World Wide Fast

President Russell M. Nelson has asked everyone of all faiths to join in a world wide fast.  Neal, Mallory and I had a nice lunch and then had a prayer to begin our fast.

President Nelson recently gave a message of hope when he said, "My dear friends, our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ know us, love us, and are watching over us.  Of that we can be certain.  These unique challenges will pass in due time.  I remain optimistic for the future.  I know the great and marvelous blessing that God has in store for those who love Him and serve Him.  I see evidence of His hand in this holy work in so many ways."

Elder Orson F. Whitney stated:  "No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted.  It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility.  All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worth to be called the children of God and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation that we gain the education that we come here to acquire."

This is a portion of the Salt Lake Temple dedicatory prayer:
"Heavenly Father, when Thy people shall not have the opportunity of entering this holy house to offer their supplications unto Thee, and they are oppressed and in trouble, surrounded by difficulties or assailed by temptation and shall turn their faces towards this Thy holy house and ask Thee for deliverance, for help, for Thy power to be extended in their behalf, we beseech Thee, to look down from Thy holy habitation in mercy and tender compassion upon them, and listen to their cries.  Or when the children of Thy people, in years to come, shall be separated, through any cause, from this place, and their hearts shall turn in remembrance of Thy promises to this holy Temple, and they shall cry unto Thee from the depths of their affliction and sorrow to extend relief and deliverance to them, we humbly entreat Thee to turn Thine ear in mercy to them; hearken to their cries, and grant unto them the blessings for which they ask."

Amazing to me that was said by Wilford Woodruff in the dedicatory prayer, how many years ago?  128 years ago.  April 6, 1893.  I think that is when the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated.  Don't quote me, but that is approximately correct.  (Is there such a thing as approximately correct?)

Isn't that exactly where we are now, beseeching the guidance and blessings from our Heavenly Father with a world wide fast to help end this pandemic.  Oh how grateful I am for the gospel of Jesus Christ.