Today's Favorite Verse: Leviticus 26:2-4
"Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
If ye walk in my statues, and keep my commandments, and do them;
Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."
Rain is a lot on my mind. We are in the middle of a drought and severe heat wave. It made me reflect on President Spencer W. Kimball and our fasting and prayers for rain when there was a national drought. This is from his home ward history.
"Living the Law of the Fast:
President Kimball encouraged us to follow his example in living the law of the fast. As we did, the members of the ward gained great blessings. During these years, the Monument Park 2nd ward led the Church in the per capita amount of contributions made to the Fast Offering fund of the Church. On one occasion when the entire Church had been requested to fast and pray for the Lord to remove the drought conditions, President Kimball taught us the power that come from knowing the scriptures.
When he came to Sacrament meeting, my usual custom was to greet him and ask him if he had any instructions for the bishopric as the presiding officer. His usual response was: “Carry on bishop as thought I were not here.” On this Sunday, I had been delayed in my office I did not have the chance to greet him before coming to the stand. During the course of the meeting, the Spirit prompted me to ask him if he would like to give the closing prayer on this special occasion. I quickly wrote the following note and passed it to the chair which he always sat in saying: “In light of the special fast, would you care to offer the closing prayer? Bishop Oswald.” A few minutes the note came back to me with this answer penned in red ink: “Or say a word or two before the prayer, either—as you say.”
At the close of the meeting, I said that because of the special nature of the worldwide fast being observed by the members of the Church, I had asked President Kimball if he would take a few minutes and instruct the congregation on the importance of the fast. For the next ten minutes, the members of the ward had the opportunity to witness a Prophet of God, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, speak with power and authority. Without any notes, President Kimball quoted from memory several passages from the Old Testament on the importance of fasting and prayer in petitioning the Lord to send forth rain. He recited the pattern found in the scriptures where God had withheld rain in order to teach the people to be humble and obedient as they acknowledge their dependence upon the Lord for the blessings given conditional upon their personal righteousness. President Kimball wonder aloud whether or not the members were living the commandments to be worthy of asking God to open the windows of heaven and send forth the moisture so necessary to sustain life. It was a masterful demonstration of one who, over a lifetime of scriptural reading and study, had come to know the scriptures and the Author of those sacred writings given to Gods prophets in past dispensations.
At the end of the meeting, the Prophet prayed. Afterwards, the congregation was immovable and did not want to leave or break the marvelous Spirit that was present and felt by all. Many members went home and wrote in their journals of having been taught that day by a living Prophet speaking under the mantle of his authority and by the influence of the Spirit. It was a sacred experience worth remembering and recording in personal journals.
The Relief Society president wrote in her journal: “President Kimball is such a tremendous example to us all. He spoke so much about our personal worthiness as a prerequisite to fasting and praying for the rain, that I am sure there were many present today who did some deeply introspective soul searching of our own, as I did.” “Then I had the most thrilling experience of my life. I heard the Prophet pray. I felt the very heavens open up in that sweet but powerful communication between our Heavenly Father and his most chosen of all servants on the earth. He thanked the Lord for the Prophets of old–in a manner that made me feel he had a very personal relationship with those prophets. . . As I left my choir seat at the close of the meeting, brushing the tears from my eyes, I saw the members of the congregation, men and women alike, doing the same. We were all visibly moved by the power, the sweetness and the challenge of this most significant prayer. Especially to hear the humble Prophet say: “Lord, we pray that we may be found worthy to ask.”
"Recalling President Kimball’s calling made manifest in their ward:
The entire Monument Park 2nd ward was present in Sacrament Meeting the day in which President Kimball ended 3 days of his personal fasting and prayer, because of his concern over the national drought that year. President Kimball took a unique direction in this Sacrament Meeting....speaking, then ending his address in prayer. As he spoke, he stopped for many seconds....looked upward to the chapel ceiling...then said "Brothers and Sisters, the Lord has just made it known to me that the reason for the drought we have been experiencing is that we have become a nation of Sabbath breakers. He then began his prayer which was amazing to hear...he addressed Heavenly Father as GOD, creator and governor of the Universe. It was so very reverent and worshipful with infinite respect for His Godhood. President Kimball then prayed and promised the Lord that we would make new efforts to keep his Sabbath day holy. Within weeks, church publications began emphasizing the Sabbath, and within a week after that, the rains began to fall...and the nationwide drought was ended. As one little ward in Zion, we witnessed the prophet and the Lord working together on a global scale."
As I read this I wondered why we have not held a fast as a church for rain? I know last Fast Sunday the governor asked us to pray for rain and many of us included this in our monthly fast. I'm sure as a church we will be asked when the timing is right for this to be over. For now there are many lessons for us to learn. My part is to make sure I am worthy to ask, that I keep the Sabbath day holy, and continue to fast and pray for rain.
