Editor's Table: Observance of Fast Day

EDITOR'S TABLE.

OBSERVANCE OF FAST DAY. Fasting was a common practice among ancient Israel, who, while they had only one fast prescribed by the law, in their later history, observed as many as twenty-eight different fasts. It was sanctioned by Jesus, who, though he referred to the subject only twice, significantly explained its import. A regular fast day was established among the Latter-day Saints by President Brigham Young, in 1852, the first Thursday of the month being for years devoted to its observance, the principle of fasting having previously been taught by the Prophet Joseph: "Also I give unto you a com- mandment, that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth." (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 88: 76.) Some years ago, the fast day was changed to the first Sunday of the month, when services are held in all the wards of Zion. Several special fasts have also been ordered at various times in the history of the Church. Fasting was early employed by the children of Israel as a sign of mourning, an aflSiction of soul, or an appeal for heavenly aid in distress. Later in their history, the various fasts degenerated in- to formalism and self-righteousness, so much so, that the prophets found it necessary to condemn the people because of their failure to understand that external observance of law can have no value when unaccompanied with purity and righteousness of life. Thus we have the Lord through Isaiah (58) rebuking the practice of the Israelites, and defining what is an acceptable fast: "Behold, in the day of fast, ye find pleasuie, and exact al] your labors. Ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is • not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy

EDITOR'S TABLE. 147

burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke ? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house ? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him ? And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh." Zechariah likewise (chapters 7,8) reproved the people for their hypocrisy, declaring that they ate and drank for themselves, nor did they at all fast unto God. Through that prophet, the Lord al-' so declared the acceptable fast: "Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother; and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart." Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, thus explains the fast: "Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad coun- tenance: for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in se- cret, and thy Father, which seest in secret, shall reward thee openly.'' In reply to the disciples of John, the Savior clearly sanctions the fast: "But the days will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, then shall they fast." In all of these explanations, it is evident that the acceptable fast is that which carries with it the true spirit of love for God and man; and that the aim in fasting is to secure perfect purity of heart and simplicity of intention — a fasting unto God in the fullest — and deepest sense for such a fast would be a cure for every practical and intellectual error; vanity would disappear, love for our fellows would take its place, and we would gladly assist the poor and the needy. There is often more or less quibbling among the Latter-day- Saints, and some misunderstanding among the young people, as to what constitutes an acceptable fast. Some hold that one need only abstain from food; and that one may partake of drink; others that one must abstain from both food and drink. Then as to time: some hold that the fast must begin Saturday night and continue until Sunday night; others eat dinner on Sunday, and call the going without breakfast a fast.

148 IMPROVEMENl ERA.

On these points, there is little doubt that the scriptures, old and new, indicate that fasting involves complete abstinence from food, which includes drink; also that the day of fasting is from "even to even." The chief fast day of Israel, and the only one prescribed by law, The Day of Atonement, (Lev. xxiii: 32) was de- clared a Sabbath of rest which was to be celebrated from "even to even." The law to the Latter-day Saints, as understood by the author- ities of the Church, is that food and drink are not to be partaken of for twenty-four hours, "from even to even," and that the Saints are to refrain from all bodily gratification and indulgences. Fast day being on the Sabbath, it follows, of coarse, that all labor is to be abstained from. In addition, the leading and principle 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. Now, while the law requires the Saints in all the world to fast from "even to even," and to abstain both from food and drink, it can easily be seen from the scriptures quoted, and especially from the words of Jesus, that it is more important to obtain the true spirit of love for God and man, "purity of heart and simplicity of

intention," than it is to carry out the cold letter of the law. The Lord has instituted the fast on a reasonable and intelligent basis, and none of his works are vain or unwise. His law is perfect in this as in other things. Hence, thof e who can, are required to comply thereto; it is a duty from which they cannot escape; but let it be remembered that the observance of the Fast Day by ab-

staining twenty-four hours from food and drink is not an absolute rule, it is no iron-clad law to us, but is left with the people as a matter

of conscience, to exercise wisdom and discretion. Many are sub- ject to weakness, others are delicate in health, and others have nursing babes; of such it should not be required to fast. Neither should parents compel their little children to fast. I have known