Elder Ulisses Soares

A Higher and Holier Fast

Quorum of the Twelve

Read the full talk on churchofjesuschrist.org Watch on YouTube

In brief

Elder Soares invites members to live the law of the fast "in a higher and holier way," drawing on Isaiah 58's promises that our light will break forth and the Lord will answer, "Here I am." Joined with earnest prayer, fasting humbles us, aligns our desires with God's will, and invites revelation, following the Savior's own 40-day fast. Fast offerings turn the fast outward to bless those in need, and he promises miracles and greater sensitivity to others to those who embrace it.

1,259words

~11minutes

23.0references to Christ per 1,000 words

0questions asked

1direct invitation

Themes in this talk

Giving 15 Daily practices 1

Number of coded passages from this talk in each theme.

Direct invitations

Sentences where the speaker directly invited, urged, asked or pleaded with us to act, in the exact words.

Live a higher and holier fast

“I invite you to prayerfully ponder Isaiah’s teachings and more intentionally embrace the divine purpose of the law of the fast in a higher and holier way as part of our worship.”

T06.14

Teach this talk

Three ready-to-teach 30-minute lessons built on this talk.

Adults · 30 minutesMore Than Missing a MealWhen we fast as an act of worship, joined with earnest prayer and generous giving, we draw nearer to the Savior and He answers, “Here I am.”Youth · 30 minutesHungry or Fasting?Fasting is more than skipping meals: with real prayer and generosity it brings us closer to Jesus Christ and gives us strength we do not have on our own.Children · 30 minutesWe Pray and We ShareFasting is a special way to come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus: we pray, and we share with people who need help.

Test yourself on this talk

Three short quizzes on what Elder Soares taught: easy for families and first-time listeners, medium for understanding, hard for careful study.

Questions and explanations are written for this site and are not official Church materials. Each answer points to the paragraph of the official talk it comes from. All quizzes →

Key passages

Giving · caring for the poor

“Though our fast offerings may seem small and simple, they become consecrated expressions of compassion, concern, and service.”

T06.12

Giving · law of the fast

“more intentionally embrace the divine purpose of the law of the fast in a higher and holier way”