Discovering the Word of Wisdom: Discovering Joy!
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KarenMarch 15, 2015
A. Mason Redd MD and Ok Walker, perhaps this article will provide clarification and additional understanding regarding the comma in verse 13. https://www.mormoninterpreter.com/questioning-the-comma-in-verse-13-of-the-word-of-wisdom/
Jane BirchAugust 14, 2014
Dear Mason Redd: Thanks for your interest in my article! I have written an extensive analysis demonstrating that the comma added to D&C 89:13 did not
A. Mason Redd, MDJune 17, 2014
I like your articles. Did you know that the comma after not was not in the D&Cs originally? That changes the meaning of the sentence. Also there are at least two verses in scripture that speak against people who forbid the use of meat. which I know you are not doing. Also the China Study has a serious flaw in it.
JemaMay 6, 2014
After spending the past 5 years living more the "dos" from the Word of Wisdom instead of just following the "do nots", I have experienced an abundance of health. I eliminated chemical, processed foods from the diet, bought a wheat grinder and use about 7 different grains in our daily diet and ensured this was the staple of the diet as well as eating more fruits and vegetables and severely limiting meat. I feel younger, am rarely sick and my children are reaping the benefits of living this way. I think it's important to realize that the Lord only forbade tobacco, alcohol, harmful drugs and tea and coffee. Other things are not forbidden. Meat was given to man as food. However, the Lord said sparingly. We now have the studies in our day and age that link too much protein and meat in the diet to Alzheimers and other such diseases--information we didn't even have 5 years ago--that make me glad that our family has chosen to eat meat sparingly as the Lord directed. And if a person chose to be a vegetarian--like Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith--he could be. We just don't forbid others to eat meat because we cannot forbid anything that God has ordained as food!! Unfortunately, people use this as an excuse to abuse this and eat meat everyday, sometimes for every meal. The Lord also doesn't forbid sugar or white flour. When we go to others homes and they offer us a piece of cake they made, we are grateful and enjoy a piece of cake as a nice treat. But we personally, for our family, do not buy it or have it in the home. We make delicious treats out of wholesome grains and whole sugars (like honey) and make sure that his is the stable of our diet and in doing so, have enjoyed tremendous health. I'm very grateful to understand this revelation more fully. As a mother of soon to be 8 children, I'm often asked how in the world I do it with all the kids. I tell them, to be honest, I don't have a clue how I could if I was not eating nutritionally sound. I have an abundance of energy that I did NOT have 10 years ago!!
SarahApril 24, 2014
I have to thank you. Not for specifically your article, but for reminding each of us to study the word of God with more of an open heart and open mind. Because of your article I have read the Word of Wisdom over and over again with more understanding and pondered these things as we have been instructed to do and received more inspiration for myself. I have read and re-read the cross references, conference talks, and instruction that has been given to us time and time again and feel that the Lord and his apostles have given us the instructions that we need. So grateful that as you have stated in your article that we have a choice. This is my favorite part: That is a personal decision each person must consider, given our own understanding of what is appropriate.
Janet G.April 22, 2014
I too can testify that this is the most healthful way to live. After I had developed Candidiasis, and was totally miserable, a friends father, who was totally vegan, told me about eating this way, as it cured him of being overweight, sickly, weak and tired all the time. My teen daughters and I started on the WFPB way of eating and were amazed at our energy and NO more illness - no colds, sore throats, stomach flu, etc. In fact, we were never sick. Then my 80 year old mother moved in with us and began to eat our diet too. On one checkup with her geriatric Dr., after the Dr. left the room to check on the results of her blood test, she walked back into the room and said, "WHAT are you feeding her?!!" I replied, "We're vegan, why?" To which the Dr. replied in astonishment, "She is the healthiest old person I have ever seen. Most elderly people come in here like they are starving to death and your mother has the blood of a teenager!" It was a delight to talk to the Dr. about our diet. Also, after taking my teen daughter to our pediatrician for a checkup, after we got home I received a call from the Dr., who opened his call by saying, "Mrs.----, I usually have my nurses make my calls for me, but this time I had to make this call myself. Your daughter is the healthiest teenager I have ever seen. Your diet is obviously working; I am amazed. It's wonderful." (I had previously told him we had started on a vegan diet, and he responded with "Where do you get your protein?" as do many people.) My answer is always, "You don't need protein, per se, you need Amino Acids, and you can get plenty of them from plants if you eat a variety of them." The same thing happened with my youngest daughter when her Dr. had the same response to learning that she ate vegan, but after checking her blood, came back smiling and shaking his head and said, "Whatever you're doing, keep it up! She's doing great." And as for me, I recovered from the yeast problems and had more energy than my family members who were younger than I, and as I said, we are never sick as long as we eat the WFPB diet. Love it. Am so grateful for the Word of Wisdom.
PeteApril 22, 2014
So where are the recipes for "and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain." Seems to be missing for all the LDS recipe books.
Jenifer EstradaApril 19, 2014
I agree with OK Walker, God made animals for us to eat and not ignore them. Although this article may have some good points, I will still eat meat and still live the word of wisdom!
Jane BirchApril 18, 2014
Dear Bev, OK Walker, and others who have wondered about the comma in D&C 89:13: I appreciate OK Walker pointing out that the comma after the word
CraigApril 18, 2014
The only thing I would add to this excellent article is a little more focus on Verse 2... The revelation by which this divine counsel section of the Word of Wisdom is given should be both institutional (through Joseph Smith) and personal (to each of us). We are all so different (see Dr. Adamo's DNA type diets or Mercola.com) that we each need personal revelation to customize our intake. Father has always had marvelous ways of helping us come to know Him through the "line upon line" principle of His revelation.
ChristineApril 18, 2014
I felt I had read all there was to read on the subject of the Word of Wisdom, until I read Jane's book "Discovering The Word Of Wisdom" it was so comprehensive and informative in an easy to read manner that I just wanted to share it with everyone I knew, so that everyone's lives could be blessed. There is such a big problem with health issues, world hunger and pollution. And here is one of the solutions provided by our Saviour.
Bev TaylorApril 18, 2014
LOVED the article & ordered the book. It came exactly when I was praying to understand & better live the W of W. !! I however don't think I will be giving up animal products...eggs etc. I don't feel like that is the intent of DC 89...On that account I agree with the "OK" above comment..also that wheat is the staff which means "support". I have ordered the book & eliminated processed food already & am excited to fully live this sacred commandment! Thanks to Jane :) Bev
Fred F.W. BeijerlingApril 18, 2014
Thank you, for your joyful article. I have to admit, that I felt a little taken aback with your first remark: "In a church chock full of commandments, the occasional
justmeApril 16, 2014
I have to agree with Jane's interesting article, since I made a similar discovery a year before her. I've overcome many painful, degenerative maladies, living a whole foods plant based lifestyle. Although I would eat animal products if there was nothing else to eat, fruits, vegetables, sprouts, beans, and grains provide me with a multitude of delicious options. Even though I thought I couldn't live without cheese, I don't miss it a bit. However, I do enjoy pleasing my Savior, while walking unwearily and finding hidden treasures of knowledge. Finally, instead of that gross, sick, greasy, acidy, thick, bloated feeling after eating, I feel energized, satisfied, and light. I'll stick to plants unless necessity forces otherwise.
Larry StrongApril 16, 2014
I discovered and read Jane's book about 3 months ago. And like she says a light turned on for me. I started the diet 7 weeks ago. I am 77 years old and significantly over weight. So far I have lost about 30 pounds, feel much better, sleep better and have much less stress in my life. I am writing a blog called diet dilemma solved, relating my experiences. You can follow my blog at dietdilemmasolved. com. Thank you Jane for your marvelous book.
Denyse C. DuBrucqApril 16, 2014
Do include in your list of religions conforming to the "Word of Wisdon" the Christian Scientists since founder Mary Baker Eddy has this as a foremost requirement for healing in her text, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.
Kevin TunstallApril 16, 2014
Really enjoyed this article and after being 100% plant-based for the past 4 years I have reaped so many incredible benefits. Initially I had so many naysayers that I almost gave up. The comments came from LDS & Non LDS alike. However myself, wife and our daughter have had so many benefits personally that no matter what we heard we just couldn't deny the results. My wife and daughter have both had blood tests which show they are absolutely fine. Eating animal protein for me was due to being conditioned about it being best for me from a young age. Thank goodness I followed the promptings and stopped buying into the marketing hype. Whilst I don't believe in a huge conspiracy theory I do however believe that people will protect their interests at all costs and there is so much at stake for some people to keep us hooked into the standard western diet and fuelled up on medication. I love how I feel now. Only tonight I was driving through the central plateau on New Zealand's North Island on my way home from a business trip and took a minute to give thanks for the health and clarity I now enjoy. I'm walking and running and not feeling weary at all these days : )
KimApril 16, 2014
I hope many people will read Jane's book "Discovering Word of Wisdom." It's an amazing book full of wonderful insights. Thank you for the great article, Jane!
ByronApril 15, 2014
to OC Walker ... perhaps you could enlighten us by revealing what scoundrel changed Section 89 in 1920 and why, and how did it sneak past the prophet and apostles. Why haven't subsequent leaders corrected it? One can only assume that it is part of a greater conspiracy on the part of the general authorities. I would be interested in additional errors in the current scriptures that are misleading the Saints.
AlannaApril 15, 2014
Amen! Jane, this is wonderful. My family went plant-based over a year ago and we've enjoyed many of the blessing you outline in this article. Thank you for writing about this topic and for articulating so delicately. I highly recommend your book!
Julianne KravetzApril 15, 2014
I love your article! Eating a WFPB diet just makes sense. Medical studies not driven by special interest groups promote this lifestyle. Live the principle to prove it! Feel better! Live longer!
KarenApril 15, 2014
I changed the way I eat 2.5 years ago to a plant based whole foods diet after reading The China Study and watching the documentary Forks Over Knives. I suddenly noticed verses in Doctrine and Covenants section 89 that I had never noticed before. It occurred to me that our Lord, our Creator, is recommending foods to eat that will provide the best nutrition for our bodies. I was eating "healthy" foods before that. But it wasn't until I changed my diet to plant based whole foods that I found so much energy, sleeping better than ever before and I just started feeling fantastic! My frequent headaches went away. I lost all the weight I gained since high school. My seasonal allergies are non-existent now. My cholesterol dropped from 159 to 118. I was surprised how quickly my taste buds changed - it was as if they "woke up" and these foods just tasted so delicious to me. When we discuss the Word of Wisdom in Sunday School, we never talk about the power of eating plant based whole foods and the healing effect it can have on the body. Many times we just focus on what we shouldn't put in our bodies. Since changing my diet, I have researched the stories of many others who have changed their diet as well and have turned their chronic illnesses around. I have been amazed as I read these stories. I love reading the stories of members of the church in Jane's book Discovering the Word of Wisdom, it is excellent and I highly recommend it.
JoJeanApril 15, 2014
Just testing to see if I can post a comment. Hasn't worked for me in the past.
JaneApril 15, 2014
I am curious how many people will respond to your wonderful article. I believe that all of what you said is true. I am not a complete vegetarian, but I try hard to live the dietary principles in the Word of Wisdom and when I do, I l have more energy, have a clearer mind and feel better overall. It is very difficult to go against what society has believed for centuries but the results testify of the truth. Thank you.
LizaApril 15, 2014
Great article! I am so grateful for the spiritual guidance I've received while studying the Word of Wisdom, and I'm grateful for the joy a WFPB diet has brought me and my family. I feel like we receive knowledge when we are looking for it with an open heart, and Heavenly Father has certainly given us much knowledge on how we should eat. I am happy that more articles like this are being published as LDS people become aware of the health blessings available if we try to more fully line up our diets with the counsel in the scriptures. I don't judge people by what they eat, but it does sadden me when so many of my friends struggle with health issues that could be resolved with a plant based diet. I feel so blessed with this way of eating that I want to shout it from the rooftops and let everyone know, but I have found I have to tread carefully because people are very attached to their food and don't want to hear that maybe another way is better. Hopefully that changes as people realize that science lines up perfectly with the revelation received more than a hundred years ago!
JessicaApril 15, 2014
The Word of Wisdom has made such a difference in my life, and Jane Birch's book, as a great resource to refer others, is a wonderful bridge for church members who want to learn more about how to live the Word of Wisdom, as well as those WFPB followers who don't know that the Word of Wisdom is out there, ready and waiting.
Victor JohnsonApril 15, 2014
Thanks to Jane for a very inspired article! I have been extremely blessed to have gained a deeper understanding of D&C 89 and it's promised blessings. I love eating a WFPB diet!
RobynApril 15, 2014
What a great article. The dos of the Word of Wisdom are just as important as the don'ts! We have certainly neglected a few of the verses of the Word of Wisdom in Mormon culture.
GTOApril 15, 2014
Great article. Our family started on whole foods when we moved abroad years ago and there were no other options! The reason so many people are having trouble with wheat is that modern wheat is so adulterated. I've been using Farro (also called Einkorn and Emmer) wheat, which is the original Middle Eastern wheat of thousands of years ago, and it has little resemblance to what we think is "wheat."
JulieApril 15, 2014
Wonderful article. I am living proof of all you assert, here. I have lived both ways--there is no comparison. A WFPB diet is a superior way to live. I highly recommend the book "The Word of Wisdom, A Modern Interpretation", by John A. Widtsoe. What a gem, and as relevant and, for the most part, accurate, as it was when it was 1st published in 1950. One of the hidden treasures revealed to those who truly seek after the Lord is ultimately to rely on Him for everything. We start by doing all we can (incuding living the W.o.W. fully), and as we become more perfectly obedient we can learn that He is everything and can do all things that are expedient for us. Its just another step in aligning our will with His and becoming like Him. There are great temporal & spiritual blessings to be received, here.
Nadine AndertonApril 15, 2014
I say "Amen" to everything said here! It was nearly two years ago that I read one of Carolyn Allen's columns in Meridian where she related the discovery of the plant-based, whole foods way of eating by one of her readers. I had long believed that there was great merit in paying more attention to the dietary parts of the Word of Wisdom, but I had never tried it to a complete extent. Now I did, and I encourage it. If you can't give up meat, try at least cutting down to where it is a small enhancement to a meal rather than the main dish! LDS social activities center so much around food, and it is nearly impossible to enjoy a meal that does not have animal products. I don't use any oils, either, which have no nutritional value, only 100% fat, which is even harder but so much better for health.
Marian StewartApril 15, 2014
I loved this! thank you so much! eating this way has absolutely changed my life, and i loved the way you approached this article.
Rogan TaylorApril 15, 2014
Jane, Great Article. The blessings of health are available to everyone who will follow the Word of Wisdom. I agree with everything that you have said and have seen it in the lives of many that I have seen change. Those who have changed their diets to a WFPB diet find that it is not as hard as it seems. And it opens a whole new world of foods and flavors. Bless you.
MaryApril 15, 2014
I was so glad that I took the time to read this article. I am a convert and have often smiled to myself that everyone seemed to be so afraid to coffee and tea and tobacco and yet they abused fats and oils and sugars. I was a pupil of John McDougall's in Hawaii back when he was still at Castle Hospital. I loved being a vegetarian and took cooking classes from him at the Adventist church. I loved being a vegetarian until my hair started falling out and something went wrong. I've been following Atkins for the past few years and the high protein seems to be fine. I have much more energy but I do so miss my vegetarian foods. Do you eat eggs and dairy products? On McDougall we did not. I've just ordered your book from Amazon because I would like to know all the blessings that I can get by following the Word of Wisdom better. I will be avoiding wheat though after reading about how it has been modified over the years. Thank you for this article. Funny how things come to us when we need it but are not outwardly looking for it.
ByronApril 15, 2014
Thank you Jane and amen. My family and I adopted at WFPB diet 29 years ago today and it has been a remarkable blessing in our lives. We can attest to the benefits of living the entire doctrine and it is additional testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet. If we as a people really ate a word of wisdom diet, we would indeed be a beacon on a hill to the rest of the world. It has been the best "health" and "fire" insure ...nce we have ever had :-)
SusanApril 15, 2014
Many thanks, Jane, for showing the way--demonstrating by your example the blessings that come from compliance. I'm struck, most of all, by how quickly you changed your life after the truth of this message resonated with your mind and heart.
Loralee KurziusApril 15, 2014
Amen, amen and amen! I and my husband have lived a whole foods plant based lifestyle for a couple of years now. I discovered it when trying to figure out how to live healthfully despite a dairy allergy and I now consider that allergy to be one of my greatest blessings! This author echoes my thoughts precisely! We have been very blessed in this journey in a multitude of ways. We no longer fear every cough, sneeze and cancer, take no medications, no longer carry those extra thirty pounds or suffer from GERD, high cholesterol, unexplained bruising, etc. We are now looking forward to our golden years filled with wellness, travel, missions, energy and vitality. I too wondered how I could have not seen the Word of Wisdom in it's entirety all of this time, but the Lord sends us line upon line, precept upon precept as we are prepared to receive it.
Allan SotuhApril 15, 2014
Thank you for your excellent article on the Word of Wisdom and proper diet. We need this!
OrvaApril 15, 2014
Wow! Thanks Jane. I am amazed at the clarity of this beautiful article. I love Section 89! What a blessing to have a revelation to help us evaluate what is best for us. I personally have received profound health and spiritual blessings as I have tried to use the full Word of Wisdom as my guide.
OK WalkerApril 15, 2014
Interesting article. Unfortunately, your quote and emphasis of verse 13 in your paragraph #2 is misleading. The comma after the word "used" was not in the original revelation and wasn't added until 1920. That comma changes the meaning entirely. Reading it as the Lord gave the revelation clearly indicates meat is to be eaten year-round. The key is that it should be grass-fed or naturally grown without chemicals and grain feeding. Speaking of grains, the pronoun "these" in verse 15 clearly refers to "All grains" in verse 14. Therefore, grains and similar carbohydrates were made by God to be used ONLY in times of famine and excess hunger(emphasis added). That's why wheat is the "staff of life." Staffs are used when people are weak or need extra support, not continuously. I realize this is a different take than most members have on the WoW but it is completely consistent with a tremendous amount of research. See westonAPrice.org. Some corollaries: Butter is good for you. Processed vegetable oils are terrible for your health. Most breakfast cereals are equally detrimental. Indeed, there is much wisdom to be learned by all of us.
DuffyApril 15, 2014
The Word of Wisdom has brought so much joy into my life. In the past few months I have lost nearly 60 lbs, strengthened my testimony that the Lord surely cares about and directs and blesses us in all things-- temporal as well as spiritual-- loosened the grip of food addiction, and have begun to see my health problems resolve. I LOVE Jane's book and the clear, simple testimonies of the real LDS (Mormon) people who following a Whole Food, Plant Based diet according to the Word of Wisdom. Buyer Beware: this book may change your life for the better!
RebekahApril 15, 2014
Love this! I'm so thankful for the Word of Wisdom and know I am blessed when I adhere to the Lord's dietary guidelines. I love the fact that modern science backs the advice He gave so long ago!
ChristieApril 15, 2014
I have a testimony of living the "Do's" of the Word of Wisdom. I was one of those people who thought I could never give up animal products - but once I learned more about the Word of Wisdom and what non-LDS doctors are discovering about health through Jane's book (and doing a ton of additional reading on my own), I changed to a WFPB diet last fall and would never go back. I lost weight, my health improved (I have had at least one a sinus infection every winter for almost a decade - but not this year), my cholesterol went down, and I have gained spiritual wisdom that is truly priceless.
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