True test of Divine Qualities

Think about the life of Jesus and what might have been the most physically arduous things that He chose to pass through, and you might conclude that (besides His Atonement) that it was His forty-day fast of both food and water.  Besides being an impossible feat for a human (what can human beings survive, but only 21 days [Gandhi did it!] without food) as water is a different story--every cell that's alive in a human body can survive only with water and 60% of the body is made-up of water!

I know that when I or my wife are fasting (not eating or drinking anything for 24 hours), we have less control over our actions, words, and thoughts--I can say that I know that about my wife's thoughts because of her words and actions, which follow from our thoughts.  Therefore, I conclude that as we weaken our body (which is the point of fasting--deprive our physical body so we can allow our spirit control our body and draw closer to God), as "fasting has always been practiced by true believers".

"In the Church today, one Sabbath day each month is set aside for the purpose of fasting. During this time, Church members go without food and water for a period of time. They then contribute to the Church the money that they would have spent on food for those meals. This money is called a fast offering. The Church uses the fast offerings to assist the poor and needy."

My point, as I've alluded to earlier, is that we do not have total control over our body and have not (yet) overcome our fleshy bodies with our spirits.  When we strive to gain control over our bodies by submitting to a fast of water and food, we tend (I tend) to become irritable and not behave in the way that I otherwise would hope to be able to act.  

Thinking of Christ or reading scriptures, paying, having-a-solid-purpose-in-mind are the ways that I have found to be able to fast.  If you want to "try" your charity, do it while fasting.  If you want to "try" your charity, that it "suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" (Mosiah 7:45), each and every day, then you are becoming like Christ!

Evan Jesus fasted before He began His earthly ministry (right after His baptism by John the Baptist).  He, however, used His godlike powers to be able to go without food for 40 days and 40 nights (Luke 4:2 says that He ate nothing... He may may have also gone without water or wine, but the record says only that He ate nothing...).

He was showing to His Father and to Himself that His spirit was stronger or that His will was to do as He knew His spirit wanted, and not His body (His flesh...).

So, my proposal to everyone is to try or test their divine qualities through a true 24-hour-fast while doing all in your power to act charitably in every situation, every conversation, every thought!

JPS