Fast and Testimony Day

Today is the first Sunday of the month, and for members of the LDS church, that usually means one thing: Fast and Testimony Meeting. On the first Sunday of almost every month, we go without food and drink for 24 hours and donate some money to feed the hungry. Then we spend our Sacrament meeting sharing our testimonies with each other rather than listening to prepared talks.

But today was not a Fast and Testimony Day. Because yesterday was New Year's Eve, it was announced that our monthly Fast and Testimony Meeting would be held next week rather than this week. However, that doesn't mean that we can't or shouldn't fast or share our testimonies today.

Any day can be a fast day. We are not limited to one fast per month. If we have a special need or if a friend or relative is sick, or if we just feel like fasting, we can fast basically any time we want. Now, for health reasons, we probably shouldn't fast any longer than 24 hours or any more frequently than once a week, but it's completely up to you when and how frequently you fast. You certainly don't have to wait until the first Sunday of the month.

Similarly, you don't have to wait for Fast and Testimony Meeting to share your testimony. We get many opportunities to share our faith and beliefs over the course of the month, and we shouldn't shy away from those opportunities when they come up. We should be willing to share what we know with others, no matter what day it is. Granted, there are some times when sharing our testimonies may be socially inappropriate, but any time you're having a private conversation with someone, even a classmate or colleague, is probably fair game.

Though the first Sunday of the month is specifically set apart for fasting and sharing testimonies, it's certainly not the only day on which we can do those things. We can fast and/or share our testimonies on any day we want. There is only one Fast and Testimony Day per month, but we should feel free to fast and share our testimonies on other days as well.