SPECIAL FAST SUNDAY, MARCH 29TH

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We extend our love to you and want you to know we are praying for your safety and well-being.

We are entering a very critical phase in the COVID-19 outbreak. The next two to four weeks will determine whether the extensive efforts of national and local leaders to stem the rate of community spread of COVID-19 will be successful. The personal health of millions of people and the economic well-being of all nations hang in the balance. The next few weeks and months will likely be an unprecedented period of challenge and economic struggle for many. These are extraordinary times. There has never been a greater need in our lifetime for all people to turn to God for help and peace. We assure each of you that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, are mindful of us and our individual needs. We can turn to Them for peace and comfort.

Sunday, March 29, 2020, is a fast Sunday. It is also the weekend just prior to April General Conference. As an Area Presidency, we invite you to join us in a Special Day of Fasting and Mighty Prayer. The purpose of this fast is five-fold:

1. To ask the Lord to bless and inspire our leaders and their efforts to protect the health and well-being of all people and to find solutions to address the challenges we are facing in all nations.

2. To pray for all those who are suffering the physical, emotional, and economic impact of COVID-19, that they will be blessed according to their needs.

3. To pray that the hearts of people everywhere will be softened and turned toward the Lord in humility and that faith in Jesus Christ would increase on the earth.

4. To pray for spiritual strength to overcome fear and anxiety, for inspiration to protect ourselves and our families, and for the awareness and ability to minister to those in need.

5. To pray for increased understanding and personal revelation in preparation for the prophetic guidance and messages regarding the bicentennial of the restoration.

Like the prophet Enos, we too can turn to the Lord in mighty prayer in behalf of ourselves, our families, our nations, and those in need. He will hear and answer our humble prayers.

We hope you will invite others of faith to join with us in uniting our faith and prayers. As you do, please consider a generous fast offering and, based on your personal circumstances, a donation to the Humanitarian Fund. As an Area Presidency, we will be looking for significant and meaningful ways to address the immediate and growing humanitarian needs of our area. We encourage you to listen to and share President Russell M. Nelson’s recent media posts on hope and love with your family and friends.

We invite you to join us in a Special Day of Fasting and Mighty Prayer and to unite with others as we pray for heaven’s help and blessings.

Sincerely,

The North America West Area Presidency