A quick clarification to my previous comment and quote from Elder Packer:
The full text for D&C 49:18 is:
18 And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;
Footnote A for "forbiddeth" states:
IE biddeth to abstain; see v. 19 and Gen. 9:3–4.
Randall McNeelyJuly 23, 2015
I appreciate your articles. They've made me think about my own health a lot and given me cause to study and re-read the Word of Wisdom and kicked me in the pants to re-think how I'm taking care of (or really not taking care of) my body. I agree with the importance of eating wholesome plants, fruits, and vegetables. I also appreciate all of the scientific evidence you provide.
However, as important as the scientific corroboration of the principles found in the Word of Wisdom might be, for me it is wiser to follow the council given by Elder Theodore M. Burton in April of 1976.
In his general conference talk, "The Word of Wisdom", Elder Burton speaks of how many of his friends constantly asked him, why, as a scientist, he didn't speak out more against the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, etc. "Because of your scientific background as a former professor of chemistry, you can speak with authority...Because of your knowledge and scientific experience people will believe you! Think of the good you could do as a trained scientist to save our people!"
He then goes on to point out that despite warnings and labels from science all over cigarettes and other places, hundreds of thousands of people still ignore them. Then Elder Burton stated the following:
"...there is a better reason why I should speak about the Word of Wisdom than because I am a scientist. I have been called as a General Authority and as such have been given a special stewardship to teach people the truth. As a General Authority I have a solid, personal witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. I know that he is the Creator and that he knows the end from the very beginning. As the Creator of man, he knows which things are good for our bodies and which things are injurious to us."
When a man speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost, as Nephi taught, the Holy Ghost carries it to the heart of man (See 2 Nephi 33:1 in The Book of Mormon). The Holy Ghost touches and changes men's hearts, not scientific evidence.
When it comes to eating meat, the Word of Wisdom, does not define the term "sparingly". However, we know what it means. Elder Packer, in speaking on this subject in his April 1996 talk, "The Word of Wisdom, A Principle With A Promise," points out the wisdom of not taking things to extremes.
"...the Word of Wisdom counsels us to eat meat sparingly (see D&C 89:12). Lest someone become extreme, we are told in another revelation that “whoso forbiddeth to [eat meat] is not ordained of God” (D&C 49:18).
If you look at footnote a for verse 18, it gives the following explanation for the term "forbiddeth,":
IE biddeth to abstain; see v. 19 and Gen. 9:3–4.
Notice that the footnote points to verse 19 which states:
19 For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ, who are keeping God's commandments, have the right to the guidance of the Holy Ghost in these matters, including the use of meat, eggs, etc. General authorities have spoken regarding these things. Wouldn't it be wiser to look to those who speak with the authority of God, as Elder Burton recommends, who speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, the testifier of all truth, than to look to scientists, who only speak with the authority of men? For me, that is enough.
Mary A.July 7, 2015
I love your book and these articles. It's too bad that these LDS whole food "pioneers" did not receive more attention 2 decades ago. Promoting this way of eating within the church seems like such an uphill battle and it shouldn't be. I joined a listserve 4 years ago called LDSBeHealthy thinking I would find like minded people there, but no such luck. There was much talk about grass fed "humane" meat, raw milk, Weston Price, essential oils and such. I, as a WFPB advocate felt out of place, so I eventually dropped out. Many thanks to you and to Meridian for bringing a correct understanding of the Word of Wisdom to the forefront.
JeanJuly 4, 2015
I have followed your articles with great interest, and have been mostly been doing a Whole Foods Plant based diet for over a year. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to inform us.
Jane BirchJuly 3, 2015
Wayne Walker: I’m not sure if you intended to be ironic, but you gave me a good chuckle! Otherwise, I’m genuinely sad that Mormons can be so confused on about the Word of Wisdom! See “Word of Wisdom Frequently Asked Questions”: https://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/about/the-word-of-wisdom/wow-faqs/
Wayne WalkerJuly 1, 2015
This article is as wrong as the Supreme Court decision on marriage. Wheat as the staff of life is something to be used as a crutch in times of famine, not as a foundation to diets, whether whole grains or not. (The word "these" in verse 15 refers to "All grain" in verse 14.) The latest medical research is explicit on this point. (See Wheat Belly, Total Health). Grass fed meat is extremely healthy and can be eaten year round. Animal fats are absolutely required for a healthy diet. (See WestonAPrice.com). Thus, everything about this series misses the point about the WoW.
Greg-June 30, 2015
The whole grains council is a good place to start (https://wholegrainscouncil.org). Whole grains includes just that - the whole grain, not parts and processed leftovers as in white flour.
In addition to whole grains, also do some research into ancient grains such as Kamut, spelt, einkorn, emmer and triticale - all natural, healthy and not hybridized.
Other grains and seeds like quinoa, amaranth, beans, legums and such are all good choices as well. There are numerous recipes for all these grains on the internet as well as other good sources of information.
ChristinaJune 30, 2015
If you go onto drmcdougall.com he is a proponent of the whole food starch centered diet. He has many free recipes on his website. I have found many favorite whole food recipes through this means.
Also I have had Earl Updikes book on The Mormon Diet since it came out in1991. He has a lot of recipes in the back of his book. See if you can buy the book on Amazon to get those recipes.
I love all reading these Meridian articles that support the way we have been trying to eat for years!! It helps to have the support of others.
James C.June 30, 2015
Tell me where in the supermarket is whole grains. It is bread? Is it shredded wheat? Where to buy and how to prepare? Where are your receipes? Too much theory and not enough how to dos?
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Randall McNeelyJuly 23, 2015
A quick clarification to my previous comment and quote from Elder Packer: The full text for D&C 49:18 is: 18 And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God; Footnote A for "forbiddeth" states: IE biddeth to abstain; see v. 19 and Gen. 9:3–4.
Randall McNeelyJuly 23, 2015
I appreciate your articles. They've made me think about my own health a lot and given me cause to study and re-read the Word of Wisdom and kicked me in the pants to re-think how I'm taking care of (or really not taking care of) my body. I agree with the importance of eating wholesome plants, fruits, and vegetables. I also appreciate all of the scientific evidence you provide. However, as important as the scientific corroboration of the principles found in the Word of Wisdom might be, for me it is wiser to follow the council given by Elder Theodore M. Burton in April of 1976. In his general conference talk, "The Word of Wisdom", Elder Burton speaks of how many of his friends constantly asked him, why, as a scientist, he didn't speak out more against the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, etc. "Because of your scientific background as a former professor of chemistry, you can speak with authority...Because of your knowledge and scientific experience people will believe you! Think of the good you could do as a trained scientist to save our people!" He then goes on to point out that despite warnings and labels from science all over cigarettes and other places, hundreds of thousands of people still ignore them. Then Elder Burton stated the following: "...there is a better reason why I should speak about the Word of Wisdom than because I am a scientist. I have been called as a General Authority and as such have been given a special stewardship to teach people the truth. As a General Authority I have a solid, personal witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. I know that he is the Creator and that he knows the end from the very beginning. As the Creator of man, he knows which things are good for our bodies and which things are injurious to us." When a man speaks by the power of the Holy Ghost, as Nephi taught, the Holy Ghost carries it to the heart of man (See 2 Nephi 33:1 in The Book of Mormon). The Holy Ghost touches and changes men's hearts, not scientific evidence. When it comes to eating meat, the Word of Wisdom, does not define the term "sparingly". However, we know what it means. Elder Packer, in speaking on this subject in his April 1996 talk, "The Word of Wisdom, A Principle With A Promise," points out the wisdom of not taking things to extremes. "...the Word of Wisdom counsels us to eat meat sparingly (see D&C 89:12). Lest someone become extreme, we are told in another revelation that “whoso forbiddeth to [eat meat] is not ordained of God” (D&C 49:18). If you look at footnote a for verse 18, it gives the following explanation for the term "forbiddeth,": IE biddeth to abstain; see v. 19 and Gen. 9:3–4. Notice that the footnote points to verse 19 which states: 19 For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ, who are keeping God's commandments, have the right to the guidance of the Holy Ghost in these matters, including the use of meat, eggs, etc. General authorities have spoken regarding these things. Wouldn't it be wiser to look to those who speak with the authority of God, as Elder Burton recommends, who speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, the testifier of all truth, than to look to scientists, who only speak with the authority of men? For me, that is enough.
Mary A.July 7, 2015
I love your book and these articles. It's too bad that these LDS whole food "pioneers" did not receive more attention 2 decades ago. Promoting this way of eating within the church seems like such an uphill battle and it shouldn't be. I joined a listserve 4 years ago called LDSBeHealthy thinking I would find like minded people there, but no such luck. There was much talk about grass fed "humane" meat, raw milk, Weston Price, essential oils and such. I, as a WFPB advocate felt out of place, so I eventually dropped out. Many thanks to you and to Meridian for bringing a correct understanding of the Word of Wisdom to the forefront.
JeanJuly 4, 2015
I have followed your articles with great interest, and have been mostly been doing a Whole Foods Plant based diet for over a year. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to inform us.
Jane BirchJuly 3, 2015
Wayne Walker: I’m not sure if you intended to be ironic, but you gave me a good chuckle! Otherwise, I’m genuinely sad that Mormons can be so confused on about the Word of Wisdom! See “Word of Wisdom Frequently Asked Questions”: https://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/about/the-word-of-wisdom/wow-faqs/
Wayne WalkerJuly 1, 2015
This article is as wrong as the Supreme Court decision on marriage. Wheat as the staff of life is something to be used as a crutch in times of famine, not as a foundation to diets, whether whole grains or not. (The word "these" in verse 15 refers to "All grain" in verse 14.) The latest medical research is explicit on this point. (See Wheat Belly, Total Health). Grass fed meat is extremely healthy and can be eaten year round. Animal fats are absolutely required for a healthy diet. (See WestonAPrice.com). Thus, everything about this series misses the point about the WoW.
Greg-June 30, 2015
The whole grains council is a good place to start (https://wholegrainscouncil.org). Whole grains includes just that - the whole grain, not parts and processed leftovers as in white flour. In addition to whole grains, also do some research into ancient grains such as Kamut, spelt, einkorn, emmer and triticale - all natural, healthy and not hybridized. Other grains and seeds like quinoa, amaranth, beans, legums and such are all good choices as well. There are numerous recipes for all these grains on the internet as well as other good sources of information.
ChristinaJune 30, 2015
If you go onto drmcdougall.com he is a proponent of the whole food starch centered diet. He has many free recipes on his website. I have found many favorite whole food recipes through this means. Also I have had Earl Updikes book on The Mormon Diet since it came out in1991. He has a lot of recipes in the back of his book. See if you can buy the book on Amazon to get those recipes. I love all reading these Meridian articles that support the way we have been trying to eat for years!! It helps to have the support of others.
James C.June 30, 2015
Tell me where in the supermarket is whole grains. It is bread? Is it shredded wheat? Where to buy and how to prepare? Where are your receipes? Too much theory and not enough how to dos?
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