Tag Archives: fasting

Family Home Evening: Tithes and Offerings

The next topic in the “For the Strength of Youth” manual is “Tithes and Offerings.” This is a great topic to spend a family home evening discussing. This principle is a good one to review from time to time because it is important to remember why we pay our tithing. The section also covers the law of the fast. You can open the lesson by reading Malachi 3:10. You may want to discuss what it means by the types of blessings you receive. These blessings are not necessarily monetary, but are definitely spiritual blessings. As a family read the “Tithes … Continue reading →

Focus on Fasting

As another fast Sunday approaches it is time to think of the reasons that we fast. We know that every able member of the church has been commanded to fast the first Sunday of each month, and to donate a fast offering equal to the amount of the meals skipped. This money goes directly to helping the poor. Unless there is a looming crisis I often find it difficult to have a specific topic to fast on. Yet fasting without a purpose in mind is simply going hungry. In his talk “The Blessings of a Proper Fast” Elder Carl B … Continue reading →

Five Pillars of Islam

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If you’ve ever spent any time around Muslims at all, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the Five Pillars of Islam. These are the basic things that all Muslims must do. It is not an all-inclusive list; it is merely the minimum. Following this list is not a guaranteed entry to Jannah (heaven), but it is a great start. So, what’s on the list? [h]Declaration[/h] The first pillar is the declaration. Known as shahadah, this is the first step a person takes as a Muslim. Once a person has studied Islam and believes in their heart that Islam is truly the word … Continue reading →

Fasting

Fasting is a wonderful experience if done correctly. However, it takes preparation, and a positive mindset to make fasting a truly spiritual experience. I fasted for the first time when I was three years old. In defense of my parents, they had fixed my breakfast before we went to church. I refused to eat when I realized that they weren’t eating because they were fasting. I wanted to fast as well. I made it until I was in Sunbeams. I remember breaking down in tears, and my mom taking me home to feed me. My parents knew that I was … Continue reading →

Using Personal Prayer to Listen to the Lord

When Elder Eyring shared his personal experiences with prayer in General Conference, it really made me start to think about prayer. Prayer is an extremely personal experience, a chance for each individual to communicate with God. While I pray several times a day, I must admit that my prayers are not always the deep meaningful communication that they ought to be. In the Bible Dictionary it says, “Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the … Continue reading →