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11/15/09

Fast Sunday

Reed gets treats from his teacher when it's not Fast Sunday. He frequently asks if it's Fast Sunday.

Dad starts to explain as we are eating Lemon Pancakes, bacon and eggs, that Fast Sunday is when we go without two meals to show our willingness to sacrifice and put aside our physical needs to be obedient and draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Members of the Church may fast at any time as they have a need, but the fast contemplated on the day referred to as fast day, as defined by President Joseph F. Smith, “is that food and drink are not to be partaken of for twenty-four hours, ‘from even to even.’ ” From even to even has been given the meaning of going without two meals—from the evening meal on the night before to evening meal on fast day. President Smith went on to say:

“In addition, the leading and [principal] object of the institution of the fast among the Latter-day Saints, was that the poor might be provided with food and other necessities. It is, therefore, incumbent upon every Latter-day Saint to give to his bishop, on fast day, the food that he or his family would consume for the day, that it may be given to the poor for their benefit and blessing; or, in lieu of the food, that its equivalent amount, or, if the person be wealthy a liberal donation, in money be so reserved and dedicated to the poor.” (Improvement Era, Dec. 1902, p. 148.)

Are we not wealthy if the Lord has blessed us with something we can share with others?

To discipline ourselves through fasting brings us in tune with God, and fast day provides an occasion to set aside the temporal so that we might enjoy the higher qualities of the spiritual. As we fast on that day we learn and better understand the needs of those who are less fortunate.
Howard W Hunter 1985

Will interrupts Ned and explains

" No Dad, Fast Sunday is when we are late for church!"

We got a call soon after from our friend Marie that she needed help with her garage so we hustled out of the house and as we tear around the corner up to the highway Will leans over to Reed and says "Yep, it's Fast Sunday."

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