Fasting and Family Home Evening

*Family Home Evening is a night set apart to spend time as a family in the Latter-Day Saint Faith. I will be using scriptures and talks given by leaders in the church. Feel free to use these for your family*

Fasting is very hard for children to understand. It is hard to be hungry for adults, but children find it even more difficult. We do not force the fast on our children under the age of 8, and between 8 and 12, we will have them try to fast as long as possible

Fast Sunday is a week that we almost always have to battle with our oldest daughter because she would rather go to a friend's house and avoid fasting. Therefore, Family Home Evening teaching the children the importance of fasting can help ease the pain.

FHE: Joy of Fasting

Scripture: D&C 59:14
Song: Teach Me to Walk in the Light
Lesson: What Scriptures Say About Fasting
Snack: Cake & Ice Cream (or anything you like paired together)

To start the lesson (especially with younger children), put a small piece of cake on a dessert plate. Give everyone a slice of cake and have them take a bite. Ask them what they think about it. Then, ask them what they think of when they eat cake (as in food, not birthdays). When they say ice cream, bring out the ice cream. Let them eat the dessert while you give the rest of the lesson.

Cake and ice cream go together like fasting and prayer. The cake is the fasting, which on its own tastes good. However, cake always tastes better with ice cream or frosting, or anything sweet. Fasting is much more powerful and satisfying when you complete it with prayers. Prayer (ice cream) is great on its own, and it makes almost everything taste better.

Jesus has told us numerous times throughout the scriptures that we are not to fast with everyone praising us for doing so. The length of a fast is not defined in the scriptures, but Fast Sunday is generally agreed to be a few meals. The amount you would have spent on those meals then is given to the church as a fast tithing.

After you have shared your lesson, share a story and bear your testimony. Feel free to let the children have a little more dessert if desired.

Coloring sheets can be used if desired. Here is one you can use. (click on it for the link to the downloadable version)

How do you help your children understand fasting?