Fasting for Others

At the start of the week, I received an email from the North America West Area Presidency of the church, which included the following message:

Sunday, March 29, 2020, is a fast Sunday. It is also the weekend just prior to April general conference. As an Area Presidency, we invite you to join us in a special day of fasting and mighty prayer. The purpose of this fast is five-fold: 

1. To ask the Lord to bless and inspire our Church and government leaders and their efforts to protect the health and well-being of all people and to find solutions to address the challenges we are facing in all nations. 

2. To pray for all those who are suffering the physical, emotional, and economic impact of COVID-19, that they will be blessed according to their needs. 

3. To pray that the hearts of people everywhere will be softened and turned toward the Lord in humility and that faith in Jesus Christ will increase on the earth. 

4. To pray for spiritual strength to overcome fear and anxiety, for inspiration to protect ourselves and our families, and for the awareness and ability to minister to those in need. 

5. To pray for increased understanding and personal revelation in preparation for general conference and the prophetic guidance and messages regarding the bicentennial of the Restoration.

I normally don't appreciate being told what to fast for. I have my own needs to fast for. But this time, I have to admit that, in this case, others' needs are more important than mine. This situation, while perhaps not the most serious plague in recorded history, is certainly dire enough for me to put my own needs and wants on hold for a while so others will be better protected. I'd like to think that, in certain situations, I would be the kind of person who would go out of his way to help ensure that others will be safe. This is my opportunity to prove it.

So, I'm staying inside. I'm washing my hands longer than usual. And I'm willing to go without some non-essential things for the next few weeks and months. And I'm fasting for the sake of others instead of myself. I need certain blessings, but there are others who need blessings more. All-in-all, I don't think we're being asked to make a great sacrifice. Maybe it's a bigger sacrifice for some people than for others, and each person needs to make their own decisions, but it doesn't seem like too great a sacrifice for me. I'm willing to self-quarantine and skip a few meals if it might help some people. And if we're all willing to make that much of a sacrifice, then together we can help a lot of people.