There is a lot of confusion right now about which foods are healthy to eat. There is evidence proving some lifestyles are healthy and then evidence that completely contradicts that. With all the confusion out there, it is hard to know which lifestyle you should choose. Even all the health experts are saying opposing things. Have you ever wondered what diet God would recommend? He is the only one who knows all things and can provide sound wisdom on the subject.
God has left us vital information on which foods we should eat. If you seek the information, you will find it. The Bible, the Book of Mormon, and many other resources can help provide information about this topic. If you are doubtful of whether the information in the scriptures is correct, you can ask God to reassure you.
After studying in the scriptures, I have come to realize that God doesn’t want us to eat meat or use animals unless we have to for survival. One of the reasons that I changed to a plant-based lifestyle is because of some spiritual impressions that I received from God after reading many different scriptures. I will share those scriptures with you below.
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka “Mormons”), I follow some dietary restrictions that help prevent addictions and lifestyle problems. I have been avoiding coffee, tea, drugs, and alcohol. There are, however, many more substances out there that can be addicting. It would be wise to learn more about other foods or substances by yourself to make your own dietary choices. I’ve always thought that it is crucial to know what you are putting into your body.
I believe, based on some examples in the Bible and Book of Mormon, that we should avoid eating meat. Below I’ll post some scriptures, quotes from Presidents of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some links to videos, and promises that God gives us if we follow his advice. I did not realize how clear the message was until I focused more energy on it. I hope these scriptures can help you as well.
It is our choice whether we should follow that counsel. The Word of Wisdom tells us to avoid meat, but it is not considered a rule to be worthy to enter the temple of the church of Jesus Christ. The Word of Wisdom is just advice from God to us.
SCRIPTURES
Let’s look at the bible first. In Daniel 1:8-16, we find the account of Daniel and the King. In the story, Daniel asks the king to do a test for ten days to prove whether they are better off eating a plant-based diet or a mostly meat diet. At the end of 10 days, Daniel and his friends who ate the plant-based diet had a healthier appearance than the boys who ate the portion of the king’s meat.
(In the verses below “pulse” is generally accepted to mean fruits, vegetables, and lentils.)
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
In Genesis 1: 29-30 God says that “I have given every green herb for meat.” Meaning we should be eating plants for our fuel.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
These verses in Genesis and the JST version of Genesis talk about when it is okay to use animals.
JST, Genesis 9:10–15. Compare Genesis 9:4–9
10 But, the blood of all flesh which I have given you for meat, shall be shed upon the ground, which taketh life thereof, and the blood ye shall not eat.
11 And surely, blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands.
In the following verses, God gives us great diet advice. He tells us what we should and should not eat. He says that we should eat wholesome herbs and fruit in their seasons. He also says all grain is for the use of man and is the “staff of life.”
God also says to restrict the amount of meat we eat. And that it is pleasing to him that we don’t eat meat. Only in times of winter, famine, or excess of hunger. God specifically asks us not to use animals. He also had to state it again in verse fifteen so that we would clearly understand.
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.
The following Doctrine and Covenants verse is very hard for people to understand because of the double negative. Here is the double negative written a bit differently:
And those that forbid you to not eat meat are not ordained of God.
18 And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;
QUOTES
The next section is quotes from members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These quotes were documented by Cassidy Gunderson. She has found lots of great quotes from apostles and prophets. Like she states on her blog what members of the church eat is their decision. We are suppose to get our own revelation and make our own decisions. It is nice however, to hear the advice of those who have been leaders of the church.
Joseph Smith, who was known for not killing animals and not eating meat, said:
”How will the serpent ever lose his venom, while the servants of God possess the same disposition, and continue to make war upon it? Men must become harmless, before the brute creation; and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety.”
Documentary History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 71–72
Hyrum Smith, Patriarch of the Church gave the first in depth sermon on the Word of Wisdom in General Conference in 1842 and said,
“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.”
He later said,
“[God] has appointed the word of wisdom as one of the engines to… remove the beastly appetites, the murderous disposition and the vitiated taste of man… to promote peace between him and the brute creation.”
“The Word of Wisdom,” Times and Seasons 3, no. 15 (June 1, 1842): 801.
“Word of Wisdom”, Times and Seasons: Truth will prevail. Vol. 3, No. 15, City of Nauvoo, ILL. 1 June 1842, p. 800
In 1857, Heber C. Kimball said in General Conference,
“It is not pleasing in [God’s] sight for man to shed blood of beasts… except in times of excess of hunger and famine. Go and read it for yourselves… It is not the Spirit of God that leads a man or woman to shed blood—to desire to kill and slay.”
Shedding Blood – God’s Provision for His Saints, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 50, 15 Nov. 1857
In 1868 George Q. Cannon also said over the pulpit,
“With life we need health, the power to carry out designs of our beings upon the earth. We are told that flesh is not suitable to man in the summer time, and ought to eaten sparingly in the winter… other articles of food could be raised more cheaply and in greater variety than the flesh of animals. 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”.
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 12, 7 April, 1868, p. 221-226
Wilford Woodruff so dramatically declared,
“The Word of Wisdom is a commandment and all members should observe it, but for the present, no definite action should be taken except that the members should be taught to refrain from eating meat.
Diary of Heber J. Grant, Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS Church Archives, 5 May 1898
Lorenzo Snow said that we should,
“draw special attention to that part which relates to the use of meat, which he considered just as strong as that which related to the used of liquors and hot drinks. He was convinced that the killing of animals when unnecessary was wrong and sinful, and that it was not right to neglect part of the Word of Wisdom and be too strenuous in regard to other parts.“
Journal History, 5 May 1898, p. 2-3
At age 80 President Heber J. Grant was asked how he was so active for his age, which he replied,
“I think that another reason I have very splendid strength for an old man is that during the years… I have not, with the exception of not more than a dozen times, ordered meat of any kind. I have endeavored to live the Word of Wisdom and that, in my opinion, is one reason for my good health.”
Conference Report, April 1937, p. 15
Elder Joseph F. Merrill of the Quorum of the Twelve said in his talk titled “Eat Flesh Sparingly,” in general conference:
“All over the Church the belief is general that the Word of Wisdom is practically observed if the individual abstains from the use of tea, coffee, liquor, and tobacco. But a careful reading of the revelation shows this belief to be erroneous. There is much more to the document than abstention from the use of narcotics. . . . According to what are regarded as the best investigations, the right proportion of protein is generally about 10 percent of the total number of heat units consumed. . . . The foods to be used most sparingly are those which contain a great excess of protein, such as meat, eggs, and cheese. On this account, there are many authorities who think that it would be safer to discard the use of meat altogether than to continue to use it so freely as many Americans are doing.”
“Eat Flesh Sparingly,” in Conference Report, April 1948, 75)
President David O. Mckay said in October 1951 General Conference:
“Too many members move along the lines of least resistance 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.”
Improvement Era, 1953, p. 376
Spencer Condie, author of the biography of the President Russel M. Nelson, said in earlier in 2018,
“I’ve had lunch with him at least 100 times… One day I asked him, ‘do you ever eat roast beef?’ and he said, ‘After my many years of performing open heart surgery, I know where that stuff ends up’.
Spencer Condie, April 2018 KSL News radio Interview
VIDEOS
The following videos all talk about following the word of wisdom and eating foods that are healthy for our bodies. The first two videos give a lot of great examples and information.
PROMISES
In the following scripture verses, God offers us the guarantee of health, wisdom, strength, and protection. If we do what God asks, he awards us with these promises. In a world of sickness and disease, these promises mean everything. God tells us exactly how we can receive these blessings. All we have to do is follow his advice. (There is a lot of research out there and proof that if you follow this advice that you will live a healthy life.) Again, if you are unsure about following this lifestyle, ask God to confirm whether it is the right decision for you.
Doctrine and Covenants 89: 18-21
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.
I hope the information and promises are enough to help you see what God will do for you if you do what he asks. He wants to bless us, and that comes with obedience to his counsels. Hopefully, this information will encourage you to COME TO THE PLANTSIDE.
Let me know if you have any more insights or scriptures that you would add to the list.
Thanks,
Chantel
