I suppose, then, that if we make the Sabbath day common by doing on it the very same things we could do on any other day of the week, we aren’t honoring the day. We aren’t resting from our labors, and we haven’t been able to take the time to properly worship the Lord and ponder His blessings to us and how we might be able to improve our own lives. There seems to be real value in "resting" from that which is common, and in putting ourselves into a "higher" situation where we can draw closer to the Lord, which thereby allows Him to draw closer to us.

Your second question asks, "When fast Sunday comes, is it acceptable to start one’s fast on Saturday night into Sunday morning?" Or should both meals be skipped on Sunday?

I have seen it done both ways, and find no harm in doing it either way. What we have been asked to do on fast Sunday is to fast from two meals and to give the equivalent value of those meals to the church for the blessing of the poor. We’ve even been counseled to give a generous fast offering, if we are able, and to give much more than the cost of those two meals. Whether those two meals are Saturday night and Sunday morning, or Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon, is of no consequence. That’s totally up to you. The fact of fasting the two meals and the giving of the fast offering for the benefit of the poor is the purpose for the fast, in addition to the spiritual uplift it is for us to deny the physical body the nourishment of food for that period of time and allow our spiritual selves to predominate. I hope this is helpful to you. I know that you’re a new member of the church, and I am grateful for your faithfulness and your interest in doing what’s right.

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond


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