Mormonism: Fasting

In Mormonism, members of the LDS Church have been blessed with the opportunity to fast. Fasting is going without food or drink voluntarily. We can fast for many purposes. Fasting is one way of worshiping God and expressing gratitude to Him. We can fast as we ask Heavenly Father to bless the sick or afflicted. Fasting may help us and those we love receive personal and spiritual revelation and become converted to the truth. Through fasting we can gain strength to resist temptation. We can fast as we strive to humble ourselves before God and exercise faith in Jesus Christ. We may fast to receive guidance in sharing the gospel and magnifying Church callings. Fasting and sincere prayer gives us an extra "spiritual boost," when we are in need of that boost.
Jesus told his disciples when they could not cast an evil spirit from a child, that they should have fasted and prayed to receive enough spiritual power to cast the spirit from the child. He then told the disciples that if they had the faith of a single mustard seed, then they could move mountains.
Another thing about fasting is fast offerings. At the beginning of every month, we fast, and the money that would have gone into the food and drink that we fasted from, goes to the church. Fast offerings are used to feed the poor, and to help the sick and needy.
One interesting thing that links religion to science, is that scientists actually did some studies on fasting. Here is some results that they found:

- Fasting gives people the opportunity to lose weight easily if done properly. Many people even take it on as a dieting technique
- Fasting makes it easier to stop mental obsessions, addictions and bad habits
- Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest
- Fasting slows elderly phases crawling to the brain cells
- Fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever
- Fasting corrects high blood pressure without the use of drugs. It normalizes blood pressure in the vast majority of cases and the blood pressure will remain low after the fast, if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle
- Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins
- Weak and sick cells collapse when deconstruction prevails over construction during fasting; and the body cells are renewed in the process of construction
- He also said that a long term temperate fast that followed a certain regime could treat many diseases
- Discontinuous fasting is accountable for increasing the likelihood healing among people who suffer from damages to their liver tissue
- Fasting is used in the Western World to treat arthritis, including joint inflammations and backaches
- Discontinuous fasting helps in delaying the phases of the brain’s cells to become old, and it assists in slowing the development of Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s

There are many good reasons to fast, and the blessings and reward can be great, both physically and spiritually.