livinggeneralconference

Elder Ulisses Soares

The Message

Elder Soares taught that fasting is much more than going without food. When fasting is joined with sincere prayer, generosity, and a desire to draw closer to the Lord, it becomes an act of worship that can bring strength, guidance, peace, revelation, and greater trust in God.

He also taught that a higher and holier fast turns our attention outward. Through generous fast offerings and greater awareness of people in need, fasting can deepen both our relationship with the Lord and our desire to care for His children.

Start the Conversation

Read the summary of the message and the Try This at Home ideas with your family. Then say: “Let’s choose one way we can make our next fast more meaningful and help us draw closer to the Lord.”

Try This at Home

Choose one idea your family would like to try or choose your own.

Give Your Fast a Purpose
Before beginning your fast, decide what you want to talk with Heavenly Father about. It might be someone you love, a decision you need to make, something you are struggling with, or simply a desire to feel closer to Him.

Begin and End Together
If appropriate for your family, begin the fast with prayer together. When the fast is over, pray again and talk about anything you noticed or felt.

Turn Hunger into a Reminder
When you notice that you’re hungry, let the feeling become a reminder to pray or think about the purpose of your fast. Instead of simply waiting until you can eat again, use the moment to turn your thoughts toward the Lord.

Look Outward
Elder Soares taught that fasting should make us more sensitive to the needs of others. During your fast, think of someone who may be carrying a burden. Choose one simple thing your family can do to help.

Think About the Offering
Talk together about why we give fast offerings. If appropriate, let children see that fasting isn’t only about giving something up, It can help provide something another person needs.

Find It in the Scriptures
Read Isaiah 58:8–9, which Elder Soares used to describe the Lord’s promises associated with faithful fasting. Choose one phrase that means something to you and talk about why.

Choose Your Own
Choose another part of Elder Soares’s message your family would like to live.

Change the Way You Think About It

The next time you fast, notice the story you tell yourself about the experience. Instead of: “I’m hungry and can’t eat.” Try: “I’m choosing to fast because I want to draw closer to the Lord and help His children.”

Then notice whether changing the meaning you give the experience changes the way you experience the fast.

Check Back In

After your next fast, talk as a family about what you noticed. What was difficult? What helped? Did fasting with a purpose feel different? Did prayer feel different? Did you notice other people’s needs differently? Did changing the way you thought about fasting change the experience? Did you feel that fasting helped you draw nearer to the Lord?

No grading. No guilt. Just notice what happened.