As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we fast on the first Sunday of every month as a group; sometimes collectively for the same purpose, usually with our own thoughts in mind. Fasting has been defined as abstaining from 2 consecutive meals. However, some people get caught up too much in the duration of our fast over the principle behind it. I'd like to address both aspects.
Because of extenuating circumstances, I was not able to attend church last week consequently depriving me of the opportunity to fast with my ward family and share mine and others' testimonies. So, I decided to fast today, and here are some fast facts about fasts. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a group of volunteers followed a diet and fasted every other day, Ramadan style (no food from sunrise till after sunset). Their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels were down, and their ratio from HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol was much better. They also lost weight and weren't bingeing on their days off their fast to "compensate" for the food they didn't eat the day earlier. This is much more frequent than we fast. However, small benefits are to be had. Fasting teaches self control. It teaches us to resist food when we don't actually need it for a better cause. As a student, I often resisted food while finishing homework. (I say resist, but forgot to eat would probably be more accurate) This self control can transition to other areas of our lifestyle, and when we eat, we can ask, "Do I need that?" Fasting resets your body and is good for your heart.
Here are some other facts. When executed in our church, I feel like an unsettlingly large percentage of Latter-Day Saints don't do it "right". We are told to fast with a purpose.
What does that even mean?
Well, above, I said that fasting helps us strengthen our mind and will. When we don't eat, we usually think about eating. We get hungry and crave food. The way I see it, our purpose in fasting is something we should be thinking about instead of being hungry. It's something we need more focus toward. Sometimes, it's a miracle we need, and we use fasting to show our commitment to God so he'll answer with his commitment to us hopefully in a way pleasing to us. When we feel hunger on fast Sunday, we are thinking of ourselves.
So, what does God gain from encouraging this voluntary starvation? Well, I think it all continues to go back to our strengthened mind. With our mental exercise, we can more accurately focus on our relationship with God and keep an eye single to his glory. Unlike Chameleons, we cannot consistently look in two different directions at once. When our eyes receive images, the brain converts them to one. So, if our eyes are turned toward darkness, we will be dark. But, if our sights are set toward God, we will be filled with light. To pursue this metaphor, if our thoughts are turned to hunger, we will be grouchy, short, and disinterested. If we maintain our purpose in fasting, we will be bright, motivated, and, ironically, energized.
I had approximately 24 fast Sundays as a missionary. For most of us, fasting includes going to church and then going home and doing nothing because church meetings are always scheduled to avoid fast sunday. But, though Sunday is the BUSIEST day of the week, missionaries get no such relaxation on fast Sunday. I was hitting the streets in the summers, running to and from appointments, teaching lessons, and other missionary tasks like normal on fast Sundays. I always had a purpose. I always had a person we were talking with in mind. I would think of my family. I would contemplate new ways to help the ward or find new people to talk to. And I ALWAYS had enough energy to get through the day. I would be exhausted by the time we came home, but I was exhausted everyday.
There is power in fasting. There is strength in fasting. Alma, the son of Alma, who saw an angel, credited the reception of his witness to prayer and fasting. He had seen an angel and was motionless for 3 whole days, yet when he discusses his path to conversion, he accredits his testimony to the time he spent fasting and praying. So, for anyone who is at any stage in learning about this church, I encourage you to converse with God. Prayer is where you learn his will, and fasting is where you calibrate your mind to receive his instruction. For everyone on different positions on the path to forever, pick a purpose for your fast. The things you will think of will be truly inspired. The things you will learn will be beneficial. The strength you will gain is irreplaceable.
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