#17 The Law of Tithing and the Law of the Fast

D&C 58:6-12, 21; 119; 120 Isaiah 58:6-12; Malachi 3:8-12, 3 Nephi 24:8-12; Matthew 6:16-18; 3 Nephi 13:16-18

Take 8lb. and 3 lb. weights
Where are my tough weight lifting guys?
Take the 8 lb. weights and just sit and curl for a minute while we chat. What is he doing? What is the purpose of weight training? Toning, strengthening? How many reps would it take for you to be sore? After lifting this 8 lb. weight how does the 3 lb. weight feel? Is it easier? If you then did a 10 lb. weight for a while would the 8 lb. one be easier? Yes, Now that you know it would be easy the more you did it what would keep you from constantly working on it? Laziness, don’t see the results? It’s tough during the process, and it can be painful.

Just like weight training makes us stronger and can give our muscles more endurance, so fasting is the spiritual version of weight training, the more we fast properly the stronger we are spiritually and can endure longer and with more endurance the battle with our adversary. The more frequent we fast the easier it becomes. When we see results we desire to fast again more often.

The hard part for me at times is to get past the hunger part and train myself to see the rewards for fasting. We can find out how to fast properly and learn to recognize how the blessings of fasting manifest themselves by reading about the law of the fast in Isaiah 58:3-12.
In v3 & 4 the Lord tells us that we need to start with a good attitude! Don’t go with the attitude of ‘why do we affect our souls this way.’ We are so worried about ourselves and our own pleasures that we usually fast with strife and debate.
Strife: Battle, contention, disputations, reviling
Debate: fasting w/o spiritual motivation only engenders discomfort & irritability
So what does the Lord recommend to us in how to change our attitude? Fast with a purpose. We know this already but I know that lately my fasting hasn’t been directed in an effective way, one that brings the results that help me rather than just starve me. Therefore let’s review first what the Lord suggests is the best things to fast for, that will bring the greatest results.

(A-)V 6 Loose the bands of wickedness-I fasted once that my son would change his behavior about something. But I know that my purpose was wrong and didn’t work why? Because I can’t fast away his agency. However, the Lord is telling me that I can fast to have his eyes and ears opened to true counsel that he may hear and see then desire to loose the bands himself.
*If this doesn’t work all is not lost we still are rewarded. V 12 They that shall be of thee (our children) shall build the old waste places (sinful states) and shall raise up foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called repairer of breach- restorer of path’s. So as we fast our children’s sinful state will be healed and repaired. This can be a great comfort to us and a motivator to fast continually. 3 nephi 24:11 rebuke the devourer/
not desroy fruits of ground (children)

(B-)V6 We fast to undo the heavy burdens (emotions)-have you ever fasted for the Lord to take away your problems? I have and guess what He didn’t take them away, I was so disappointed, but now I know that I don’t ask Him to take away my problems, but to take away the ache in my neck that my problems cause, or ask him to help me to understand my problem so that I can figure out away to get out of it sooner. He can take away the emotional burdens but can’t take away our problems.
*one reward we can get like I said is understanding v8 thy light shall break forth as the morning: the light in the TG is a spiritual uplift. I have a testimony of fasting and getting a spiritual uplift. My fast Sundays are always more spiritual when I fast. I feel closer to the spirit and feel more promptings in sacrament mtg. when I fast.
V 11 He will satisfy thy soul in drought (time of need) He will and He does How does He do this for you?3 nephi 24:11 won’t be tried until we are ready

(C-)V6 fast to let (spiritually) oppressed go free- meaning what? That we will be able to see the eternal perspective- once we can put ourselves in that eternal perspective mind frame our anxiety or depression or frustration will be released because most often than not the things I deal with in life always seem so unimportant next to the eternities.
*a reward v10 that the light will rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day. Even in our darkest times our spirit will be light and we will be as Christ, shining during His darkest times.
V9 When we fast and pray the Lord is closer to us. We are more humble therefore we can talk to Him more freely and hear better. 3 nephi 24:10 windows of heaven opened (spiritual)

(D-)V6 Break every yoke (a form of bondage or servitude, strong in resisting temptation) Fast for strength in breaking a habit or addiction; fast to help you have knowledge to do so. Fast to send a friend to have the urge to help you.

*reward: v8 Thy health shall spring forth speedily. It is clinically proven that fasting sends special hormones through your body that rejuvenate you and clean out your system. This is a good thing.

(E-)V 7 fast to deal thy bread to hungry/bring to poor/cover naked/hide not thyself from own flesh- All these are different, covering different groups of people, but they all fall under the same category of helping others. Helping physically poor, through fast offerings, helping spiritually poor, an poor family members. So we fast to know how to help them- fast to know how to love them unconditionally. This one is tough for me- I am a problem solver I want to solve everyone’s problems. This is not good because I am trying to take away their agency but sometimes we forget we have to let people work things out for themselves. Even if everyone around them suffers! This takes us back to fasting for strength to get those around them through, but this one is just to fast to know small things you can do to help them see their worth and that may give them the courage to conquer their own battles!

*reward: v11 The Lord will guide thee continually-every time we need a new idea He will send it to us, any time we need His love to carry us through we will have it.

(F-)How about some other things we fast for? A job have you ever fasted for a job or more money? Why wouldn’t that work? The Lord isn’t just going to hand things like that over, but we can fast to be led to the place that will get us the job we need or led to the people that can help us find a job.
*reward v11 He will make fat thy bones- give you abundance
V11 Be like a watered garden and a spring of water whose waters fail not. We will always have a spiritual reserve to draw from when we need it. 3nephi 24:10 meat in house (temporal)

(G-)What if we have a problem with someone, like a co-worker, friend, etc. Why can’t we fast for the Lord to strike them with lightening? He won’t purposely harm His children just because you asked Him to. We can fast for help in dealing with that person; we can fast for knowing when to get out of the way when they come around.
*reward: v8 the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Rereward (footnote says rearguard) so when we fast the Lord is our protector- He “has our back” so to speak. He will help us through whatever we fasted for.

Whatever we fast for it needs to be with a purpose that brings the greatest results for our spiritual growth. The Lord has given us suggestions. He even points out the rewards or results we will get so that we can fully comprehend them and recognize them as the answer to our fast. Fasting is for strengthening, or weight training our spirits as well as our bodies that we may better be an instrument in His hands and come closer to Him, of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ AMEN.

More rewards:
3 Nephi 24:8-12
1-meat in house (temporal)
2- windows of heaven opened (spiritual)
3- more blessings than we have room for
4- rebuke the devourer
5- not desroy fruits of ground (children)
6-won’t be tried until we are ready
7- called blessed