[MUSIC PLAYING] Since my husband passed away,
I have felt a more extreme need and inclination to be closer
to my Father in Heaven. In The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, we're asked once a month
to fast and to give a generous fast offering. First of all, we go without food
for a period of 24 hours or two consecutive meals. Fasting is something
that we do when we need to focus on a
question that we have or a problem that we have. When we couple our fast
with prayer and meditation, we grow closer to
Heavenly Father, and we're more able to feel
His inspiration for the things that we're fasting for, for
the questions that we have. I have a prayer,
and it helps me. And also, it gives me
a better realization of the Holy Spirit and my
Savior and His love for me. Yesterday several things
came to my mind about one of my problems that I have
asked about--just came as I was shopping, doing
things, and, "Oh, wow. That's so wonderful. Yeah, I'm going to do that." The fast offering
completes our fasting by us being able to give the
monetary value of the meals that we give up and
give that to the Church. It was over 30 years
ago that I actually was a recipient of this program. My family needed help,
and I was a single mom, and the Church just provided
us with food for as long as we [SNIFFLES] needed it. I'm sorry, but it's a
very emotional thing. Sometimes the people that
are giving those donations are people I know that don't
have a lot of money themselves. And the faith that they have,
to give that money to the Lord's Church to help their
brothers and sisters, is a wonderful thing to see. I just find it increasingly
meaningful to fast. And I find that I am learning
to be more prayerful and closer to my Heavenly Father. [MUSIC PLAYING]