(Latest in a series)

ME: I have a question about your fasting. As a Mormon, you do fast occasionally, I understand. Is that correct?
MORMON: Oh, yes. Fasting is a spiritual experience, and helps us to be receptive to the Spirit.
ME: Is fasting a requirement?
MORMON: We are to fast when we feel the need at any time, but we are also instructed to fast on the first Sunday of each month, called "Fast Sunday," and donate the money we have saved by fasting to the church, to provide for the poor.
ME: Is there any ritual associated with fasting?
MORMON: The scriptures often mention fasting in connection with prayer, and so we customarily pray before the fast and during it, for the Holy Spirit to be with us and to give us the strength to endure the lack of physical nourishment.
ME: Any other ritual requirement?
MORMON: No, there is none.
ME: So Mormon fasting is not Christian?
MORMON: (shocked and surprised) Of course it is Christian! Mormons are Christians, and we fast as Christians!
ME: But according to what you said, you don't follow the directions for fasting as given by Jesus.
MORMON: Of course we do!
ME: Do you anoint your head when you fast?
MORMON: No...
ME: Do you ritually wash your face as part of the fast?
MORMON: Well, of course we wash our face anyway, but not as part of the fast.
ME: Open your Book of Mormon and read Christ's instructions to the Nephites, at 3 Nephi 13:17. Jesus said there: "...when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;.."
MORMON: Well... I suppose that was his instructions to the Nephites, who may have needed special instructions. It doesn't apply to us nowadays.
ME: Jesus said the same thing to his followers in Palestine. Open your Bible to Matthew 6:17.
MORMON: (pause) If it were that important, our church leaders would have told us to include that when we fast.
ME: Hmm... it isn't good enough that Jesus himself gave the commandment to his followers?
MORMON: Well, there are certainly more important things than that, like paying a full tithe, and not drinking coffee, and wearing a white shirt to church....
ME: You sound more like a Pharisee that Jesus was criticizing than a follower of Christ.

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Previous posts in this series:
#1: Baptism wording: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1089659
#2: "sun" vs. "son": http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1013735
#3: Name of church 1834-1838: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1102694
#4: Bible prophecies: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1121855
#5: Languages in the pre-existence: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1127558
#6: What is doctrine? http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1135995
#7: Worshiping Jesus: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1187412
#8: Priesthood: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1218790
#9: Prophecy of JS' murder: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1274661
#10: Sacrament: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1287928
#11: Temple dedications: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1367729

At which point the frustrated mormon whips out their steel bow and and says "Anoint THIS, you evil anti apostate!"

Sorry, wrong thread.

Kinda weak.

Verse 16 says
"Moreover, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward."

What is meant in verse 17 is that even though you might be sufffering a little because of lack of food, don't make it look like you are suffering.

In my opinion, not a real effective way to stump most Mormons.

These are the scriptures in context:

3 Nephi 13:16 Moreover, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

3 Nephi 13:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;

It sounds to me like Jesus is speaking against the idea of the dirty acetic. Someone who dresses in rags, never washes or changes their clothes, never takes a bath, never cuts, combs, or washes their hair, and eats and drinks the bare minimum required to stay alive. People who did this thought that mortifying the flesh would increase spirituality.

So it sounds like Jesus is advising people to fast in stealth mode. Make it so people won't even notice you are fasting. The washing of faces is pretty straight forward. The one thing I am trying to figure out is the anointing of heads. I am not imagining the anointing being done with Mormon consecrated olive oil. I am imagining something more like anointing with water for washing the hair, anointing with conditioners to make the hair less dry and subject to breakage and to make it shinier, or anointing with perfume to make the person smell nice.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2015 05:31PM by Heretic 2.