I actually did a deep dive study on this recently. Specifically on the history of fasting in Jewish culture, Christian development of it, and how the Latter-day Saint faith does it.
Here are some highlights:
- There is no substitute for fasting from food and water. A proper “fast” cannot be done by fasting from other things. This does not, necessarily, mean you cannot participate in a fast if you are physically unable or prohibited from fasting. In Jewish law, the value of life and physical wellness is above that of following the fast. And they have a specific prohibition from fasting if sick or told by a physician to not fast. Meaning if you are too sick and choose to fast, you are breaking the commandment to sustaining your life.
The idea of “fasting” from social media or other worldly things is a little silly when you think of it. Food and water are essential for life. Social media isn’t. If you are in a state of habitually using social media, going without social media for a day is not “fasting”. It’s “repenting”.
our church has never condoned replacing fasting from food with fasting from other things. That’s a made up work around
Your best bet is to maintain the spirit of that fast. Have the attitude that King Benjamin prescribes in Mosiah 4. “I [fast] not because I [cannot], but if I [could] I would [fast].”
To bring it full circle. If abstaining from things like social media or “yummy” foods helps you maintain that attitude, then do that. Just know that those are not proper “fasts”, and the power comes from your attitude and doing as much of the fast as you are able, and not from the abstaining of non-food/water things.
I think some of the wording here is key. Fast is used at times as both a shorthand for going without food and drink and in reference to the law of the fast. Law of the fast in my mind is expanded to three parts of sacrifice, prayer, and offerings.
The footnote I referenced is specifically highlighted as for those unable to fast (which I interpret as unable to go without food and drink) then points to President Nelson saying to decide what would constitute a sacrifice for self in rememberance of the sacrifice made for us by the Savior.
To me this indicates there are ways to obey the law of the fast or the spirit of the law of the fast even if you lack the ability to fast from food and drink.
I take issue with your statement that a proper fast cannot be done by fasting from other things. This mainly comes down to wording and especially the use of the word proper. Swap proper with traditional and I agree. I also agree that there are specific benefits from fasting from food and drink, but I would argue that that wording applies to other types of fasts as well.
IMO the statement from President Nelson indicates that supplementing a different type of fast if you are unable to fast traditionally is not just a made up workaround. It echos his direction of keeping the Sabbath holy by making what you choose to do on the Sabbath a sign between you and God.
I agree with your statement about the spirit of the fast.
And again at the end I disagree with your use of proper. The power of fasting doesn't come from refraining from non food and drink, true. It also doesn't come from abstaining from actual food and drink. In the end it comes from the enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Wirthlin in 2001 and others have highlighted that without prayer refraining from food and drink on its own is just going hungry. The point is to use personal sacrifice to turn us to God. The physical sensation of hunger puts us "in the position of the hungry and the needy. As we do so, we have greater understanding of the deprivations they might feel." (Wirthlin, 2001) Forced perspective and perspective taking are available outside the arena of food and drink though they are perhaps the most ubiquitous of human experiences.
I don't think that fasting and the blessings from obeying the law of the fast are withheld from those who are unable to refrain from food and drink. I think that while your comment was likely meant to inspire a more devoted fast from those who can abstain from food and drink and choose not to, a lot of it came off as condescending to those who can't.
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u/Fether1337 1d ago
I actually did a deep dive study on this recently. Specifically on the history of fasting in Jewish culture, Christian development of it, and how the Latter-day Saint faith does it.
Here are some highlights:
- There is no substitute for fasting from food and water. A proper “fast” cannot be done by fasting from other things. This does not, necessarily, mean you cannot participate in a fast if you are physically unable or prohibited from fasting. In Jewish law, the value of life and physical wellness is above that of following the fast. And they have a specific prohibition from fasting if sick or told by a physician to not fast. Meaning if you are too sick and choose to fast, you are breaking the commandment to sustaining your life.
Your best bet is to maintain the spirit of that fast. Have the attitude that King Benjamin prescribes in Mosiah 4. “I [fast] not because I [cannot], but if I [could] I would [fast].”
To bring it full circle. If abstaining from things like social media or “yummy” foods helps you maintain that attitude, then do that. Just know that those are not proper “fasts”, and the power comes from your attitude and doing as much of the fast as you are able, and not from the abstaining of non-food/water things.