Why Fast During A Pandemic?

A World Wide Fast

Why would a prophet ask his people, no, not just his people, but the whole world to fast for relief during a pandemic?

When everyone is at their lowest emotionally, why fast?

I am terrible at fasting. My religion asks me to fast for 24 hours once a month. I will confess. I don't always do it and sometimes when I do it feels like a rote practice. But I did do it on Good Friday. Here are some of my thoughts just before I ended my 24 hour fast.

I just prepped my soup which I will eat when I break my fast. I didn’t have a taste or even lick my fingers. How uncharacteristic of me to be that disciplined. Could that be a blessing of the fast accompanied by prayer?

The smell of the onions and peppers was so strong and wafted from the pot. Could that be a blessing of the fast accompanied by prayer?

I have a strong desire to hear Him. Yes, I need to hear the words of my Savior. I long to hear him talk to me about sorrow, about sickness, about loneliness and pain. I didn’t want that with such fervor, yesterday. Could that be a blessing of the fast accompanied by prayer?

When I have my first taste of food very soon I know I will be overcome with gratitude. I feel so grateful to have the strength of the spirit with me, to ease the physical wanting and entice me to choose spiritual wanting. Could that be a blessing of the fast accompanied by prayer?

Why fast and pray during a pandemic? Because we need a miracle to ease the burden of this virus and the economic consequences. No doctors or scientists or scholars can bring us peace. 

Let's Hear Him.