History of Fast Sunday

Today in class, the question was raised why fast and testimony meeting is the first Sunday of every month.  I decided to do a little research, and didn't really find the exact answer to why it is the FIRST Sunday, but I was able to come up with some resources that give additional detail on the origins of meetings set aside for fasting.  

The Bible Dictionary gives some great information about fasting traditions in the Old and New Testament.  It talks about how the only time fasting was a formal ritual was on the Day of Atonement, and how it was combined with a great day of sacrifices.  (Keep this in mind for next Sunday's lesson on Sacrifice!!)

The first modern day fast meeting was established by Joseph Smith in Kirtland.  Brigham Young gave an account of why it was first established.  

"You know that the first Thursday of each month we hold as a fast day. How many here know the origin of this day? Before tithing was paid, the poor were supported by donations. They came to Joseph and wanted help in Kirtland, and he said there should be a fast day, which was decided upon. It was to be held once a month, as it is now, and all that would have been eaten that day, of flour, or meat, or butter, or fruit, or anything else was to be carried to the fast meeting and put into the hands of a person selected for the purpose of taking care of it and distributing it among the poor"

- Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 12, p. 11

Clearly, our official fast meetings were intended as a way for us to take care or the poor. You are probably think I made a mistake in the quote when I wrote Thursday, but I did not. The fast meeting was held every Thursday until 1896 when it was changed to the first Sunday of every month so that working people could attend the meeting.  That fact comes from an Ensign article from 1978 entitled, "Mormon Sundays." It is a very long article, but it's got great information on how our meetings have progressed to what they are today. Please feel free to use the comments section to ask us any questions you may have, and please submit questions you want discussed in the lesson on Sacrifice on Sunday!