If you didnt already know - I am a Mormon. This weekend we enjoyed General Conference, which is a worldwide broadcast of talks prepared by leaders in the Church. While some of our beliefs are unique to our denomination, we share many common beliefs with other Christian faiths. One of those is the act of fasting. It has been a part of many faiths since the beginning of time. Bishop Dean M Davies spoke at length about fasting and the many benefits to the soul as well as to those around you. He quoted a verse from Isaiah that really struck me. Its Isaiah 58:6 which reads, Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? That last part really struck me, ...that ye break every yoke.... A yoke is a device placed around the neck of a farm animal so that they can pull something heavy like a plow, or a wagon. I guess this caught my attention because a yoke isnt just a rope thrown around an animals neck...its actually designed to be somewhat comfortable for the animal so that they wont mind pulling the heavy object. In Isaiah, the yoke(s) he mentions are the ones the adversary places on us. It can be the sins or misdeeds that weigh us down, the enormous debt we take on that binds us, or any number of things that we give so much attention to that are of little or no worth. These yokes (though, not a sin) rob us of our time, and slow us from reaching our true potential. These proverbial yokes become comfortable to us over time so that we hardly recognize they are there...but they are, and they are constantly sapping our energy. If you are seeking answers to lifes problems, or if you hunger for further light and knowledge - I encourage you to fast to become close to your Heavenly Father and seek His guidance in all things.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 01:05:44 +0000
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