Subjecting

Sometimes there are certain keywords connecting passages and adding meaning. I think the word, "subject" in Abinadi's sermon is one example. I posted about the Son subjecting to the Father or the flesh subjecting to the spirit, that Abinadi is talking about in the beginning of Chapter 15. In the same sermon, in the beginning of Chapter 16, he says

2 And then shall the wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this because they would not hearken unto the voice of the Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not.

3 For they are carnal and devilish, and the devil has power over them; yea, even that old serpent that did beguile our first parents, which was the cause of their fall; which was the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish, knowing evil from good, subjecting themselves to the devil.

Remember what he said in Chapter 15

I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people…And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father (verse 1, 5)

Seeing this in context, Abinadi lays out "The Two Ways". Subjecting the flesh to the spirit, or to the Father, is the way to unity and redemption, as Abinadi explains in chapter 15. In that chapter, the word, "redeem" is repeated 11 times. In the verse quoted from chapter 16, he explains that subjecting to the devil is the way to howling and weeping and not being redeemed.

I did a search on "subject" in the Book of Mormon to explore this subject (pun intended) further. Here is an interesting one

For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked. (Alma 34:35)

This is the same contrast that Abinadi uses in Mosiah 15-16: Either subjecting to the spirit of the Lord or the spirit of the Devil. In this life we have a choice. But Amulek describes a time when it is too late, because you have kept procrastinating subjecting to the Spirit. The final state of the wicked is not having this choice anymore, the Spirit of the Lord has withdrawn from them.

Jacob uses this contrast too in his sermon in 2 Nephi 9.

5 Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.

...

8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more. 

Another interesting point in Jacob's use of the word, "subject" is what he says in verse 5, that Christ first became "subject unto man in the flesh" so "that all men might become subject unto him". How can Christ both "subject unto man" and subject unto the spirit/Father as Abinadi states in Mosiah 15? Actually, Abinadi also states this in Mosiah 15:7

Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.

Being subject unto man means coming to this earth being born of a mortal mother and experiencing death. It probably also means not resisting or showing his power when he is "crucified and slain". All this was also subjecting to the will of the Father so there is no contradiction. Ultimately, this is done that we may "become subject unto him".

Combined, these passages teach the difference between becoming subject unto Christ and unto the Devil. Becoming subject unto Christ ultimately leads to our redemption, as Mosiah 15 states. Becoming subject unto the Devil leads to him having all power over us, as Alma 34:35 states.

Old Testament Psalm-language in "Nephi's Psalm"

Today we'll take a closer look at the second half of 2 Nephi 4, which contains Nephi's beautiful and poignant poem. This passage is packed with Old Testament Psalm language, which probably shouldn't came as any surprise to us, given how well-versed Nephi was in Hebrew scripture.

I've leaned heavily on the analysis of others to identify examples of Psalm-language in the Book of Mormon, most notably this paper by John Hilton III and this study by Book of Mormon Central (see the appendix at the bottom). Many of these references can also be found in the "Psalms in the Book of Mormon" series of posts (starting with this one), but this passage deserves special attention and a format that allows easier visualization of the interwoven intertextuality.

I'd like to make a few points here regarding the textual connections between the Psalms and the Book of Mormon:

1. Joseph Smith would have dictated this chapter in one pass, probably in June 1829, at age 23.
2. The context of the specific Psalms quoted here by Nephi center on temple themes. I wonder what Joseph Smith would have been able to tell you about temple and covenants (much less about how ancient Hebrews viewed their temple covenant) at that time. The imagery found in the Psalms is heavily symbolically-related to the temple.  That's remarkable for Joseph Smith to have known that and incorporated it into the text.
3. Several of these poetic themes "resonate" in nearby verses.  For example, "because of mine enemy/enemies" in verses 27 and 29 echoes into adjacent verses 5 times in the form of the word "enemy."  Same with "deliver me," "trust," "heart," and "rock."
4. Notice how after a single reference to Psalms in the first three verses, there is a lull, followed by a crescendo of Psalm-language at the end.  It's really beautiful.

2 Nephi 4	Psalm reference
17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.	19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! (Psalm 31)
18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.	19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! (Psalm 31)
20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.
22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.
23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.
24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.
25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.
26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?	8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. (Psalm 5)
28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.	7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (Psalm 28)
29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.	8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. (Psalm 5)
30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.	9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints. (Psalm 52) 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. (Psalm 89)
31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?	1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: (Psalm 7)
32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!	13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? (Psalm 56)
33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.
34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.	23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. (Psalm 55) 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. (Psalm 56) 1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: (Psalm 7)
35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.	1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (Psalm 121) 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (Psalm 63) 8 I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication. (Psalm 30)

Psalms in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 4, continued

Let's continue looking at Psalms language in the Book of Mormon. 2 Nephi 4, the latter half of which is commonly known as "Nephi's Psalm" draws heavily from Psalm language.

My God and the Rock of My Salvation

26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. (Psalm 89)

30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. (2 Nephi 4)

That I may walk

13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? (Psalm 56)

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road! (2 Nephi 4)

Make . . . straight before

8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. (Psalm 5)

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy. (2 Nephi 4)

I will trust in thee

23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. (Psalm 55)

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. (Psalm 56)

34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. (2 Nephi 4)

I will lift up my

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (Psalm 63)

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (Psalm 121)

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen. (2 Nephi 4)

See also 1 Nephi 21:22/Isaiah 49:22.

I will cry unto

2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. (Psalm 57)

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen. (2 Nephi 4)

See Also Alma 33:11.

The "gathering" of spirit and flesh

There have been numerous posts on this blog about the gathering of Israel, Zion and unity, all different aspects of the same subject. Mosiah 15 added a new dimension to this subject for me. I find the first 7 verses really interesting.

1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.

2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—

3 The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—

4 And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.

5 And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father... 7 the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.

These verses are confusing to some, but at least I find them to be consistent with other Book of Mormon verses describing Christ as God and even Father in some sense. Without getting deep into the theology of the Godhead, I will just say that I think we tend to focus too much on the separation of the persons of the Godhead to distinguish ourselves from trinitarian beliefs, while the Book of Mormon reminds us that it is the unity that really defines the Godhead.

The important point, though, in these verses, is the Godhead as role model for us. Abinadi draws parallels between the Son and the flesh on one hand and the Father and the spirit on the other. When the Son becomes subject to the Father, or the will of the Son is "swallowed up in the will of the Father", they are "one God". Similarly, when the flesh becomes subject to the spirit or the will of the flesh is swallowed up in the will of the spirit, it becomes one unity.

Subjecting the flesh to the spirit is also a form of gathering. The purpose of gathering in the gospel and scriptures is to create this unity. Zion consists of people who are one heart and one mind (Moses 7:18). They are one with each other. But I think they are also one with themselves, having this flesh-spirit unity. It is striking that Abinadi goes on to talk about Zion later in the chapter I just quoted from.

Yea, Lord, thy watchmen shall lift up their voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. (Mosiah 15:29)

This is in fact an Isaiah quote, which is the context for this whole sermon. It started with a question from King Noah's priests about what this Isaiah passage really means.

Another thing that caused me to reflect is how gathering or unity is achieved through a Father-Son relationship. God is one because the Son subjects his will to the Father. Christ, in turn, invites us to become his children and become one with him. Again, it is striking to observe what Abinadi goes on to talk about after these verses in the beginning of chapter 15.

And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed? (Mosiah 15:10)

When Christ appears in the flesh as son and subjects his will to the Father and completes the atonement, he becomes our father. Christ is one with his father and wants us to become one with Him by becoming his children. This is the way to unity and salvation.

And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one. (3 Nephi 19:23)

Christ is a model for subjecting the flesh to the spirit. When we do the same, he becomes our father and bring us to his father. The gathering of Israel starts with each of us individually. When the will of our flesh has been swallowed up by the will of the spirit, we will see ourselves gathered by the father of our salvation, Jesus Christ, who in turn takes us to His father, thus fulfilling His role as mediator.

Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice. (Mosiah 15:9)

Fasting in the Book of Mormon -- Part 5

This is the last part of the series where I look into fasting in the Book of Mormon and compare it with fasting in the Old Testament. Here are the links to the previous four parts of this series.

• Part 1: Introduction and fasting as a sign of grief or mourning
• Part 2: Fasting as a sign of repentance and seeking forgiveness for sin
• Part 3: Fasting as an aid in prayer
• Part 4: Fasting as an experience of the presence of God and endorsement of his messenger

In this post we will look at

• Fasting as an act of ceremonial public worship

This one is quite familiar to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Fasting is often a collective, congregational event, not just personal. We see the same in the Book of Mormon.

Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God. (Alma 6:6)

Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy. (Alma 45:1)

And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting (3 Nephi 27:1)

And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls. (Moroni 6:5)

Another aspect of the ceremonial worship is fasting as part of the Jewish calendar or required by the law of Moses. While studying this subject, I came across this article exploring the same subject. The following paragraph gives interesting insight:

The only periodic fast prescribed for the Israelites in the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) occurs on the Day of Atonement, “the tenth day of the seventh month” of the ancient Jewish calendar (the first month of the current Jewish calendar), when the Lord commanded the Israelites to meet together to “afflict [their] souls” (i.e., to fast) and to “offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord” (Leviticus 23:27ff.; see also 16:29, 31; Numbers 29:7–10). There are no references to this festival in the Old Testament outside of the books of Moses, although Isaiah 58:3–7 may refer to abuses of the fast associated with the Day of Atonement.

The observance of the Day of Atonement fast is never explicitly mentioned in the Book of Mormon. However, its observance may be implied in Alma 30:2, where fasting, mourning, and prayer are referred to, and in Alma 45:1, where fasting, rejoicing, and prayer are mentioned as taking place at the beginning of the year, at the time when the Day of Atonement rites were probably observed among the Nephites. This presumption that these two fasts reflect observances associated with the Pentateuch is, I think, strengthened by the observation in Alma 30:3 (following the mention of fasting and associated rites) that “the people did observe to keep the commandments of the Lord; and they were strict in observing the ordinances of God, according to the law of Moses; for they were taught to keep the law of Moses until it should be fulfilled.”

That concludes the series on fasting in the Book of Mormon and how it compares with Old Testament practice. As we have seen, there are many parallels and a few differences. Fasting in general is also mentioned or described more frequently in the Old Testament compared to the Book of Mormon. Still, there is enough in the Book of Mormon to show that this was definitely part of the Nephite culture and religious tradition, which was inherited from ancient Israelite tradition.

Psalms in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 1-4

I'm continuing to look at Psalms in the Book of Mormon. Today we'll look at Psalms-related language in 2 Nephi.  There are so many examples that we'll break 2 Nephi up into a few parts.

Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34)


7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. (2 Nephi 2)

See also 3 Nephi 9:20, 3 Nephi 12:19, Mormon 2:14, Ether 4:15, and Moroni 6:2.

Goodness of the Lord

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27)

5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. (Psalm 33)

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. (2 Nephi 4)

See also Jeremiah 31:14.

Upon the Wings of...

10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. (Psalm 18)


3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: (Psalm 104)

25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them. (2 Nephi 4)

It is worth noting that the two most common English translations of the Hebrew root "ruach" (רוּחַ) are "wind" (about 100 times) and "Spirit/spirit" (about 200 times) in the Hebrew Bible.

See also 2 Samuel 22:11.

Because of Mine Enemies

8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. (Psalm 5)


11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. (Psalm 27)


18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. (Psalm 69)

27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy? ...
29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions. (2 Nephi 4)

I Will Praise Thee Forever

9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints. (Psalm 52)

30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. (2 Nephi 4)

Many more examples of Psalms language in 2 Nephi 4 to come in the next part.

Psalms in the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi

I've been fascinated recently by the influence of the Psalms in the Book of Mormon.  This paper by John Hilton III is a useful resource.  In this post, I'll begin listing examples of intertextual connections. I will mostly follow the outline given by Hilton in the paper, sorted by order of appearance in the Book of Mormon, with a few comments in between.

I want to make it clear that I'm not really suggesting a "why" or "how" for these connections.  Some people see nothing but plagiarism when they notice similarities between one book of scripture and another.  I see it quite differently -- all of these words belong to God and the Book of Mormon claims to be a gathering of the word of God in one (see 2 Nephi 29:14). However you choose to view these connections, don't let them get in the way of appreciating the beauty of the language.

Tender Mercies

9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Psalm 145)

20 ...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (1 Nephi 1)

16 Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. (Psalm 69)

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies. (1 Nephi 8)

See also Ether 6:12. There are about a dozen additional references to "tender mercies" in the Psalms.

My Rock and My Salvation

2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. (Psalm 62)

36 And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation. (1 Nephi 13)

See also 1 Nephi 15:15 and 2 Nephi 4:30. In addition, see D&C 18:17 and Abraham 2:16.

In the Paths of Righteousness

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23)

5 And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness. (1 Nephi 16)

19 For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight. (Alma 7)

Fasting in the Book of Mormon -- Part 4

Here are links to the previous three parts of this series.

• Part 1: Introduction and fasting as a sign of grief or mourning
• Part 2: Fasting as a sign of repentance and seeking forgiveness for sin
• Part 3: Fasting as an aid in prayer

Today we will consider

• Fasting as an experience of the presence of God and endorsement of his messenger

which is also brought up in this article. In the Old Testament, Moses is the prototype for this kind of fast, when he fasts for 40 days (I'm not sure if it is meant literally or figuratively as 40 is symbolic for probation and trial). There are several points to this

• Fasting for such an extended period of time (if taken literally), is miraculous and shows that God is ultimately the provider and sustainer of life
• By having other prophets fasting in similar ways (Elijah being the most prominent example) and culminating in Jesus' fasting for 40 days in the desert before his ministry, is a way of pointing towards Christ
• As the article states: "fasting associated with a specific ministry highlights God's endorsement of his messengers, as the messengers deny themselves food to deliver his words"

The best example we have in the Book of Mormon for this kind of fast is Alma the younger. When preaching in Ammonihah, he is thrown out, but he later returns when an angel appears to him and commands him to go back. We know the story. Alma meets Amulek who feeds him. This is apparently the first time Alma eats in a while. Alma 8:26 states

And now, Amulek, because thou hast fed me and taken me in, thou art blessed; for I was an hungered, for I had fasted many days. 

It does not say 40, but "many days" is not the usual 24 hour fast that we are used to and most of us find more than long enough. Similar to the trial that 40 symbolizes in Hebrew, "Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God" in verse 10 of the same chapter. In verse 14, he is "weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul". 

It seems that fasting was part of Alma's preparation as he went around preaching. In Alma 10:7, this is brought up again with the term, "many days".

As I was journeying to see a very near kindred, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto me and said: Amulek, return to thine own house, for thou shalt feed a prophet of the Lord; yea, a holy man, who is a chosen man of God; for he has fasted many days because of the sins of this people, and he is an hungered, and thou shalt receive him into thy house and feed him, and he shall bless thee and thy house; and the blessing of the Lord shall rest upon thee and thy house.

Alma's fasting and tribulation is placing him in the Moses/Elijah category. Interestingly, Moses and Elijah are both also known for not tasting death (at least in LDS tradition). Apparenly, this happened with Alma too:

Behold, this we know, that he was a righteous man; and the saying went abroad in the church that he was taken up by the Spirit, or buried by the hand of the Lord, even as Moses. But behold, the scriptures saith the Lord took Moses unto himself; and we suppose that he has also received Alma in the spirit, unto himself; therefore, for this cause we know nothing concerning his death and burial. (Alma 45:19)