While we're concerned about The Letter vs The Spirit, does that play into Fasting? I'm not talking about a sip of water or even chewing gum or breath mint, but rather the duration of the fast. We're told "2 meals" which some have interpreted and preached "24 hours". How concerned is God over the time limit, that we go the distance?
Let's say you just completed hour 23 of your 24-hour fast. Your wife is making salsa for dinner and asks you to try it. Do you say, I'll need to wait 1 more hour? Do you run into the other room, pray and break your fast and return to sample said salsa? Or do you just try it on 1 chip while your kids gasp that you just ruined your fast? (I did option "C" BTW) So, did I blow it and that's why I didn't receive the extra spiritual strength to reject Krispy Kreme doughnuts this week?
Is God a stickler or not? If He didn't mean 2-meals or 24-hours, then why did He say it? Tithing is pretty much 10%, not 9.5% nor 12%. 10% will get you into the temple while 8% or 9% will not. Sounds pretty Letter of the Law to me.
The Word of Wisdom says No Tea, No Coffee, No Tobacco; as proper Letter of the Law laws should. But it also has a bunch of other stuff, eat healthily and take care of your body that we skim over. So, maybe the WoW is more Spirit of the Law? Hunh?
When one receives the Aaronic Priesthood, the bishop asks them, Will you try to live these laws? When one receives the Melchizedek Priesthood, the bishop asks them, Do you live these laws? Maybe there is a pattern there of increasing sanctification. It's almost like the law (or letter of the law) is to get us started in the way with the hope and expectation that the spirit will take root and become the teacher and motivator. (Sounds like a scripture)
In the middle of one's fast, one partakes of the sacrament. Technically one has broken one's fast because one partook of bread and water violating the whole "no food nor water" part. But that's silly because renewing one's baptismal covenant is of greater importance, and probably doesn't nullify one's fast. But, still, I'm just saying, technically....
So, are we saying it's possible for someone with a medical condition to maybe fast 12-hours and gain just as much, if not more, spirituality and self-control over the body than someone from a 24-hour fast?
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This reminds me of the quote of the 2 men talking about Abraham. The question is posed: Why did Abraham have the test to sacrifice Isaac? The answer is that Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.
Wouldn't you say that fasting/Sabbath worship/tithing are more about proving to ourselves how far we will go for the Lord? As we do so, we feel more "worthy" of the inspiration of the Spirit, and thus pay closer attention.
In similar fashion, this last conference, Elder Nelson quoted Joseph F Smith as saying that fasting doesn't need to be excess to be effective. God doesn't get anything more out of the 47th hour of fasting that He didn't get out of the 18th hour.
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