Yesterday, was Fast Sunday for Latter-day Saints.  Fasting means that we go without food or water.  Each month on the first Sunday, we are asked to Fast for two consecutive meals.  For example, if you ate dinner Saturday night then you shouldn't eat again until Sunday evening or 24 hours.  We then have the great privilege to humbly start our fast with a prayer.  Throughout my life I have fasted for many different reasons sometimes just out of obedience to the law of the fast and many times to receive extra help and blessings for myself and my loved ones.  It isn't always easy to fast.  It is often difficult to put off the natural man and to be "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)  When we fast we show the Lord that we can be humble and seek his guidance and direction.  

The other great blessing of the Law of the Fast is the opportunity to bless those around us.  As members of the church, we take the money we would of used to feed our families for those two meals and give a fast offering.  This money is then given to help relieve the poor and the hungry.  As a child, I was taught to give a generous fast and my husband has always been a great example to me of being generous even when our pocket books might be small.  He knows that as he follows the prophet and leaders of the church to pay a generous fast offering that the Lord will bless us and that we will have the food we need to provide for our family.  A scripture comes to my mind that my dad quoted all the time from a book of scripture found in the Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."  The Lord always keeps His promises, will we keep ours? 

Here is a highlight video from a talk given by my Mission President who is currently serving in the Presiding Bishopric of the church.  Listen carefully and see how you can improve your Fast Sunday worship and help in caring for the poor and needy.  For his complete talk, go here.