Word of wisdom food

From Books in Word of Wisdom Literature by Jane Birch

See also the article on Kenneth E. Johnson, M.D.: “Discovering the Word of Wisdom Pioneers: A WFPB Medical Doctor” in Meridian Magazine.

Kenneth E. Johnson, M.D., The Word of Wisdom Food Plan: A Medical Review of the Mormon Doctrine (Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, Inc., 1993).

Copyright © 1993 by Kenneth E. Johnson, M.D.

[Later published under the title: Mormon Wisdom and Health: A Medical Review of Mormon Doctrine]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………….. ix

Foreword…………………………………………………………………………………….. xi

Introduction

The Word of Wisdom Food Plan: A Disease Prevention Diet …….. xiii

Chapter One – Medicine and Religion in 1833………………………………. 1

Domestic Medicine…………………………………………………………………… 3

Botanic Medicine……………………………………………………………………… 4

Heroic (Mainstream) Medicine…………………………………………………. 5

Chapter Two – Medicine and Mormonism (1833-1900)…………………. 9

Chapter Three – Medicine and Mormonism (1900-1950)……………… 17

The Flexner Report/Bulletin Number Four……………………………. 21

The Denmark Story…………………………………………………………………. 23

Chapter Four – Medicine and Mormonism (1950 to Present)………. 29

Chapter Five – Food as Fuel for the Body: A Primer of Nutrition.. 35

Fuel For the Body…………………………………………………………………… 37

Fats…………………………………………………………………………………………. 38

Carbohydrates………………………………………………………………………… 40

Proteins………………………………………………………………………………….. 41

Cholesterol……………………………………………………………………………… 42

Fiber……………………………………………………………………………………….. 43

Vitamins and Minerals…………………………………………………………… 44

The Exception: Vitamin B12 …………………………………………………… 45

Salt …………………………………………………………………………………………. 46

Iodine …………………………………………………………………………………….. 46

Iron ………………………………………………………………………………………… 47

Chapter Six – Cancer…………………………………………………………………… 49

Lung Cancer ………………………………………………………………………….. 50

Breast Cancer …………………………………………………………………………. 51

Prostate Cancer………………………………………………………………………. 53

Cancer of Colon-Rectum Early ………………………………………………. 54

Cancer Detection…………………………………………………………………….. 56

Chapter Seven – Obesity…………………………………………………………….. 57

Chapter Eight – Heart Disease ……………………………………………………. 61

Diabetes………………………………………………………………………………….. 63

Hypertension …………………………………………………………………………. 63

Lifestyle Changes…………………………………………………………………… 63

Tests of the Human Heart………………………………………………………. 65

Ultrasound Tests…………………………………………………………………….. 65

1. Angiography………………………………………………………………………. 65

2. Thallium Stress Test……………………………………………………………. 66

3. Positron Emissions Tomography………………………………………… 66

Chapter Nine – Osteoporosis:

Our Love Affair With Meat, Eggs and Milk………………………………… 69

Chapter Ten – Maturity Diabetes: The Disease of Affluence……….. 73

Utah: Kudos and Concerns…………………………………………………….. 74

Southwest Indians: Their Problem………………………………………….. 76

The Micronesians In Nauru: Their Problem……………………………. 77

A Worldwide Problem…………………………………………………………… 78

Chapter Eleven – Fitness and Health: The Difference………………….. 79

Carboloading………………………………………………………………………….. 83

Chapter Twelve – Barriers and Paths Toward Change………………… 85

We Defend What We Do………………………………………………………… 85

We Want A Quick Fix…………………………………………………………….. 85

We Behave According To Our Habits…………………………………….. 86

We Are Misled By The Politics of Nutrition…………………………… 87

Food Labeling Law of 1994…………………………………………………….. 89

The Medico-Pharmacologic Complex…………………………………….. 91

Misinformation, Hype and Half-Truths………………………………….. 93

Chapter Thirteen – The Best Diets Are All Alike…………………………. 95

The Pritikin Diet…………………………………………………………………….. 95

The Fat Thermostat No-Diet Diet……………………………………………. 96

The McDougall Plan ……………………………………………………………… 97

The “Reversing Heart Disease” Plan……………………………………….. 97

The Food Guide Pyramid………………………………………………………. 99

The New Four Food Groups…………………………………………………. 101

The Word of Wisdom Food Plan………………………………………….. 104

Chapter Fourteen – Making It All Work…………………………………….. 107

The Basics…………………………………………………………………………….. 108

Starting Out Right…………………………………………………………………. 109

A Midday Break……………………………………………………………………. 109

For Supper (Dinner)……………………………………………………………… 110

Plan For Great Snacks…………………………………………………………… 110

Take Another Look At Eggs………………………………………………….. 111

Get Moving!………………………………………………………………………….. 112

Last But Not Least………………………………………………………………… 112

Conclusion: My Heart…………………………………………………………… 113

Appendix A – An 1833 Guide for the Prevention of Heart Disease by Ray Cowley, M.D   115

Appendix B – Position Paper of The American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets      123

Appendix C – Recommended Reading……………………………………… 135

Index…………………………………………………………………………………………. 139

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Foreword

Every aspect of modern life seems to have changed dramatically in just a few years. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the foods we eat. Microwaves and fast-food restaurants were all but unheard of a generation ago, but are now everywhere, along with an ever-growing array of appliances that modernize our kitchens. The emphasis is on convenience and speed of preparation.

At the same time, modern medical science has made discoveries about the power of foods that prevent illness and improve our sense of well-being. With knowledge about saturated fat, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and cholesterol, we are discovering, ironically enough, that the foods with the greatest power to protect the health of the body are the humble foods that have been familiar since long before the appearance of electric appliances or analytical scientists. The vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans that grow in the earth and are prepared in the simplest of ways bring us powerful nutrients that keep our bodies strong and our senses sharp, while animal products have been proven to be unnecessary and often harmful.

Understanding this new wisdom and putting it to use is the purpose of this book. As you turn its pages, you will find both scientific facts and practical information that can revolutionize your health and that of your loved ones.

Neal D. Barnard, M.D.,
President Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

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Introduction

The Word of Wisdom Food Plan

A Disease Prevention Diet

IN MATTERS OF HEALTH TODAY WE LARGELY CONTROL OUR OWN WELL BEING.

A few generations ago, uncontrollable infections were the major cause of illness and death. These acute diseases are now largely prevented by modern medical science, with the development and help of antibiotics, vaccinations, water sanitation, proper waste disposal, food laws, mosquito control and earlier, better medical care.

With the control of these acute infectious diseases, we now have a new set of diseases that make us sick and cause premature death. They are heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis.

We all want good health. But these diseases are rampant among us. What must we do to promote better health and prevent early death from these diseases? Reputable experts have some good answers to offer, and the good news is that each one of us can largely prevent the development of these diseases by the choices we make.

Dr. James O. Mason, one of the authors of “Encyclopedia of Mormonism” and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health said, “Today more than two thirds of premature deaths are due mostly to chronic illness and conditions which are aided and abetted by people’s own lifestyle choices.”¹

In 1988, Dr. C. Everett Koop, then U.S. Surgeon General, further focused on lifestyle choices when he said that 68% of all deaths in the United States are diet related.’ These facts are validated by the 1989 report, “Diet and Health,” published by the National Research Counci1.2 Both reports document the relationship between diet and the high incidence of cancer, heart disease and strokes.

Today, members of the LDS church have the benefit of sound medical knowledge and the blessing of revealed truth to guide their lifestyle choices, especially their food choices. They, in a real sense, choose whether or not they have good health.

In this book I will present anew the counsel of LDS church leaders beginning with Joseph Smith’s 160-year-old revelation, the Word of Wisdom. I will also present the medical and scientific facts known today that confirm its truth.

This book is written to encourage you and your family to improve your lifestyles. You do have a choice. By following all the tenets of the Word of Wisdom, a longer and healthier life with great temporal and spiritual blessings is assured. In addition you will look better, feel better, save money and lose excess weight.

When the Word of Wisdom was revealed to Joseph Smith in 1833, people knew virtually nothing about the harm of tobacco, the degradation of alcohol addiction, nor the effect of caffeine on the body. The Saints, who obeyed this law of health as best they could, did so by faith, not by knowledge. By inspiration, the church leaders gave direction to the Saints. There was gradual compliance by the faithful concerning tea, coffee, tobacco and alcohol. Mormons are now well known and admired for their stand on these health issues.

The focus in this book, however, is not about the narrow and well understood connection between Mormons and abstinence from these harmful substances. The Word of Wisdom revelation is much more than that.

It is a “law of total health.” Dr. Alvin K. Benson, BYU professor of geophysics and geology, used that term to describe the Word of Wisdom in a Joseph Smith symposium. He also said,

It’s exciting to see how continuing scientific discoveries verify the wisdom and insight revealed to the Prophet in the Word of Wisdom, a revelation given when knowledge of nutrition was essentially nonexistent.’

The bright light of recent scientific and medical advances is focusing new attention on the nutritional aspects of the Word of Wisdom. I call these the Word of Wisdom food plan because they give specific instructions about our food choices.

The full text of this remarkable revelation follows now, to provide easy access for members of the LDS Church and a reference for nonmembers. The food portion is italicized for emphasis. No other changes have been made.

Section 89 of Doctrine and Covenants. Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833, known today as the Word of Wisdom.

1. A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion
2. To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days
3. Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.
4. Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation
5. That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.
6. And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.
7. And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.
8. And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.
9. And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
10. And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man
11. Every herb in the season thereof and every fruit in the season thereof, all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
12. Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13. And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
14. All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15. And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16. All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground
17. Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.
18. And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
19. And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
20. And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
21. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen. (emphasis added)

As one reads carefully the italicized portion of the Word of Wisdom, one must ponder what one is being told about eating the flesh of beasts and fowl. One should especially pay attention to the word “sparingly” in verse 12, and note that “sparingly” is defined in verse 13 and defined for the second time in verse 15. It must be important. Furthermore, “sparingly” does not mean “in moderation.” The adverb means “severely restricted” and “only under certain circumstances” as it defines the eating of flesh of beasts and fowl in the revelation.

In addition to concern about the word “sparingly,” there should be concern and a greater appreciation of the phrase “All grain is ordained…to be the staff of life” (D&C 89:14). This phrase, “staff of life,” strongly suggests that our major food should be grains.

These two interpretations will be viewed in the light of discourses of past and present church leaders and in the light of recent medical knowledge.

But before documenting our present day knowledge, let us go back and review the health and medical conditions that existed at the time when the Word of Wisdom first came to light.

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Chapter Two

Medicine and Mormonism

(1833-1900)

Hyrum Smith, the prophet’s older brother and closest friend, shared martyrdom with Joseph when they both were killed by assassin’s bullets in Carthage, Illinois in 1844. Two years before his death, Hyrum, as Patriarch of the Church, gave a lengthy discourse on the Word of Wisdom.

After affirming that the principles in the scriptures are the work of God and are pure, Hyrum said,

They are principles of righteousness; they are given for a blessing to the human family, and the salvation, temporal and spiritual, of his saints… .When God first made man upon the earth, he was a different being entirely to what he now is; his body was strong, athletic, robust and healthy; his days were prolonged upon the earth; he lived nearly one thousand years, his mind was vigorous and active, and his intellectual faculties clear and comprehensive, but he has become degenerated; his life has dwindled to a span; disease preys upon his system; his body is enervated and feeble; and his ment[al] and intellectual faculties are impaired, and weakened; and man is not now that dignified, noble, majestic, honorable, and mighty being that he was when he first proce[e]ded from the hands of his maker. God.., knows what course to pursue to restore mankind to their pristine excellency and primitive vigour, and health; and He has appointed the Word of Wisdom as one of the engines to bring about this thing, to remove the beastly appetites, the murderous disposition and the vitiated taste of man; to restore his body and vigour, promote peace between him and the brute creation, and as one of the little wheels in God’s designs, to help to regulate the great machinery, which shall eventually revolutionize the earth, and bring about the restoration of all things.

The Lord has told us what is good for us to eat, and to drink, and what is pernicious; but some of our wise philosophers, and some of our elders too, pay no regard to it; they think it too little, too foolish, for wise men to regard—fools! Where is their wisdom, philosophy and intelligence? From whence did they obtain their superior light?…They think it too small for him to condes[c]end to tell men what will be nutritious or what will be unhealthy. Who made the corn, the wheat, the rye, and all the vegetable substances? And who was it that organized man, and constituted him as he is found? Who made his stomach, and his digestive organs, and prepared proper nutriment for his system, that the juices of his body might be supplied; and his form be invigorated by that kind of food which the laws of nature, and the laws of God has said would be good for man?…

…Listen not to the teaching of any man, or any elder who says the word of wisdom is of no moment;… Why is it that we are frequently so dull and languid? It is because we break the word of wisdom; disease preys upon our system, our understandings are darkened, and we do not comprehend the things of God; the devil takes advantage of us, and we fall into temptation… Be it remembered—that this instruction is given “in consequence of evils and designs that do and will exist in the heart of conspiring men in the last days….”

After quoting from the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89:10-15), Hyrum continued:

Let men attend to these instructions, let them use the things ordained of God; let them be sparing of the life of animals; it is pleasing saith the Lord that flesh be used only in times of winter, or of famine—and why to be used in famine? Because all domesticated animals would naturally die, and may as well be made use of by man, as not.

After quoting again from the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89:16-21), he exhorted his listeners:

Let these things be adhered to; let the saints be wise; let us lay aside our folly and abide by the commandments of God; so shall we be blessed of the great Jehovah in time and eternity; we shall be healthy, strong and vigorous: we shall be enabled to resist disease; and wisdom will crown our councils, and our bodies will become strong and powerful, our progeny will become mighty, and will rise up and call us blessed…. We shall prepare ourselves for the purposes of Jehovah’ (emphasis added)

This discourse leaves no doubt what the pivotal word “sparingly” in D&C 89:12 meant to Hyrum Smith in 1842.

The second president of the Church, Brigham Young, was only five years older than the Prophet Joseph Smith and undoubtedly survived the same childhood diseases. After bearing eleven children, his mother died of tuberculosis at a young age. Brigham’s first wife, Miriam Works, died in 1832 of tuberculosis after giving birth to two children.

Like almost everyone living in Nauvoo in 1839, Brigham was stricken with malaria. Malaria was endemic in the Mississippi River area, and almost all residents sooner or later had their “seasoning,” usually in their first summer when they were infected by the Anopheles mosquito. The Prophet contracted malaria at the same time as Brigham, but with characteristic charisma Joseph rose from his sick bed to heal others. Even though he was also ill with malaria, Brigham was helped by a blessing and accompanied the Prophet to comfort other victims of the disease.

Two months later Brigham was still not well and wrote that his health was so poor that he “was unable to go thirty rods to the river without assistance.” Three months later he was still “unable to sit up,” but nevertheless departed on a mission to England, being “fitted up” in a wagon. When he later reached England he was so emaciated that his cousin, Willard Richards, did not recognize him.

Three years later, having returned to Nauvoo, Brigham Young was stricken with severe scarlet fever. Ill for eighteen days, he had a sudden cardiac arrest which responded to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by his wife.

In an 1855 discourse, Brigham referred to his earlier illnesses as he counseled the Saints “to lay the foundation for a healthy posterity.” As he noted, we are to prepare to live instead of preparing to die, for he said,

The fathers and mothers have laid the foundation for many of these diseases, from generation to generation, until the people are reduced to their present condition. True, some live to from fifty to ninety years of age, but it is an unusual circumstance to see a man a hundred years old, or a woman ninety. The people have laid the foundation of short life through their diet, their rest, their labor, and their doing this, that, and the other in a wrong manner, with improper motives, and at improper times.

I would be glad to tell mothers how to lay the foundation of health in their children, that they may be delivered from the diseases with which I am afflicted, and have been from my youth up.. some say that “this is a miserable world, I do not care how soon I get through.” Well, go and destroy yourselves, if you choose; you have all the opportunity that you can desire; there is plenty of arsenic, calomel, and other means, within your reach… Latter-day Saints who live merely to get ready to die are not worth much; rather get ready to live, and be prepared to live to the glory of your Father in Heaven and to do the work He has given you to do) (emphasis added)

As will be pointed out later in this book, today we could substitute the words “fat” and “cholesterol” for Brigham’s words “arsenic” and “calomel.” There’s one big difference, though: in his time, arsenic and calomel were ingested out of ignorance. Today, we eat animal fat and cholesterol not in ignorance, but because of self-indulgent rationalization.

The commonsense approach of using one’s heart and head concerning the Word of Wisdom was discussed by Apostle George Q. Cannon who said in a 1867 discourse,

There should be a well settled conviction in the mind of every person belonging to this Church that it would be a real benefit for him or her to observe the Word of Wisdom, and carry into effect the counsel God has given on any point. If I do not see the evils that result from…eating meats to excess, and the benefits that would result from abstaining, what anybody else may see would only have a temporary effect upon me. I must feel in my own heart that it is injurious to me to indulge in these things; there must be a well settled conviction within me that this is the case.² (emphasis added)

In 1868, another discourse by Apostle Cannon was an attempt to wade through the misinformation of those times. He said,

The greatest boon that God has given us, and that upon which every other hinges, is life. With life we need health, the power to carry out designs of our beings upon the earth. We are told that swine’s flesh is not good, and that we should dispense with it; and we are told that flesh of any kind is not suitable to man in the summer time, and ought to eaten sparingly in the winter. The question arises… “What then are we to eat if we drop swine’s flesh and eat very little beef or mutton.. .why, dear me, we shall starve to death.” In conversation with one of the brethren the other day, the brother remarked “the diet of the poor is principally bread and meat, and if they dispense with meat, they will be reduced to very hard fare.” I reasoned with him.. .that other articles of food could be raised more cheaply and in greater variety than the flesh of animals…. We as a people should turn our attention to the multiplication of varieties of food in our midst. We should not confine ourselves to a few articles of diet….It is an exceedingly difficult thing for most people to break off and discontinue cherished and long standing habits. ..we can have a variety in diet, and yet have simplicity. We can have a diet that will be easily prepared, and yet have it healthful. We can have a diet, that will be tasteful, nutritious and delightful to us, and easy to digest; and yet not wear out the lives of our mothers, wives, daughters and sisters in its preparation.’ (emphasis added)

First Counselor to President Wilford Woodruff in 1892, Elder Cannon’s counsel still applies today:

Our religion impresses upon us the importance of taking care of our bodies. There is a carelessness and an indifference even among us that are not found among many well-informed people in the world. Many of the Saints do not seem to be alive to the importance of those laws which pertain to well-being and preservation of the health and strength of the body. Their old traditions cling to them…Pestilence IS] of various kinds which we are led to expect through the word of the Lord are yet to break forth, [and] will have their effect in calling the Saints’ attention to those laws of life and health.

Elder Cannon continues,

This revealed Word of Wisdom embodies the most advanced principles of science in the condemnation of unclean or gluttonous appetites; and if it were implicitly obeyed by the human family, it would be a power to aid in a physical redemption for the race.² (emphasis added)

It is interesting to note that Apostle Cannon said, “pestilence[s] of various kinds…are yet to break forth.” As will be pointed out in this book, we have largely rid ourselves of infectious pestilence; in a very real sense, today’s pestilences are heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

Eliza R. Snow was the most fascinating and dominant Mormon woman in the nineteenth century. Baptized in 1835, she became the wife of two prophets and was the sister of a third. Among her many accomplishments, she wrote the words for ten lovely hymns that still appear in LDS song books today. One of the hymns, “In Our Lovely Deseret,” was written more than a hundred years ago, but carries a vital message for us today. The second verse reads,

That the children may live long,

And be beautiful and strong,

Tea and coffee and tobacco they despise,

Drink no liquor, and they eat

But a very little meat;

They are seeking to be great and good and wise. (emphasis added)

How often do we and our children sing this hymn with gusto, but fail to obey one of its tenets?

Eliza’s brother, Apostle Lorenzo Snow, discussed the Word of Wisdom in a meeting of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve in May, 1893. After reading D&C 89:10-16 and drawing “special attention to that part which relates to the use of meat, which he considered just as strong as that which related to the use of liquors and hot drinks,” Apostle Snow “was convinced that the killing of animals when unnecessary was wrong and sinful, and that it was not right to neglect one part of the Word of Wisdom and be too strenuous in regard to other parts.”²

In an 1897 meeting of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve in the Salt Lake Temple, Apostle Snow

…introduced the subject of the Word of Wisdom, expressing the opinion that it was violated as much or more in the improper use of meat as in other things, and thought the time was near at hand when the Latter-day Saints should be taught to refrain from meat eating and the shedding of animal blood.¹ (emphasis added)

Apostle Snow became the fifth president of the church in 1898.

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The Denmark Story

World War I became the world’s concern in 1914, and a remarkable story[1] from that period has great implications for us, even today.

Dr. Martin Hindhede, chairman of the Danish Institute of Nutrition, had become convinced by previous research that a vegetarian-type diet would be beneficial for human health. He also knew that meat production required large quantities of grains and other plant foods. (Today we know that the production of one pound of meat protein requires six to ten pounds of plant protein.)[2]

Under a land and sea blockade by the Germans, Denmark could import no grains to support meat production, and its people were faced with severe food shortages. Dr. Hindhede convinced the Danes to embark on a large nutritional experiment that required a drastic change in the foods they ate. They slaughtered 80 percent of their hogs and 34 percent of their dairy cows. The grain that had previously been used to feed hogs and cattle became the major part of a new diet for the Danish people.

They started producing “war bread” from whole rye flour with 15 percent wheat and wheat bran. Until the war ended, each person by governmental decree was allowed a daily allowance of “very little meat” and small amounts of butter and milk. The main dietary staples were potatoes, cereals, and vegetables. Alcohol was forbidden, and no tea, coffee or tobacco were available. In essence, the large-scale Danish experiment observed all tenets of the Word of Wisdom.

The diet was low-meat, low-protein, low-cholesterol, low-fat and high-fiber.

Within a matter of weeks, the benefit of the Danes’ new food plan was apparent. During the year from October 1917 to October1918 when food restrictions were the most severe, the death rate from disease had dropped over 34% from the average of the preceding 18 years. It was the lowest ever known in Europe. Furthermore, Denmark was the only nation in Europe not to have a significant rise in the death rate as a consequence of the 1917 influenza epidemic (emphasis ours). That statistic gives additional credence to recent evidence that a plant-centered diet increases immunity to infectious disease.

The Danish experiment vividly illustrates the waste that occurs when grains are cycled through livestock. As John Robbins points out in Diet For a New America,[3] animal production wastes 90 percent of the grain’s protein, 96 percent of its calories, 100 percent of its fiber, and 100 percent of its carbohydrates.

In the years that followed, nutritional scientists began to study the effect of the consumption of animal products on health and disease. Mountains of data are now available to show this relationship.

As the science of nutrition progressed during the first half of the twentieth century, the LDS population continued to grow. Most Church converts emigrated to Zion in Utah.

During the leadership of seventh LDS church President Heber J. Grant, from 1918 to 1945, scientists first began to realize that tobacco was a deadly habit. President Grant was a strong proponent of the Word of Wisdom, preaching frequently about the revelation’s ban on alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee.

He was also concerned about the food plan in of the Word of Wisdom. In 1925, President Grant exclaimed that:

No man who breaks the Word of Wisdom can gain the same amount of knowledge and intelligence in this world as the man who obeys that law. I don’t care who he is or where he comes from, his mind will not be as clear, and he cannot advance as far and as rapidly and retain his power as much as he would if he obeyed the Word of Wisdom.[2]

Twelve years later he said,

I think that another reason I have very splendid strength for an old man is that during the years we have had a cafeteria in the Utah Hotel I have not, with the exception of not more than a dozen times, ordered meat of any kind. On these special occasions I have mentioned I have perhaps had a small tender lamb chop. I have endeavored to live the Word of Wisdom and that, in my opinion, is one reason for my good health.[1]

President Grant’s statement about breaking the Word of Wisdom is similar to one made by his contemporary, film producer Cecil B. DeMille, who said, “The history of mankind has shown us, we cannot break God’s laws, rather we break ourselves against them.”

President Grant died just before the end of World War II in 1945. Ezra Taft Benson, then an apostle, traveled to Europe to assess the postwar damage and determine the needs of the starving Saints.[2]

The first statistics that caught my medical attention as a young doctor were the death rates of Europeans under Nazi occupation during and after the war. The graph on the next page shows that during the Nazi occupation, deaths from heart disease, strokes, and other circulatory diseases dropped dramatically in Norway.[3] Caloric intake was low; no one was fat. Despite hunger and stress, these people were protected from fatal strokes and heart attacks. As soon as the war ended, milk, eggs, and meat became available, and the death rates rose to pre-war levels.

When President George Albert Smith became the eighth president of the LDS Church in 1945, it seems clear that he made choices about his food habits that relate to the Word of Wisdom. His son-in-law recorded, “In the summer he eats no meat, and even in the winter months he eats very little.” [4]

In 1950, Apostle John A. Widtsoe and his wife, Leah, published a book, The Word of Wisdom, A Modern Interpretation.[5] Learned and well esteemed, Apostle Widtsoe was a Norwegian immigrant and Harvard graduate. In the light of today’s knowledge his book deserves review and comment.

Interestingly, it never mentions the word cholesterol and mentions the word fiber only a few times. Of course, most facts about cholesterol and fiber were not known in 1950. Today they are the “buzz words” in the news and health media.

Widtsoe’s book came under some unjust criticism because of his indictment of white flour. His indictment was based on the fact that in 1950 the white flour was stripped of most of its vitamins, minerals, and protein. Now we know that the refinement process also strips flour of its fiber. Today’s “enriched” white flour is supplemented with added nutrients, but is still missing the fiber.

Forty years ago when Widtsoe sought the truth, he relied on faith in the Word of Wisdom revelation. He wrote in his book:

Conflicts may appear between the teaching of science and the Word of Wisdom. The Food and Nutrition Committee of the National Research Council recommends meat daily; but the Word of Wisdom says definitely [eat] meat sparingly and then only in winter or famine. In time the scientist will prove that the teaching of the inspired Word is correct and until then it may be relied on as a safe guide. To date, nothing has been discovered to set at naught any truth taught in the Word of Wisdom, and if we may judge by the past, all statements made therein will in time be proved true. (emphasis added)

Many of the things that Widtsoe wrote have been confirmed by subsequent medical and scientific studies.

The following, in his own words, gives us a challenge for modern living:

It was shown early in the history of plant science that plants contain all of the necessary food substances: proteins, fats, starches and other carbohydrates, minerals and water. Later it was discovered that the plant kingdom is the best source of the sixth necessary group of food substances, vitamins.

The great Builder of the earth provided well for the physical needs of His children. Countless varieties of edible plants, vegetables, cereals, fruits and nuts are yielded by Mother Nature for man’s daily food. Some furnish one predominating food element, some another, each filling some need of the human structure, as bricks in a wall, or as promoters of proper metabolism, to secure his health.

Man should partake in plenty of all edible fruits and vegetables. It is a mistake for a normal person to say: “I don’t like this vegetable or that,” and refuse to eat it. Children should be taught to eat and enjoy all the different kinds of vegetables so that their bodies may grow in bone strength and nerve tone a well as in size. This practice should be encouraged in adults as well, for all have need of the nutritive value of fruits and vegetables.

Most fruits should be eaten raw, fully ripe, and “in the season thereof.” Fruits and vegetables should be eaten in liberal amounts by young and old, and with grain products should form the bulk of the human dietary.

If one uses meat it must be used sparingly and in winter or famine only, as stated in this wise law of health. They who wish to be well and gain the promised reward stated in the Word of Wisdom must obey all of the law, not just part of it as suits their whim or their appetite, or their notion of its meaning.

…The foods used by many careless or uniformed modern civilized people yield a shortage, in greater or lesser degree, of many necessary food factors, especially of vitamins and minerals. This is because so much of the food of so-called civilized man today is preserved, salted, sugared, purified, polished, pickled, canned, extracted, distilled, concentrated, heated, dried, frozen, thawed, stored, packaged, processed and refined! The Word of Wisdom warns against the “evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days.”

If prudence is knowledge applied to daily need, then one with an intelligent interest in food and good life habits is in no sense a faddist or “crank.” Indeed, every one should have such a sound fundamental knowledge of nutrition.

The most ardent Word of Wisdom enthusiasts cannot claim that this inspired document gives the last detailed word in nutritional advice. Scientific knowledge concerning man’s diet is yet in its infancy. Many new angles to old truths are being discovered constantly. When such are definitely established in the best laboratories of nutrition to be facts, not mere theories, then they may be accepted and used and they will be found to be in harmony with the general principles set forth by the Word of Wisdom. The advice in the Word of Wisdom to use prudence in all these things implies that one should be ready to accept and apply new truth.”[1] (emphasis added)

It has been more than forty years since the above words were written by Apostle Widtsoe, who brought into clear focus the spiritual reality of the Word of Wisdom and its relation to the medical and scientific truth of that time.

---

Chapter Four

Medicine and Mormonism

(1950 to Present)

When President George Albert Smith died in 1951, Second Counselor David O. McKay became president of the LDS Church. The Korean War was several months old; I had been called into the Army Medical Corps and in 1952 the U.S. Army sent me to Korea at a time of heavy fighting. There I learned a valuable Word of Wisdom lesson.

As a team of doctors using a primitive artificial kidney machine, we were able to save about half the American and Korean soldiers who developed acute kidney failure as a consequence of severe battle wounds.’ In autopsies of the soldiers who died, the difference between the American and Korean soldiers was very apparent.

Autopsy studies on Korean soldiers showed no evidence of early atherosclerosis, the beginning of heart disease. They were protected from the ravages of atherosclerosis by their plant-centered diet, low in fat and cholesterol. But even the young American soldiers showed early evidence of the disease; in fact, the disease was far advanced in some of the them.² With today’s knowledge, it is clear that the American diet containing excess fat and cholesterol was the offender.

We now live in the age of magic antibiotics, the eradication of polio, the miracle of organ transplants, and the power of artificial kidneys. We have wonderful diagnostic and therapeutic tools whose names are so long that we identify them only with initials. Medical knowledge has grown by leaps and bounds, yet we are still dying prematurely. Why? Because we as a nation and as individuals have not taken the steps to prevent premature death. Perhaps someday a diet of excess fat and cholesterol will be looked upon as we now look upon tobacco and alcohol.

In an article in the “Church News” section of the Deseret News, Dr. Ted Adams, Director, Fitness Institute, Division of Cardiology, LDS Hospital, states, “We all want good health! Very few possessions ever equal the gift of good health.” He recommends maintaining exercise, as well as reducing fats, simple sugars and sodium in the food, getting proper sleep, proper skin care, taking good care of teeth and gums, avoiding substance abuse, changing the type of food to maintain a proper body weight and scheduling periodic medical checkups.

All of these generalities are good, but I should like you to focus on the food recommendations. They are: reducing fats and simple sugars in food and changing the type of food to maintain a proper body weight. If the 1988 statement by Surgeon General Koop that 68% of all deaths in the United States are diet-related is correct, the most important focus on our lifestyle should be on our diet. What we eat largely determines whether we have good health or die prematurely of preventable disease.

During the first half of the twentieth century, the United States made enormous strides in the health of individuals because prevention programs were developed and put in place. The U.S. Public Health Service programs were noteworthy. There were immunization programs, quarantines for communicable disease, programs to eradicate mosquito-borne disease, water sanitation and fluoridation treatment programs.

Gradually, however, certain miracles of treatment became medical celebrities: first insulin, then thyroid and other hormones, then antibiotics. These injections and pills, along with hundreds of other therapies, became the leading edge of medicine. We thought that with enough money spent on research and development we could solve today’s health problems. The focus became treatment, not prevention.

Unfortunately, money cannot buy everything. Affluence has even made our health problems worse. The countries too poor to produce or import animal products do not have the degenerative diseases that plague the Western world. Preventable heart disease takes a terrible toll in money and lost lives. One man in nine now develops prostate cancer. One woman in eight now develops breast cancer, and the statistics for both cancer of the prostate and breast are worsening each year.

Yet we still hope for the quick fix. A huge industry now spends millions of dollars to fashion magic bullets against chronic and deadly degenerative diseases. Sound noble? It might be, except for the fact that they don’t work and we already have the knowledge to prevent many of these medical problems. The answer doesn’t involve a pill or a quick fix. What it involves is a different food plan.

A recent series of six nationally published newspaper articles gives some insight into our “medical-pharmacologic” effort and the expenditure of taxpayer money. Take a look at some of the expensive research programs you are funding with your state and federal tax dollars:

1. At the University of Wisconsin, researchers are studying the adrenal hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandosterone) for its ability to preserve youth. Injections of DHEA are being given to animals and even a few humans.
2. Scientists at Temple University and other universities are studying DHEA as well as two other hormones, thymosin and melatonin, as the search for anti-aging chemicals continues.
3. A geneticist at the University of Colorado now reports that by changing one gene involved in oxygen metabolism he is able to increase the three-week life span of a round worm by 110 percent. One overly enthusiastic science reporter explained that “the gene involved in oxygen metabolism turned into a frenzied ninja that attacked free radical molecules.”
4. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, located at Tufts University in Boston, evaluates more than two thousand people each year. Research subjects are housed in a dormitory-like facility and paid a small wage while they are studied.

A similar study is underway at the Baltimore National Institute on Aging.

1. The National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland has used taxpayer money to fund twenty-one research centers for the study of organic compounds with such unlikely names as limonoids, glucarates, phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins, polyacetylenes, and carotenoids. They are searching for what appear to be strong anti-cancer compounds in plants such as garlic, licorice root, flaxseed, citrus fruit, carrots, celery, and parsley.
2. “Free radicals” and “anti-oxidants” are the new buzz words in the anti-cancer industry. The National Institutes of Health had launched an unprecedented five-year study involving more than 40,000 women but it was canceled because of compliance problems. It was a $17 million study that was designed to identify the role of vitamin E and beta carotene, both anti-oxidants that researchers theorize might prevent cancer and heart disease.
3. Roche, the world’s largest vitamin producer, is building a multi-million dollar plant that will produce 350 tons of beta carotene per year. That’s enough to supply every American adult with one daily 50 mg capsule—or the equivalent of seven large carrots. Does every adult in America need the equivalent of seven large carrots each day? No one knows, but you’ll soon see advertising for it.

All this research is expensive and time-consuming—and is particularly questionable when we already have so many answers. Instead of spending our money on pills and extensive research, we should use it to educate ourselves and our children about a food plan that can prevent disease.

Researchers already know that people in countries with diets that consist almost entirely of locally grown fruits and vegetables are protected against cancer and heart disease.’ In America, on the other hand, where fresh produce represents only a small part of our diet, cancer and heart disease are the most frequent causes of death.2 Those facts should cause us to question our priorities—and question where our limited research monies should be spent.

Inspired Church leaders have practiced and taught the principles in the Word of Wisdom. President David 0. McKay, ninth president of the LDS Church, often urged members of the church to live all the tenets of the Word of Wisdom.

Too many members move along the lines of least resistance,” he said, “and yield to a craving appetite developed by disobedience to the Word of Wisdom of God, thus depriving themselves of spiritual as well as physical strength… Neither the Church nor the world at large can hear too much about the Word of Wisdom…. It is [the] courageous living of our lives in harmony with our ideals…. With the ideals of right living before him, no Latter-day Saint can continually violate the Word of Wisdom with impunity)

It is recorded that the tenth president of the LDS Church, Joseph Fielding Smith, had a “disdain of meat and [a] love of vegetables.” As his wife reported, “my husband doesn’t eat meat,” but rather “lots of fruit and vegetables.”²

In his book Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, President Joseph Fielding Smith recorded our first prophet’s words:

This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted—by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire.³ (emphasis added)

The Word of Wisdom was given to us 160 years ago. Today, with recent medical “events,” we can see the “reason” for the Word of Wisdom. It has been given to us in the last days and is carefully adapted to the circumstances in which we live.

In language that is plain to everyone, President Ezra Taft Benson has given several strong messages about the Word of Wisdom. In a 1974 article entitled “Do Not Despair,” he wrote “In general, the more food we eat in its natural state and the less it is refined without additives, the healthier it will be for us.”⁴

In a talk he gave in 1979 to BYU students he said,

To a significant degree, we are an overfed and undernourished nation digging an early grave with our teeth, and lacking the energy that could be ours because we overindulge in junk foods…. We need a generation of young people who, as Daniel, eat in a more healthy manner than to fare on the “kings meat”—and whose countenances show it. (Daniel 1)¹

In 1983 President Benson spoke to the students at Rick’s College, and this talk was used as the First Presidency Message for September 1988. In it, he said,

There is no question that the health of the body affects the spirit, or the Lord would never have revealed the Word of Wisdom…. Disease, fever and unexpected deaths are some of the consequences directly related to disobedience…. To a great extent, we are physically what we eat. Most of us are acquainted with some of the prohibitions of the Word of Wisdom, such as no tea, coffee, tobacco, or alcohol. But what need additional emphasis are the positive aspects—the need for vegetables, fruits, and grain, particularly wheat. We need a generation of people who eat in a healthier manner.²

President Benson’s desire to repeat this message and to send it church-wide in the First Presidency Message through an official church publication should tell us the importance that he placed on it.

The pages that follow will present new nutritional facts that relate to poor health and premature death caused by bad food habits. Old fallacies about protein and some half-truths about fat will be discussed. The macho image of the meat eater will be examined. Data will show that cow’s milk is not the perfect food for children or adults. Heart disease and its prevention will be explained in understandable terms. And most important, practical information will be given to help you make changes in your lifestyle and food habits.

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The most restrictive vegetarian diet, the vegan diet, that eliminates animal products, including eggs and dairy products, is not recommended in the Word of Wisdom nor endorsed by General Authorities. Current average life expectancy and heart disease data support the assertion that a diet that prohibits eating these animal products is not warranted.

The positive admonitions of the Word of Wisdom include a foundation diet of grains, fruits and vegetables, plus poultry and meat used sparingly. Meatless vegetarian diets are compatible with the Word of Wisdom as long as eating meat is not forbidden.[i]

Improved Life Expectancy in the Modern Era

From 1930 to 2010, the average life expectancy in the United States has improved from 59.7 years to 78.7 years.[ii] Utah, with a large LDS population, is tied for third (along with eight other states) as a state with its longevity at about 80 years old. The last state in longevity is Mississippi at 74.8 years.[iii] Worldwide, life expectancy has increased from about 39 years old in 1930 to 70 years old in 2012.[iv]

This average life expectancy of almost 79 years in the United States requires many to survive into their 80’s and 90’s to result in that high average, in spite of those that do die in their childhood, youth or middle age.

Although it is certainly right to strive to improve our health by following both the negative and positive dictums in the Word of Wisdom plus paying attention to research in the field of diet and nutrition, these longevity numbers alone ought to be a disincentive to declaring that our modern diet is terrible, “killing us all,” and needing immediate drastic change.

Word of Wisdom Diet in our Family

Personally, I am a kind of “canary in the coal mine” as it were on diet. If I ever varied much as a youth from a whole grain based diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, with very little refined sugars and white flour, I would get sick. Even today I need to stick close to that diet and also have to avoid pork, which for me increases dramatically the occurrence of boils. Most every day as I was growing up, I would awake to my father cooking his freshly ground seven grain cereal mix, and I usually enjoyed several helpings.[v]

I remember the time when a couple from my Uncle Richard’s mission in Argentina visited our family in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My Dad prepared his usual morning breakfast of cooked cereal and offered some to them. “This is bird’s seed!” was the reply. “Don’t you have a steak?” The pampas of Argentina are famous for raising cattle even as is the American west. My family diet when I was growing up is one practical interpretation of trying to live the principles of the Word of Wisdom.[vi]

There have been many excellent articles on Meridian Magazine and extensive quotes from prominent LDS scholars, scientists and General Authorities relating modern diets to the Word of Wisdom, especially the admonition to eat meat sparingly.[viii] This article will focus on whether eliminating egg and dairy products, part the vegan diet, is a defensible part of a Word of Wisdom diet.

Eggs and Dairy Products: Pro and Con

No mention is made of eggs or dairy products in the Word of Wisdom text. Other foods are not specifically mentioned either such as fats.

Those supporting a vegan diet link eggs, dairy products and meat in increasing the risk and incidence of heart disease and other diseases. “Heart disease [is called] a ‘food borne’ illness, emphasizing the fact that it is a preventable disease caused by the way we eat. Just like eliminating smoking prevents lung cancer, most forms of heart disease would disappear if all Americans simply followed a healthy whole food, plant-based diet.”[ix]

Since the Word of Wisdom is not specific about eggs or dairy products in the text, positive or negative, next we should look for another witness one way or another from statements from General Authorities. This is important because eliminating eggs and milk products would be a huge change in our diets and the food producing infrastructure of our society. A change this comprehensive, I believe, would merit a specific discussion in the Word of Wisdom as is the case with grains and meat.

Elder John A Widtsoe, a biologist by profession, wrote in his book entitled The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation that “The foods needed to supplement grains for a good diet are milk and eggs, fruits and vegetables.” He added that “‘Fresh eggs and clean milk have the highest value’ for they contain the ten essential amino acids.” “An egg a day is highly desirable – especially for children.”[x]

Elder Joseph F. Merrill in his 1948 conference talk entitled “Eat Meat Sparingly” classified “eggs, milk and cheese” as excellent foods containing a rich source of protein. Jane Birch commented that “For example, like other Latter-days Saints of his time period, Elder Merrill was prejudiced in favor of the consumption of dairy and eggs, not realizing they carry similar health risks as meat.”[xii]

Egg and dairy products are so intertwined in our food supply that great effort is required by the 2% of our population who consider themselves vegans to follow this strict diet. This effort is compared with the much easier to implement meatless vegetarian diet practiced by about 3% of the population in the US. This meatless diet is compatible with the counsel of the Word of Wisdom as long as the eating of meat is not forbidden.[xiv]

“The Incredible Edible Egg”[xv]

Let’s look at the use of egg products and several country wide statistics that support eating eggs.

Throughout recorded history, mankind has used the eggs from domesticated chickens and other fowls as an important part of their diet. The United States uses an average of 256 eggs per person each year. Japan, the number one consumer of eggs and egg products, uses an average of 320 eggs per person each year.[xvii]

Japan also happens to have the highest life expectancy in the world at 82.7 years.[xviii]

Japan is also ranked third from last place (#190) in deaths from coronary heart disease. Japan only has 32 deaths per 100,000 per year compared with the US with 81 deaths per 100,000 (US is ranked 135^th in the world). Turkmenistan, with 405 deaths per 100,000 ranks #1, with Ukraine, with 400 deaths per 100,000 close behind at #2.[xix]

When I bring up these facts with family or friends about eggs and their use in Japan, a response often is something like “Well, obviously, there must be something else that compensates such as their high consumption of fish and lower consumption of meat.” I then respond: “So, with those adjustments available, there would seem to be no urgent reason to eliminate eggs from our diets”

An analogy by the Savior referencing hens and chicks underlines the universality of this common domesticated farm animal that gives mankind an incredible quantity and quality of good food.

Dairy Products: Milk, Cheese, Butter

Dairy products from cows, goats or other domesticated animals have also been used throughout recorded history as a key part of human diets. The United States consumes 254 kilograms per person of dairy products each year to rank 16^th in the world. Finland consumes 361 kg/person, ranking first in the world. Switzerland consumes 316 kg/person, the fourth highest dairy product using country in the world. Switzerland also ranks second in the world in life expectancy at 82.6 years.[xxii]

Switzerland is ranked #175 out of 192 in deaths from heart disease. Switzerland only has 52 deaths per 100,000 per year compared with the US with 81 deaths per 100,000 (US ranked at #135).[xxiii]

The scriptures referencing milk products emphasize the universality of its use and the domestication of various farm animals giving dairy products.

“Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.” (Deuteronomy 32:14)[xxiv]

“Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” (Isaiah 7:15)

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.” (Isaiah 7:21-22)

Is an Egg and Dairy Health Crisis Overblown?

Neither the Word of Wisdom nor General Authorities advocate the elimination of eggs or dairy products. Pioneer farm life in the Church was similar to other US farming communities complete with typical farm animals. The number one life expectancy country, Japan, consumes more egg products per capita than any other nation. The second highest life expectancy country, Switzerland, is fourth in milk product consumption. Both Japan and Switzerland have a low incidence of deaths from coronary heart disease.

Based on these facts, solid scientific or scriptural support for an egg and dairy free vegan diet is missing. Eliminating eggs and dairy products is not a Word of Wisdom recommended diet.

Notes: 

[i] First Picture:

Janet Peterson, “As a Hen Gathereth Her Chickens under her Wings,” Meridian Magazine, October 13, 2010.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/article-1-6492/]

President Boyd K. Packer has commented on the scripture in section 49 about forbidding to eat meat.

Boyd K. Packer, “The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises,” April 1996 General Conference/

[https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1996/04/the-word-of-wisdom-the-principle-and-the-promises?lang=eng]

“Young people, learn to use moderation and common sense in matters of health and nutrition, and particularly in medication. Avoid being extreme or fanatical or becoming a faddist. For example, 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).”

RPMNote: Some suggest that the scripture in section 49 really is a double negative that results in an endorsement of a meatless diet when the Lord said “whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats.” Further in the verse, another clause clarifies these words, not supporting the double negative interpretation.

“And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;” (D&C 49:18) [emphasis added]

It seems to me that this scripture becomes even more important as strongly promoting a vegan diet has become part of the politically correct animal rights movement. The aggressive tactics practiced by this movement, in my opinion, cross the line of coercion mentioned in this scripture. See also D&C 98:7 “whatsoever is more os less than this, cometh of evil.”

“Vegan Diets: Healthy and Humane,” Peta.org web site, Retrieved 6/3/2015.

[https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/animals-used-food-factsheets/vegan-diets-healthy-humane/]

“A vegan diet is as good for humans’ health as it is for animal welfare. There is no nutritional need for humans to eat any animal product; all our dietary needs, even as infants and children, are best supplied by a diet free of animal meat. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) notes that a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of many chronic degenerative diseases and conditions, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.”

[ii] “Life Expectancy at Birth by Race and Sex 1930-2010,” Infoplease.com, 2010.

[https://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005148.html]

[iii] “Utah Life Expectancy,” UtahLifeExpectancy.com, 2013.

[https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/usa/utah-life-expectancy]

[iv] Max Roser – ‘Life Expectancy’. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. 2015.

[https://ourworldindata.org/data/population-growth-vital-statistics/life-expectancy/]

“Life expectancy has increased rapidly since the onset of industrialization and modernization. In a pre-modern, poor world, life expectancy was around 30 years in every country. In the early 19th century, life expectancy started to increase in the early industrialized countries while it stayed low in the rest of the world. Just half a century ago, the health of the world was very unequal; there was good health in the rich countries and persistent bad health in those countries that remained poor. But this global inequality is decreasing. Countries that not long ago were suffering from bad health are catching up rapidly. No country in the world has a lower life expectancy than the the countries with the highest life expectancy in 1800. Since 1900 the global average life expectancy has more than doubled and is now approaching 70 years.”

Christian Morrison et all, “The World Distribution of Human Capital, Life Expectancy and Income: a Multi-dimensional Approach, 2005.

[https://federation.ens.fr/ydepot/semin/texte0506/MUR2005WOR.pdf]

[v] My mother regularly making 100% whole wheat homemade bread was another great feature of our diet and I enjoyed her delicious cooking. A frequent dish was my favorite fish, halibut, along with sliced crispy quartered baked potatoes with real butter.

My wife’s and my first major purchase was a grinder/mixer combination to make delicious 100% whole wheat bread. Years later, during the time in our family when five of our six children were teenagers, my wife regularly made three whole wheat loaves using three bread machines as our basic diet. One and sometimes two of those loaves were gobbled up right after school.

[vi] Our family business was a drive-in hamburger restaurant, “Howard’s Hamburgers,” in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ours was the third such restaurant in Albuquerque beginning in 1953, after the first McDonald’s and Lionel’s, another Mom and Pop drive-in restaurant. My father had his own recipe for our delicious hamburger patties and it included some vegetable based meat substitutes. We made our own french fries and were the first fast food restaurant in Albuquerque to use char broiling to cook our hamburger patties. With my health situation, I could eat our hamburgers and milk shakes (both in moderation), but had to avoid our soft drinks and french fries—hard for a ten year old working at his Dad’s restaurant.

My parents would often point out two changes in the American diet that they thought were particularly harmful. The first was replacing cooked cereal with high sugar cold cereals for breakfast. Shredded wheat with honey or brown sugar was about as close as we got to cold cereal in our home. The second change was the introduction and widespread use of soft drinks, sugar free or not. A small root beer or seven up was a rare treat. I think that my parents would cringe to see the tiny counter space for milk and juice compared with the aisle for alcoholic beverages and the aisle for energy and carbonated drinks, many with boatloads of caffeine or other stimulants, in the typical modern convenience store.

[vii] Leonard Arrington, “Coins and Currency,” Utah History Encyclopedia, Retrieved 6/4/2015.

[https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/c/COINS_AND_CURRENCY.html

“Until the Civil War, the United States had no national currency, and most of the coins in circulation were privately minted. In order to provide a satisfactory circulating medium for the early settlers of Utah, Brigham Young and his associates in the LDS Church established a church mint in 1848, and also placed in circulation paper money backed by the treasury and officials of the LDS Church. Coins were minted in 1849, 1850, and 1860; currency with Brigham Young’s signature was placed in circulation in 1848, 1850, and 1858.”

“Not having sufficient gold to serve as backing, the church made the currency redeemable in livestock–horses, cattle, and sheep–of which it had large herds. The church expected to issue engraved notes, but pending their completion, $3,750.00 in “defense” notes were printed by the Deseret News and issued immediately. These were printed from 19 February to 17 March 1858. They followed by a “Move South” series consisting of $40,146.00 in printed notes issued from 31 March to 17 July 1858.”

[viii] The admonition to eat meat sparingly in the Word of Wisdom has numerous practical interpretations. There is no standard question for a temple recommend addressing the use of meat in our diets, but it is, I believe, in the “correct principles and they govern themselves” category.

I look at the great reduction in eating meat as casseroles and foods like pizza where meat is more a flavoring replace meat as the main dish. Meat becoming more expensive is another brake on not eating meat sparingly. This trend certainly would result in a major quantitative reduction in meat consumption overall.

Elder John A Widtsoe noted that “when the Word of Wisdom was given, meat, when it could be obtained, was largely used by all classes. It was generally looked upon as the best and most necessary food for full health,” [“The Word of Wisdom, a Modern Interpretation,” p. 260]. Thus we have a situation somewhat similar to what Daniel found as he was taken to Babylon, “the king’s meat” being deemed the center of the most healthful diet. Yet, note that in spite of the pulse-based diet Daniel proposed to replace the king’s meat centered diet, the most sacred feasts of the Hebrew year involved eating of meat (e.g. Passover lambs) and the many of the original apostles were fishermen by profession. Our modern religious “feasts” at Thanksgiving and Christmas are similarly centered on a meat dish.

President Heber J. Grant gave a great example of his eating of meat sparingly, quoted in a recent Meridian article.

Jane Birch, “Discovering the Word of Wisdom Pioneers: Heber J. Grant,” Meridian Magazine, May 4, 2015.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/discovering-the-word-of-wisdom-pioneers-heber-j-grant/]

“ I think that another reason why I have very splendid strength for an old man is that during the years we have had a cafeteria in the Utah Hotel, I have not, with the exception of not more than a dozen times, ordered meat of any kind. On these special occasions I have mentioned I have perhaps had a small, tender lamb chop. I have endeavored to live the Word of Wisdom, and that, in my opinion, is one reason for my good health . . . ”

Elder Joseph F. Merrill’s conference talk in 1948 emphasized eating meat sparingly and the conference is called the “most vegetarian conference ever” by Jane Birch.

Jane Birch, “Discovering the Word of Wisdom Pioneers: The Most Vegetarian General Conference,” Meridian Magazine, May 18, 2015.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/discovering-the-word-of-wisdom-pioneers-the-most-vegetarian-general-conference/]

“This week I feature another apostle who served alongside President Heber J. Grant and Apostle John A. Widtsoe as a passionate defender of the Word of Wisdom, including the counsel on meat: Elder Joseph F. Merrill. Elder Merrill is distinguished by delivering what is clearly the most vegetarian address ever given in an LDS General Conference. What is unique about his speech is not that he encouraged the Saints to eat meat sparingly; what is unique is that this was the entire message of his speech.”

“… meat may be omitted from the diet altogether, for it has been determined that all necessary protein and energy may be obtained from other materials.” (Elder Merrill quoting USDA)

RPMNote: And yet, we have the caution given by President Packer (previously quoted) and other General Authorities that limits the level of support for a completely meatless vegetarian diet as was the case for the Shaker sect discussed in section 49.

I like the way Bill Dargan approaches issues such as the creation and the Word of Wisdom. Here is a link to an earlier Meridian article he wrote on the creation.

William A Dargan, “Where Does the Church Stand on those Tough Creation Questions?” Meridian Magazine, April 1, 2014.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/article-1-14148/]

“Over 25 years ago, when my children asked me where the dinosaurs came from and several more questions about the Creation, I spent over a thousand hours in research and wrote a 250-page book in the course of providing them some answers. 10 years later, I condensed the main points of that book into this brief paper. However, with the exposure of our youth to more critical questions online, I have thought it a good time to share my findings.”

****

RPMNote: I will include some excerpts from another of Bill Dargan’s yet unpublished articles on questions about the Word of Wisdom.

William Dargan, “The Ultimate Word of Wisdom Quiz,” Unpublished document, March 16, 2015.

“Some claim that Jesus was a vegetarian, but there is no proof of this in the scriptures. Rather, we read that, as a resurrected being, he ate broiled fish and a honeycomb (Lk. 24:42-43). Paul said that the commanding of vegetarianism by false church leaders would be a sign of departure from the true faith (read 1 Tim. 4:1-6).

“This same warning was repeated by the Lord in our dispensation (read D&C 49:18-19,21). Cleon Skousen writes: ‘For some reason or other, the Lord has had to emphasize from time to time that meat is to have its proper place in the human diet. In almost every generation, certain groups arise which advocate complete abstinence from the use of meat. This type of fad partakes of an apostate spirit.” (First 2,000 Years, pp. 209-210).

“Having said that, let’s look at a quote from an apostle, Elder John A. Widtsoe: ‘That man can live without meat is well known, and he may live well if his knowledge is such as to enable him to choose adequate vegetable protein. And, all have the right if they so choose to live without meat’ (Evidences and Reconciliations, 3:155-157).

“What, then, does vs. 13 mean? With the comma in place as it is, the most logical conclusion is that we should only eat meat when vegetables can’t be found (and in our day, frozen fruits and vegetables make such always “in season”). Back in Joseph’s time, eating meat “in times of winter, cold, or famine” would have been “eating meat sparingly.” This view is further supported by vss. 14-15, which seem to be telling us: ‘The beasts of the field, the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth…these hath God made for the use of man ONLY in times of famine and excess of hunger.’ Historical research suggests that this was the view most of the Saints took of eating meat in the 1830s (see Jane Birch articles in Meridian Magazine and her book, Discovering the Word of Wisdom).

“With the removal of the comma, however, the meaning becomes: ‘And it is pleasing unto me that they (the flesh of animals) should not be used only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine (but that they should be used at other times as well, nevertheless sparingly).’ Why have our leaders gravitated towards this interpretation? Perhaps because a mandatory vegetarian diet would make the Word of Wisdom discouraging to many investigators, and many members, as well. Still, we’d better get start getting used to the idea, as it will be THE policy during the Millennium. The early Saints were given 18 years before the Lord’s suggestion against alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea became a commandment. This was because it required arduous “breaking-in” for many. Maybe we should regard vegetarianism in that light.”

RPMNote: I would add the thought that in the Millennium a change will need to be wrought similar to what the three Nephites experienced to bring back a terrestrial state for the world. This is obvious considering the change that will need to happen with the lion and serpent. I don’t think that the coming Millennial condition should be used in discussions of the Word of Wisdom’s application to us today in a still telestial world.

Also, it is interesting that fish is not specifically referenced in the Word of Wisdom given its value relative to other meats. Why would the Lord mention fouls of heaven and not the fish of the waters? Note the detail in the Mosaic dietary laws. “These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat: And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.” (Deuteronomy 14:9-10)

And in all of this, I know of no General Authority that endorses a mandatory vegetarian diet. It is allowed, but “eating meat sparingly” remains the key admonition. And then, Section 49’s caution is always there, which indicated that the vegetarianism of the Shakers did not come of God. Another thought, what about meat flavorings made from meat? Notice how much easier it is to adapt to practical everyday life the “meat sparingly” recommendations vs. a mandatory full meatless vegetarian diet. And, besides, wouldn’t the section 49 alarm trigger verse go off with the idea of a “mandatory vegetarian diet” discussed above. The example of the visit of the couple from Argentina for me emphasized how a great quantitative difference between their diet and my family’s existed, and I think it was a positive difference for the health of our family.

****

Bill Dargan asks the question “Why have our leaders gravitated towards this interpretation [less restrictive meat sparingly interpretation]?” Perhaps the answer may be obvious: What about Elder Ezra Taft Benson? Not a biologist but an expert in agriculture and President Eisenhower’s Secretary of Agriculture from 1953-1960, the only cabinet member to stay in office the whole two terms of his presidency. President Benson, a strong advocate of the Word of Wisdom, emphasizes “meat sparingly” and not wasting the animals used for meat but does not go to the same level of counsel as does President Grant, Elder Widtsoe or Elder Merrill. President Packer’s view would seem to be close to President Benson on this topic. What may be possible theoretically from the standpoint of Elder Widtsoe or Elder Merrill, President Benson’s very practical experience would recognize as impractical for the real farms that produce our food supply. And this continually improving quality of food overall has been pushing up life expectancy worldwide and reducing many diseases that in the past took many lives.

Even a broader interpretation might be possible to explain why we have no modern equivalent conference talks to those by President Grant or Elder Merrill. Under President George Albert Smith the Church passed the one million member mark (1947) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history] (2 million 1963, 3 million 1971).

The Church was still a western US Church. Meat, especially beef, is more plentiful and central to the farm products produced in the western US than other areas of the world. The Church was beginning to grow worldwide up to the current fifteen million members. We are not only a western US Church anymore and many cultures and diets exist in the worldwide Church. Using less meat is also more popular today than it was in 1948 and the choices provided in our modern cornucopia of food options have amazingly multiplied in the modern era. My own experience is that many at Costco and WalMart now mostly agree with my system. This contrasted with the time in the early 1980’s when we shipped in expensive organic food from Walnet Acres Farm in Pennsylvania because the typical grocery store food rarely agreed with me.

Perhaps this context has more to do than we realize in the focus and emphasis given to the Word of Wisdom in our day. I certainly prefer that interpretation rather than saying that the modern prophets and apostles just don’t understand issues regarding eating meat sparingly while asserting that President Grant and other past prophets and apostles did. All of these apostles and prophets are inspired and their counsel regarding the Word of Wisdom is valuable for us to study and is also tailored for the needs of their day. If their counsel differs one from another, then doubtless there will be good reason for those differences. And, as President Benson so forcefully taught, we should pay our highest attention to the words of our modern Prophet, Thomas S. Monson.

***

I would also challenge the assumption that since fresh fruit and vegetables can be obtained year round that the stipulated use of meat in winter should go away and a pure meatless vegetarian diet established. I think that eating meat in winter means eating meat in winter. I think that the section in the word of wisdom where various grains are specified for various animals implies that at least some of them are to be used for food (swine for example). That part of the revelation surely would be a red flag for non-grain diets that are often fed to farm animals resulting in less healthy meat products.

Ezra Taft Benson, “A Principle with a Promise,” April 1983 Conference.

[https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1983/04/a-principle-with-a-promise?lang=eng]

“In this revelation the Lord counsels us to use meat sparingly. I have often felt that the Lord is further counseling us in this revelation against indiscriminately killing animals, for He has said elsewhere in scripture, “Wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.” (D&C 49:21.)”

****

RPMNote: All of the answers are not yet available on the creation and the question of evolution’s and/or intelligent design’s role in it. I see great value in the sometimes opposing views of James Talmage, Joseph Fielding Smith and B. H. Roberts. Similarly, I am convinced that there is truth and great value in the several interpretations of the Word of Wisdom and of “eating meet sparingly” discussed above. I believe that there is lots of room for acceptable individual variation.

****

Recently, another idea has occurred to me as to how the Lord presented the eating of meat in section 89.

Why would the Lord open the discussion of eating meat the way he did if He were then to completely remove it and have a mandatory vegetarian diet enacted before the Millennium?

“Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly” (D&C 89:12)

Why would it not be mentioned similarly to alcoholic beverages and tobacco instead—negative all the way?

Then come the restrictions of the following verses, which some interpret as support a full meatless vegetarian diet and some interpret as including a full no animal products vegan diet.

“And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine. … And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.” (D&C 89:13,15)

Why add to “famine” the possibly ambiguous “excess of hunger” phrase that could be widely interpreted? And why then, intermixed with this discussion is feeding grain to animals as their best food to eat? Most of these listed animals are used for meat.

“All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth; ,,, Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.” (D&C 89:14, 17)

Note again specific modifiers for the fowls of heaven and beasts of the field and animals that run or creep on the earth along with the beasts and the fowls of the air. But, nothing in either enumeration about the animals that swim in the waters. Why would “run or creep” include the fish when they swim, not run or creep?

So, in the end, if “winter” and “in the season” modifiers go away with the global food system, is the Lord doing a massive tease and then take away by declaring that eating meat is “ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving.” I just think of the Sizzler commercials at dinner time and their “torturing” effect on my teenage boys who were just getting their muscles. Why not present it like alcohol and tobacco is presented instead of in this positive way and then follow that with restrictions that take it all away as a possible food, leaving the much maligned vegeburger as the only approved option?

I think that the Lord intended “sparingly” as the basic counsel with the further noted voluntary restrictions to constantly keep that “sparingly” in the forefront of our minds day by day. I believe that this approach can result in far less meat eaten overall, a better diet, periods of time where we eat no meat at all and better health overall.

[ix] Jane Birch, “Discovering the Word of Wisdom Pionners: Preventing Heart Disease,” Meridian Magazine, June 8, 2015.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/discovering-the-word-of-wisdom-pioneers-preventing-heart-disease/]

“Last week, I featured the work of Dr. Ray G. Cowley, a Latter-day Saint doctor who, many decades ago, recognized that the Word of Wisdom is the Lord’s answer to heart disease, the number one killer of Americans in the 20th Century. His 1969 Improvement Era article could have saved millions of lives . . . if more Mormons had paid attention.”

“Dr. Cowley was certainly not the first Latter-day Saint to note the connection between the Word of Wisdom and heart disease. At least as far back as 1915, Mormons began reporting scientific research linking this disease to alcohol and tobacco (and later caffeine). Interestingly, the relative danger of these substances was still quite controversial in the scientific community. Tobacco advertisements, for example, were regularly featured in top medical journals throughout the 1930s and 1940s. But LDS medical professionals were not fooled; they regularly warned the LDS community of the health dangers of these substances.”

Jane Birch, “Discovering the Word of Wisdom Pioneers: A Heart Attack Proof Diet,” Meridian Magazine, June 1, 2015.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/discovering-the-word-of-wisdom-pioneers-a-heart-attack-proof-diet/]

“Dr. Esselstyn calls heart disease a “food borne” illness, emphasizing the fact that it is a preventable disease caused by the way we eat. Just like eliminating smoking prevents lung cancer, most forms of heart disease would disappear if all Americans simply followed a healthy whole food, plant-based diet. Currently one in three adults (80 million) suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease, costing our economy over $300 billion a year. One out of three American deaths are due to this food borne illness. Just think of the amount of suffering that could be prevented.” [emphasis added]

RPMNote: As we examine the actual statistics on coronary heart disease deaths, this one in three number just does not add up. The standard statistics for various countries will be referenced later in the article. It is one thing to have some indications of heart disease in old age, but would be another to declare that as the cause of death.

[x] John A. Widtsoe, “Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation,” Deseret Book, 1937, p. 197, 239.

[https://gospelink.com/library/contents/660]

“The Word of Wisdom by Elder John A. Widtsoe – a book review by RFM,” about 1950. Out of print book.

[https://www.realfoodsmarket.com/the-word-of-wisdom-by-elder-john-a-widtsoe-a-book-review-by-rfm/]

“Not many people have had the opportunity to read this book because it has been out of print for decades. When the owner of RFM read a copy, he decided to bring it back into print so others could benefit from the solid principles and pearls of wisdom found in this book. It was written around 1950 and the language is a bit oldie sounding but, the principles are ROCK SOLID! Widtsoe had his finger on the pulse. He saw the writing on the wall.”

[xi] “John A. Widtsoe,” wipedia.org. Retrieved 6/13/2015.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Widtsoe#Academic_career]

“John A. Widtsoe,” True Miracles with Genealogy, 2012.

[https://truemiracleswithgenealogy.com/genealogy-quote-of-the-week-john-a-widtsoe/]

[xii] Jane Birch, “Discovering the Word of Wisdom Pioneers: The Most Vegetarian General Conference,” Meridian Magazine, May 18, 2015.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/discovering-the-word-of-wisdom-pioneers-the-most-vegetarian-general-conference/]

“This week I feature another apostle who served alongside President Heber J. Grant and Apostle John A. Widtsoe as a passionate defender of the Word of Wisdom, including the counsel on meat: Elder Joseph F. Merrill. Elder Merrill is distinguished by delivering what is clearly the most vegetarian address ever given in an LDS General Conference. What is unique about his speech is not that he encouraged the Saints to eat meat sparingly; what is unique is that this was the entire message of his speech.”

Jane Birch, “Discovering the Word of Wisdom: What about Dairy and Eggs?” Meridian Magazine, August 5, 2014.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/article-1-14710/]

“Dairy and eggs are not specifically mentioned in the Word of Wisdomneither are Twinkies or Junior Mints. I conclude that none of these are as important to our health as are plants. Here, however, I rely more on the spirit of the law than the letter of the law to form an opinion. Suffice it to say, anyone who thinks God is perfectly fine with us drinking Coke because “caffeine” is not specifically mentioned in the Word of Wisdom is probably not going to be convinced by the reasoning I present in this article.”

“While it is true that the Word of Wisdom does not specifically warn against dairy or eggs, it also includes nothing to promote their consumption. Instead, the Word of Wisdom counsels us to rely on wholesome plants (vegetables, fruits, and grains) and avoid the flesh of animals (except in times of need) for optimal health and spiritual blessings. Given the emphasis on the importance of plant foods and the admonition to use the flesh of animals only in times of need, on what basis would we conclude that consuming dairy or eggs would be wise for our well-being?”

“While there are some distinct differences, the nutritional profile of dairy and eggs is so similar to meat (and so distinct from plant foods) that we can consider them liquid meat.”

“Because the animals eat the same plants we do, we can find many of these same nutrients in meat, but animals are not the original source. What about dairy and eggs? The same! They are not the original source of any of these vital nutrients. They all come from the plants the animals eat. This means we dont need any animal foods to get these nutrients; we can go straight to the plants, the source the Lord ordained for our “constitution, nature, and use” (D&C 89:10).”

RPMNote: To me, looking at this logic, it is a stretch to categorize eggs and dairy products as harmful to the level to actually try to eliminate them from the diet and the food industry.

[xiii] “Joseph F. Merrill,” Wikipedia.org, Retrieved 6/13/2015.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_F._Merrill]

“Eat Meat Sparingly by Elder Joseph F. Merrill,” Word of Wisdom: Waking up to the Word of Wisdom through a whole food, plant-based diet,” From Word of Wisdom Literature by Jane Birch. Retrieved 6/13/2015.

[https://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/literature/merrill-eat-meat-sparingly-1948/]

“I wish to talk for a few minutes on a phase of one of Joseph Smith’s revelations, commonly spoken of as the Lord’s Law of Health, or otherwise known as the Word of Wisdom. But why the Word of Wisdom as a part of religion? someone may ask. In the language of the document itself the Word of Wisdom shows: ‘. . . forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—‘

“And those: . . . who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones (D&C 89:2,18).

“And health is an important factor in the work of serving God and man.”

“Even the most ardent advocates of a meat diet cannot produce a scientific evidence to show that intestinal putrefaction to a high degree due to the presence of meat is in any way beneficial to the organism; hence, in seeking the best form of diet, meat as a source of protein may well be excluded and the requisite protein secured from milk, nuts, cereals, and vegetables. If in the average diet a pint of milk daily is substituted for whatever meat portions have theretofore been taken, there would be no danger of protein lack.

“We have quoted Hubner, one of the world’s foremost authorities in hygiene, as condemning the very popular idea that meat is very ‘strengthening.’ Actual experiments on this point have shown exactly the opposite to be the case.”

“And now I sum up. Proteins are the building materials of the body, the needed amount of which is largely determined by age and the kind of physical activity: but for the average adult it is about 10 percent of food intake. More than this should be avoided. Meat is the richest source of proteins but sizable amounts are found in the excellent foods—eggs, milk, cheese, beans, nuts, wheat, and more or less in other cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Americans eat too much meat, a non-essential in human diet, because all the proteins needed are available in the other foods just named.”

[xiv] “In US, 5% Consider themselves Vegetarians,” Gallop Poll, Retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://www.gallup.com/poll/156215/Consider-Themselves-Vegetarians.aspx]

“The latest update on vegetarianism, included in Gallup’s July 9-12 Consumption Habits survey, used a trend question first asked in 1999 that does not define “vegetarian” in any way, but simply asks respondents if the label fits their self-definition. The limited trend data suggest that there has been no substantial change in the incidence of vegetarianism over the past 13 years. Almost all segments of the U.S. population have similar percentages of vegetarians, suggesting that most stereotypes of who is and is not the typical vegetarian in American society have little basis in fact.”

[xv] “Incredible Edible Egg,” incredibleegg.org, retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://www.incredibleegg.org]

“Eggs are all-natural and packed with a number of nutrients. One egg has 13 essential vitamins and minerals in varying amounts, high-quality protein and antioxidants, all for 70 calories.”

[xvi] Original greeting card by S. T. Millett

[xvii] “Per Capita Egg Consumption by Country 1999 and 2000,” animal science.ucdavis, retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Avian/PerCapitaEggConsumptionbyCountry2000.htm]

[xviii] “History of Life Expectancy 1960-2011,” WorldLifeExpectancy, Retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/history-of-life-expectancy]

Select 2011 from the pull down menu to get 2011 and not the default 1960.

[xix] “World Health Rankings: Live Longer Live Better,” “Coronary Heart Disease: Age Standardized,” Retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/coronary-heart-disease/by-country/]

These statistics are age adjusted to the 1940 standards. A later endnote reference shows the US statistics adjusted to 2000 age standards but it does not imply more deaths—go figure on difficult to understand use of statistics. However, these adjustments do enable year to year comparisons so valid graphs can be drawn. What counts most is to compare the levels of high ranking and low ranking countries for coronary heart disease.

Scott Gottlief, “Updates for US heart disease death rates,” 1999.

[ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1114622/]

“The number of deaths from heart disease has been increasing in the United States as the percentage of individuals over the age of 65 has risen, according to new figures that take into account the ageing population.”

The death rate from coronary artery disease was 187.1 deaths per 100000 in 1996, according to the new death rate calculations. The old calculation, using the 1940 population weighting, was only 86.7 deaths per 100000. This does not indicate that the number of deaths from heart disease has doubled, but simply reflects the change in calculation methods.” [emphasis added]

[xx] “History of Eating Eggs,” eatmoreeggs.com. Retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://www.eatmoreeggs.com/styled/index.html]

[xxi] Janet Peterson, “As a Hen Gathereth Her Chickens under her Wings,” Meridian Magazine, October 13, 2010.

[https://meridianmag.wpengine.com/article-1-6492/]

[xxii] “List of countries by milk consumption per capita,” wikipedia.org, Retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_milk_consumption_per_capita]

“Life Expectancy 1960-2011,” WorldLifeExpectancy, Retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/history-of-life-expectancy]

[xxiii] “Coronary Heart Disease,” WorldHealthRankings, Retrieved 6/10/2015.

[https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/coronary-heart-disease/by-country/]

Look at the red high disease rate colors and we see the middle east, the former USSR and eastern Europe countries, and India. Look at the low disease rate grey states and we see the Americas, western Europe, Japan, China and Australia. The statistics are age adjusted to the 1940 age groups and is discussed in a previous footnote.

[xxiv] “Butter of cows, and milk …” Bible.hub, Retrieved 6/13/2015.

[https://biblepic.com/deuteronomy/32-14.htm#.VXxRYkYerfd]

This past week we discussed the Word of Wisdom/Nutrition/Food. Our Family Home Evening lesson was based off the Scriptures4Kids/Sugardoodle FHE outline for August, found here.  One of the kids liked doing the coloring activity. 

After the lesson I introduced a simple little system to help them choose healthy snacks.  I found the idea here:

I used the printable provided on her website and also made a few more magnets for other snacks that we like at our house.  Now when the kids are hungry, they can choose a snack off the magnet board and SHOW me what they want.  This has been extremely helpful with a child who doesn’t speak yet, and another child that has only spoken English for a few months.

I am able to change the snack options depending on what we’ve got in the house.   (Pictured to the left is VV showing me that she wants raisins.)

I also found some nutritional online games that my 4 year old enjoyed playing. The ones we played dealt with sorting foods into their food groups. The games were a little too advanced for him, but we played them together and he really enjoyed it. 

I found another website that had some wonderful printables about the food pyramid and nutrition.  I printed off a few of those and used them as I explained our new «system.»

During the week we also finally put batteries in our grocery check-out toy.  The kids had a blast purchasing food from each other.

We also went to a children’s museum where they had a pretend store.  The kids enjoyed putting food in their carts and pretending to shop.

They also picked «apples» from the apple tree.

They really loved this because we’d been reading this book which talks all about the apple harvest.

My kids really enjoy file folder games. I found this one that started a dialogue about food coming from the ground.

All 3 kids loved playing with it.

Books we read this week:
Floating Bananas
Green Eggs and Ham
The Little Red Hen
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Big Bird’s Day at the Farm
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

As Latter-day Saints, we place great emphasis on being healthy. Paul tells us we are “the temple of God” and that the Spirit may dwell within us if we are not defiled (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). With this injunction and revelations such as the Word of Wisdom, Mormons are naturally prone to trying to eat healthy on average. Sometimes though, we fall into the trap of fad diets.

We can assume that many of these diets actually work in the realm of weight loss, but which ones coincide with what the Word of Wisdom actually tells us? Let’s be honest, some of those fad diets are just dumb. Here are some that do fall in line with modern revelation.

Word of Wisdom Criteria

For us to see how these diets go up against the Word of Wisdom, we should probably look at some of the criteria given to us by the actual revelation. From my studies of modern revelation and prophets, I’ve come up with the following criteria that I have put up against the following diets. It’s not comprehensive, but I believe the most important parts are there.

The criteria:

• The diet is enjoyable.
• The diet excludes harmful substances such as:
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
• The diet may include:
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Moderate Proteins
  • Herbs such as legumes or spices
  • Grains
• The diet does not exclude:
  • Meats*

*This is somewhat of a caveat because there is nothing I found that says you have to eat meat. All I have found is that you can’t deny someone from eating meat. I take this to mean that refraining from meat for dietary preference or health concerns is okay. Claiming that eating meat is evil is not necessarily true. We always recommend prudence and moderation with all diets.*

These criteria have helped me evaluate the following diets; however, I recommend you do your own research for each of them.

Volumetrics

First up is Volumetrics. In simple terms, Volumetrics is replacing what you eat now with low-energy-dense foods that have high water content. This lets you eat as much as you want (more or less) while still limiting your calorie content.  The mainstays of this diet are:

• Fruits
• Nonstarchy vegetables
• Broth-Based Soups

The diet also includes reasonable portions of whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, and low-fat dairy. It also includes exercise, as all diets should. This diet is a very low effort diet. Basically, all you need to do is pay attention to the energy density of your food and readjust that when needed.

Mediterranean Diet

Next up is the Mediterranean Diet. I’m excited to try this myself because I served my mission in Italy. This diet is great if you enjoy the taste of olive oil and natural herbs and spices. Its basic premise is to eat:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Liquid fats (olive oil or canola oil)
• Red meat no more than a few times a month
• Fish and poultry at least twice a week
• Eating with family and friends (classic Italian culture)

The diet also advocates exercise. Unfortunately, it does give red wine as an optional choice. Since it is optional and not key to the diet, I consider this diet Word of Wisdom friendly because you can eat everything else and still lose weight. Just avoid the red wine. This diet is perfect for anyone who enjoys the taste and culture of the Mediterranean.

More on the Mediterranean Diet.

Gluten Free

The Gluten Free diet is unique because it was originally used to treat Celiac’s Disease. The idea is that you limit or eliminate the gluten protein from your diet. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. People on this diet are the kind of people who go to Wendy’s and order a hamburger patty on lettuce leaves. This diet allows:

• Beans, seeds, and unprocessed nuts
• Fresh eggs
• Fresh meats, fish, and poultry
• Fruits and Veggies
• Most Dairy

Scientists claim it has a lot of health benefits, some even linking gluten to ADHD in adolescents. This diet might be a bit more involved though. Gluten free options aren’t always easy to find and generally come at a premium.  Many people claim the food tastes like cardboard. In my opinion, it tastes just as good as the normal food. Don’t forget, if you experiment with this diet, add exercise and drink plenty of water.

Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet is interesting because it comes from the underlying principle of evolution and natural selection. People who adhere to its principles try to eat similar foods as those eaten by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. This means that they stay away from processed foods. This might be one reason this diet is called the Caveman’s diet.

The diet includes:

• 19-35% of macronutrients from proteins
• 35-45% of macronutrients from carbohydrates (from mostly non-starchy fresh fruits and veggies with low glycemic indices)
• Increase in Dietary Fiber
• Increase in Fat (especially monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats with more Omega-3s)
• Lower Sodium
• More Potassium
• More Vitamins and Minerals

This diet is more intense than the other diets already mentioned. It will take a bigger life change to start this diet. Add in some exercise, get enough sleep, and this diet is very Word of Wisdom friendly.  I would suggest doing more research on this one for sure, and maybe find a friend or support partner to help you. It’s always easier doing things with someone else.

This diet was also designed to assuage auto-immune symptoms such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. It could be a great addition to your health repertoire.

Ketogenic Diet

This diet might make you scrunch up your face and say, “What in the world!” I know. I did the same thing. The Ketogenic Diet, or Keto for short, relies on the biological process called ketosis. In layman’s terms, the diet seeks to change the metabolic process of your body so you use fats for energy instead of sugars and carbohydrates.

There’s more to it than that, but that’s it in a nutshell. It does this by drastically reducing carbohydrates and increasing fats. There have been ample studies showing the viability of low-carb diets as a sustainable way of weight loss.

The diet includes:

• Almost no sugar
• Around 50 grams of Carbohydrates (ideally around 20 grams) per day
• High healthy fats (polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, especially MCT’s)
• Lots of Vegetables
• Moderated Proteins

I actually tried this diet. It is definitely a lifestyle change, so keep that in mind if you want to adopt this diet. You will need to do your own research and meal planning (otherwise you will be eating butter like I was). Also, there is generally a period at the beginning called the Keto Flu where your body will feel sick and lethargic. This is normal. It is the period of change between burning sugars to burning fats. It passes.

Keto is an effective way to improve cholesterol and lose weight. Don’t do it alone though. You need someone else there to help you when it gets tough and you start to crave bread.

Diabetic Exchange Diet

This diet is a little bit more applicable across the board. The diet itself was created to help those with diabetes or a condition that deals with the body’s inability to create or regulate insulin. At it’s simplest, this diet deals with portion control in order to regulate blood sugar levels.

It is a rather simple diet consider it uses a list of groups of foods that all have generally the same amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat per serving. So, for example, if you had bread and you were looking for a substitute you look on the list and it gives you another option.

The lists provided for this diet could be useful for all the other diets mentioned. They can help you find alternative solutions to whatever you need to eat, but just don’t want to.

Bonus: Intermittent Fasting

To the average Latter-day Saint, fasting is no new concept. Intermittent fast is different though. In the realm of wellness, it is used as a form of weight loss. The health benefits are excellent.

There are a few different types of intermittent fasting. In my opinion, the healthier of the two is the Leangains Protocol. Intermittent fasting deals with cycles of fasting and cycles of eating. In the Leangains protocol, there is a cycle of 16 hours of fasting, and a cycle of 8 hours of eating. This diet is more of an eating pattern in that it focuses on when you should eat instead of what.

It’s important to note here that this is not anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is unhealthy, and I would advise against it always!

That said, fasting has excellent benefits such as:

• Human Growth Hormone skyrockets
• Insulin sensitivity improves and insulin levels drop
• Cells engage in cellular repair, including autophagy

Think about that next fast Sunday when all you want is a cookie!

No More Fad Diets

I want to note that with these fad diets, and even the Word of Wisdom, there are some trends that we can apply even if we aren’t into any of these fad diets. If you don’t want to go on a diet, just make the following changes to your life:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Eat healthier fats
• Get the right kinds of vitamins and minerals
• Drink more water
• Eat whole grains
• Exercise
• Get regular sleep
• Exercise moderation in all things (including portion control)

The Word of Wisdom is not much more complex than that. If you follow these guidelines, making slow, deliberate, and lasting changes, you will lose weight. The goal is to create a healthy lifestyle. With the Word of Wisdom and simple diets, it happens naturally.

Please share this article and comment below to tell us what you think of these diets.

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