in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).

The paying of tithes and offerings is not merely a matter of money; it is a matter of faith. When we pay an honest tithe and generous offerings, we put our trust in the Lord. God gave us the law of tithing and accompanying promise for our benefit. We can develop strong faith like that of Nephi who said, "Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth" (1 Nephi 4:1).

Great blessings come to those who pay their tithes and offerings as well as a good feeling of helping to build the kingdom of God on earth. When we willingly and honestly give what Heavenly Father requires, He helps us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter.