Join in Fasting

In section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord commanded us in these words: “I give unto you a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth” (v76). He also instructed the saints to have a “house of fasting” which I think we can take as instruction for our own houses as well as our church buildings and our temples. These should be places where fasting is common and an important part of what we do. I have tried with limited success to do that in our home with our kids, encouraging the older ones to fast each Fast Sunday. This past time I told them of a specific extended family member who needed their fasting and prayers and encouraged them to do it. My seven-year-old son thought about it and then made this compromise with me: “I’ll fast for ONE minute!” He went to the microwave and set a timer for one minute. When he ascertained that I might not have considered that adequate, he increased it to two minutes. And when the timer rang, he had his breakfast. I guess a two-minute fast is a start! My hope is that even if they don’t always participate, my children can see that fasting is an important way for us individually and as a family to seek help from the Lord and thank Him for our blessings.  

               One of the important principles that the scriptures teach us about fasting is that we should “join” together in fasting. Of course there are many times when we will want to fast individually for very personal matters, but we see many scriptural passages which teach us that we should also fast together. When Alma’s son Alma was unable to speak or move after his reproach by the angel, the father “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” (Mosiah 27:22). It was a group effort for them to fast for the recovery of Alma. When that younger Alma was the leader of the church Mormon recorded, “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). Their efforts to help those who knew not God were joined together in fasting and praying. A similar passage from Moroni reads, “And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” (Moroni 6:5). Again, fasting was a communal thing. When the sons of Mosiah went to preach the gospel to the Lamanites “they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting…. They fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them” (Alma 17:3,9). Surely part of the power they received came from their united fasting. Later when the Nephites were miraculously preserved in battle against the Lamanites, they rejoiced and “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). They fasted as a people to give thanks.  

               Perhaps the most well-known story about fasting as a group is that of Esther. The queen had decided to risk her life to go into the king and plead for her people. As she prepared for that, her instructions to the people were these: “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). This proved indeed to be a most powerful fast, for the people’s united prayers were heard as Esther was able to successfully speak to the king and ultimately save her people. These scriptures passages highlight the need for us to fast together, to join our prayers to the Lord, as families or wards or any other righteous group, for certain blessings we desire from God. There is indeed great power found in fasting as we petition the Lord with others in a united effort.