THE FORGOTTEN WORD OF WISDOM

"A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels" Proverbs 1:5 and also: "...seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith" D&C 88:118

So in order to follow this counsel, I've been thinking for a while now, that I wanted to share my personal thoughts on the word of wisdom with all my friends that believe in it, that believe it was God given. I repeat, they are my personal views from all I have been able to study! So let's move on...

"The Word of Wisdom", for those of you that have never heard of it, was a revelation given by God to the LDS prophet Joseph Smith, the person known to have been the instrument in the hands of the Lord to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this latter dispensation, or in other words, in recent times, after it was lost. This revelation was given on February 27, 1833 in Kirtland, Ohio, and I'm going to share a few parts from it (for the complete revelation go HERE).


This revelation has two different parts:

1. Don'ts: This is the shortest part, and basically states that alcohol, tobacco, coffee and green, black or white tea (camellia sinensis plant) are not to be taken by man, and it specifies that alcohol is only good for "washing of your bodies", tobacco is only good for "bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and SKILL". We have to understand that when this revelation was given, nobody knew that tobacco, alcohol, or coffee, could cause any harm at all, no scientist, no doctor, nobody! However, He knew...

2. Do's: This is the most extended part, but also the most misinterpreted, misunderstood, and misfollowed by the Saints (and by the rest of the world). It tells us what things are going to keep us healthy, sicknessless (if that is a word), and with improved energy and vitality to develop all our talents, all our abilities, and become the best we can, both physically and spiritually. I specifically mentioned "healthy" and "without sickness" as two different things. People think, that if they don't have any symptoms, if they are not showing any visible sickness, that they are healthy. Nothing furthest from the truth: we develop the most important sicknesses over the years, without showing any symptoms, and we might believe we are healthy, when we are not! This are the do's:

- "And again" (which means that it's not new, and that this has been mentioned somewhere else, specifically in many parts of the Bible), "verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the CONSTITUTION, NATURE, and USE of man- Every herb IN THE SEASON THEREOF, and every fruit IN THE SEASON THEREOF; all these to be use with PRUDENCE and THANKSGIVING". Ok, let's stop here for a second. Let's analyze a few things. First of all, this paragraph applies to all wholesome herbs, which includes vegetables and fruits. The Lord said that they are ordained for the CONSTITUTION, NATURE, and USE of man (we are gonna compare this with what He says about meats and grains). Basically, it states that these are the main things we need to live of, and why would He mention "IN THE SEASON THEREOF" if He didn't want us to think that we must have every product in the peak of nutritional value? So what happens with all these veggies and fruits we find at the store, not in their season, and modified in so many ways that they lack most of the nutrients? NOT GOOD FOR YOU! We need to buy or plant ourselves, and eat organic, fresh, in their season products and nothing else!

- "Yea, flesh also of beasts and of fowls of the air" (so basically all kinds of meat and poultry), "I, the Lord, have ordained for the USE of man with thanksgiving". Let's stop here. Meats and poultry are ok to be USED by man, it is not a sin to partake of them. So far so good. Remember it says for the "USE" though, and not for the "CONSTITUTION" or "NATURE" or man, as it said with fruits and veggies. Now, let's keep going. The Lord proceeds to mention, WHEN these meats and poultry are to be eaten: "nevertheless they are to be USED SPARINGLY". So what does "SPARINGLY" mean? Is it every once in a while? Once a week? Once a month? I'm not sure. Let's see if the Lord explains what it means: "it is pleasing unto me that THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED, ONLY IN TIMES OF WINTER, OR OF COLD", so basically when veggies and fruits in their season are hard to find, "OR FAMINE", so when the crops or veggies or fruits have been attacked by insects and are not available, or when rain wasn't enough to make things grow. So we can eat meat, yes, but only when nothing else is available! Later on the Lord says again: "and these" (the flesh of animals), "hath God made for the USE of man only in times of FAMINE and EXCESS OF HUNGER". So again, if the situation is such that we are excessively hungry because there is nothing else to eat, then the Lord has provided flesh for the use of man.

- "And all grain is ORDAINED for the USE of man...TO BE THE STAFF OF LIFE...all grain is good for the FOOD of man". It seems to me, that the words CONSTITUTION, NATURE, and STAFF OF LIFE, are present in the revelation to denote the main things we need to eat to build our bodies in a healthy and strong way, and protect them from sickness. Also, even though refinement of foods wasn't implemented in the times the revelation was given, it specifically says that the foods are to be eaten in the peak of nutritional value, so why would the Lord want us to take out all the nutrients from grains and produce white flour, bleach stuff with chemicals to make it "look pretty", modify genetically anything the Lord has created (as if the Lord didn't know enough genetics), and also cook and burn the foods in such a way that the best nutrients (enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.) are destroyed almost completely? It just doesn't make sense! However, I'm not saying we need to eat everything raw, but I believe at least 50 to 75 % of our diet should be raw. I should also say that the Lord mentions that wheat is the most important of all grains for man: "Nevertheless, wheat for man...". For those of you who are gluten allergic, you will find out that in most cases, once you start on a pure healthy diet, those allergies go away, specially when eating organic whole wheat. Also try to sprout the wheat and see if you are still allergic to it...Remember: organic, whole wheat is what we are asked to eat, not the cheapo sandwich white bread you can find at any store loaded with chemicals on it, and modified genetically (no wonder why so many people is allergic to wheat...).

-Finally, the Lord specifies that other plants are to be the food of man: "as also the fruit of the vine, that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground, or above the ground"; so things like roots (potatoes, carrots, macca, ginseng, etc.), medicinal herbs, nuts, mushrooms, etc. have been made by the Lord for us to partake of and enjoy their properties.

-Wonderful PROMISES have been given to people who follow these layouts, and the other commandments of the gospel. Specifically says: they "shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones". This means to enjoy pure health, not only "symptom-free health" as many think health consists of, but to bring your body to its best possible condition, and in that way be able to enjoy also other spiritual blessings such as the ones He continues to mention: "and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures", and again some other physical (and I would say these can be though of as also spiritual) blessings: "and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint". And the final promise of: "and I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel" (and this is not me, ;)), "shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen". All these blessings come proportionally to the effort we put into following the laws given:
"20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated".
DyC 130:20-21

So why then you think people are living 70 to 80 years (if they are very lucky), when the Lord said: "...yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3), talking about man after the flood? Well, because they are NOT following his advice: "‎I regret that we as a people do not live the Word of Wisdom more fully" Gordon B. Hinckley said a few years ago, and also: "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." (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 187). Short life through their diet! And that was back in the day when no fast food restaurants existed, or genetically modified foods, or refined or processed foods! What would he have to say now? President Hyrum Smith also said: "Everything has become DEGENERATED from what it was in it PRIMITIVE state; God made man PURE, but he has found out many INVENTIONS: His tastes have become innumerable, and his DISEASES multiplied: His TASTE has become VITIATED, and his judgement impared: he has fallen..."

However, for those of you who are decided to step up and change the way of the world, there are magnificent promises to come, Hyrum continued: "God has appointed the Word of Wisdom as one fo the engines to bring about this thing (Pristine excellency and primitive vigor, and health), to remove the BEASTLY APPETITES, the MURDEROUS DISPOSITION and the VITIATED taste of man; to restore his body to HEALTH and VIGOR, promote PEACE between him and the BRUTE CREATION, and as one of the little wheels in God's design, to help to regulate the great machinery, which shall eventually revolutionize the earth, and bring about the restoration of all things. 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. Let these things be adhered to; 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". (Times and Seasons 3:799-801) This quote was given by Hyrum Smith, Patriarch of the Church, in 1842.

It is amazing the many times I've heard: "I have to die of something, do I not?", meaning that we will all die, therefore, there is no point on trying to keep ourselves as healthy as possible. Well, for them, in 1855, Brigham Young chastised the saints by saying: "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...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...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...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." (Journal of Discourses 2:269-71)

And in 1892, Apostle and First Counselor of the Church George Q. Cannon stated: "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". (Juvenile Instructor 27, May 15, 1892, pp. 690-91) He even went on to mention that foods we take, need to be easy to digest, which is the whole idea of my blog, to promote easy to digest healthy foods. He said: "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. It is an exceedingly difficult thing for most people to break off and discontinue cherished and long standing habits." But Elder Cannon also emphasized the benefits, "We can have 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..." (Journal of Discourses 12:221-4)

This next quote is amazingly strong and direct, and it also comes from a president of the Church, president Lorenzo Snow who was reported to have paid "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". Elder 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." (Journal History, 5 May 1893, pp. 2-3) and also, about a hundred years ago, in a meeting of the church leadership, then Apostle Lorenzo 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". (Journal History, 11 March 1897 p. 2)

Also, other general authorities have spoken out against sport hunting. Joseph F. Smith said in 1913: "I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds unless he 'needs' them for food...I think it is wicked for men to thirst in their souls to kill almost everything which possess life. It is wrong, and I have been surprised at prominent men who I have seen whose very souls seemed to be athirst for the shedding of animal blood. They go off hunting deer, antelope, elk, anything they can find, and what for? 'Just for the fun of it!' I am a firm believer... in the simple words of one of the poets: 'Take not away the life you cannot give, for all things have an equal right to live'". (Juvenile Instructor 48:309)

Talking about the importance of preserving nature, which could also be applied to the use of contaminants of all kinds, for electricity production, for using at home chemicals, etc. President Joseph F. Smith said: "We are a part of life and should study carefully our relationship to it. We should be in sympathy with it, and not allow our prejudices to create a desire for its destruction. The unnecessary destruction of life begets a spirit of destruction which grows within the soul. It lives by what it feeds upon and robs man of the love that he should have for the works of God. It hardens the heart of man...The unnecessary destruction of life is a distinct spiritual loss to the human family. Men cannot worship the Creator and look with careless indifference upon his creation. The love of all life helps man to the enjoyment of a better life...Love of nature is akin to the love of God, the two are inseparable." (Juvenile Instructor, April 1918, p. 182-3)

Combining the revelation and scientist perspective, apostle John A. Widtsoe stated that the plant kingdom contains all the nutrients man needs for perfect health: "It was shown in the history of plant science that plants contain all the necessary food substances: PROTEINS, fats, starches and the carbohydrates, minerals...water [and] 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. If one uses meat it must be used sparingly and in winter or famine only.... 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 Word of Wisdom, a Modern Interpretation, 1950)

In reference to those who criticized the ones genuinely interested in nutrition, Elder Widtsoe said: "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 Word of Wisdom, a Modern Interpretation, 1950). Some just cover their ears in reference to this precious law, for which the President David O. McKay said, however: "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...Neither the Church nor the world at large can hear too much about the Word of Wisdom." (Improvement Era, 1953, p. 376)

Again, on relation to how processed our food is, how modified, how unnatural, how it is cooked, president Ezra Taft Benson, who became not only president of the Church but had also served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower administration said, "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". (Ensign 4:66, 1974), he also 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...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". (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson pp. 476-7), and in reference to the relationship of health and spirituality, he mentioned: "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...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." (Ensign, September 1988, p. 5)

The WORD OF WISDOM starts by saying: "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 you this word of wisdom...". What are these "conspiring men" that the Lord talks about? What companies maximized their profits without any care at all of the health of the people? What companies put certain artificial additives in their foods (most of them carcinogens) that make you want to go back to buy their products over and over again? What companies use their products to promote health when in reality they are producing death? Are you aware of these "conspiring men", or you have no idea where or who they are? Is there any kind of conspiracy in the health industry (called industry because it is really a business), food and agricultural industry, power industry, etc.?

I would like to finish with a prophecy by Elder George Q. Cannon, who warned: "Pestilence of various kinds which we are led to expect through the word of the Lord are yet to break forth...will have their effect in calling the Saints' attention to those laws of life and health." (Juvenile Instructor 27, May 15, 1892, pp. 690-1)

These pestilences are all around us now, diabetes, cancer, heart problems, autoimmune diseases, etc. and eventually will have to "have their effect in calling the Saints' attention to those laws of life and health". We are prompted by the Lord to seek for excellence in all aspects of life. Why not seek excellence with our health also? After all, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16), or should dwell...



PS: LET'S NOT EVER FORGET TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE FOOD THAT WE HAVE EVERYDAY!
GEKH4HAJGDTT