What is fasting?

For Mormons, fasting has three active components. Go without food, pray, contribute money. Typically the first Sunday of each month is a Fast Sunday. We abstain from food and drink for two consecutive meals.

No food:

You could eat lunch on Saturday and not eat dinner on Saturday and not eat breakfast on Sunday, and then eat lunch on Sunday. Usually our family eats dinner on Saturday night and doesn't eat Sunday breakfast and Sunday lunch, but then we eat Sunday dinner. We call the meal where we eat after fasting, breaking our fast. Some people believe that you should fast for a full 24 hours. For example, 6 pm on Saturday until 6 pm on Sunday, but that is not a church policy; two consecutive meals in a 24 hour period is the instruction.

Pray:

The joke in Mormon culture is that fasting without prayer is going hungry. There is a power in praying for a specific purpose during your fast and keeping that in mind while you are fasting. I've fasted to know which college to attend, if I should marry my husband, to have a child, for healing for a friend or relative, for strength for a friend or relative who is going through a tough time, to help my husband find a job, for inspiration in my life. The answers we receive are called revelation which is a subject of great depth. I try to begin my fasting with a prayer and end my fasting with a prayer.

Contribute money:

In our church, we have an extensive welfare program to help those in need. One aspect is the fast offering. The idea is to contribute the money you would have spent on food in an offering to be used for those in need in your ward (a ward is the members who live within a geographical boundary). Young men with the Aaronic Priesthood collect the fast offerings and the Bishop of the ward distributes them when needed. I just threw in terms I haven't discussed yet. Priesthood, Bishop, Aaronic Priesthood. There is so much that can be discussed in future blog posts. :)

Other fasting information:
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You can fast on days other than Fast Sunday. There is not a specific age when children begin fasting. That is for each family to decide. Our children began by fasting one meal when he/she was old enough. Fasting is hard. I am usually weak and hungry and have a headache, but when I fast with a purpose, I receive revelation, I know that God is mindful of me, and I feel gratitude for many things in my life including food.