"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord." (Isaiah 65:25)
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." (Isaiah 11:6)
The Millenium will be a time of peace, no crime and no killing. The carnivorous animals will cease to be carnivorous and will become herbivorous. The lion who now kills his prey, will no longer kill and will eat 'straw like the bullock'. This also means there will be no meat for us to eat because humans will not kill animals either. We will return to our original plant based diet for which we were biologically created.
This is my take on the health code we have in the Church called the Word of Wisdom. I fear we have become so proficient at killing in this fallen world that we have saturated this planet with suffering of innocent animals and in the process we have endangered our health with over-consumption of animal products. I think most of the Church membership pays very little heed to the dietary guidelines of the Word of Wisdom and consider themselves obedient to this law just because they abstain from coffee, tea, alcohol and cigarettes. Yes, the onus in the Church is on coffee, tea, alcohol and cigarettes, however, the observance of the total Word of Wisdom indicates the level of one's commitment to living the Gospel fully and taking advantage of all the counsel the Lord has given us.
The health advice in Section 89 is prefaced with a warning 'of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of the conspiring men in the last days'. The last days are the days that we live in. What are these evils and designs that comprise conspiracy which we should be aware of? One well known that has been discovered in recent times has to do with cigarettes which was revealed do not only contain tobacco but many chemicals which make cigarettes so very addictive. Why would anyone want to make them addictive? To generate sales which fill the pockets of the conspiring men. It is plausible that the conspiracy might well and truly run beyond the cigarette manufacturers to pharmaceutical companies which produce drugs to supposedly 'cure' cancer and other ailments that smoking produces.
Lucky for us who have been commanded not to smoke and have taken that commandment to heart, we have not fallen prey to the cigarette conspiracy. But what of the dietary guidelines we have been given in the Word of Wisdom which are not enforced as a commandment to the body of the saints? Here is what the Lord has to say regarding that:
"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward." (D&C 58:26)
My daughter is a vegan. She has received many health benefits from not eating animal products. She is very passionate about it and wants others to know that this lifestyle could bring them happiness. She also loves animals and routinely posts information on social networks about inhumane treatment of farmed animals and the horror of slaughter houses. She seeks to inspire others to seek better health and not to be supporters of cruelty through ignorance. For this she is constantly attacked by her meat eating friends who feel it their duty to defend their eating habits. They accuse her of being narrow minded yet they refuse to think 'outside the box' to entertain the idea that there might be a better way. People are jumping down her throat regarding this issue unceasingly.
The scriptures tell us that we have dominion over all the creatures on this earth (Genesis 1:28). It does not, however, tell us outright that we should not abuse the animals in our stewardship but, honestly, does it need to? Any man who is born with the light of Christ, which means all of us, would know that this would be wrong. The Mosaic law included treatment of animals and decreed that animals were to be spared labour on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10). A proverb observed that 'a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast....' (Prov. 12:10)
In March 1831, it was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that even though we are not commanded to eat only a plant based diet, men are still responsible for their killing of animals. I am afraid we have overlooked this responsibility and taken liberty with the fact that we are not 'commanded' to abstain from eating meat. We have allowed the meat and dairy industries to brainwash us to believe that we would die without the 'essential protein' we derive from animal products.
"For behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.
And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need." (D&C 49:18-19,21)
Many people reading this scripture would focus on the first verse and conveniently disregard the second. They would argue that we humans have a need for animal protein, every day, sometimes each meal of the day. This is total nonsense. The Lord himself proclaimed what this need is:
"Yea, flesh also of the beasts 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.
And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine."
(D&C 89:12, 13)
It is very obvious that animals are to be used as the last resort to sustain human life. For this reason the Lord has also decreed that 'whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God' (D&C 49:18). We know full well that there are religious groups in the world who would not eat the flesh of animals even at the point of death. In other words, when there is a need to save human life and there is no other food to do so, we are commanded to consider human life before the life of an animal. This is in accordance with the plan of salvation and the order of this telestial world we live in.
Most of us do not live in such cold climates that necessitate eating meat on regular basis. None of us in the western world where animals are raised for mass consumption have ever seen or experienced a famine. Our stores are laden with colourful, fresh produce and many nutritious alternatives. There is no lack of food that would necessitate such high consumption of meat. We have gone from the directive of 'eating meat sparingly' to eating it on most days, three times a day.
One of my daughter's missionary friends was outraged by her veganism. He felt it his duty to point out to her that he cooks for one of the restaurants in Salt Lake City where President Monson eats regularly and that his favourite meal is meatloaf. For this reason, the young man declared, we should not even question our consumption of animal products. This is a perfect theory of following like sheep.
The natural resources of this planet are being depleted at dangerous levels because of the high rate at which we raise cattle for human consumption. The gasses emitted into the atmosphere by this cattle cause more damage to the ozone layer than any carbon dioxide produced by humans. If that isn't enough, the cruelty which is inflicted on these animals is staggering. From cows that are artificially and constantly impregnated and milked just as constantly to animals that spend their entire lives in incredibly confined spaces and the atrocious ways they are killed in slaughterhouses makes this a horrific and shameful facet of our civilized society. We are the only species on earth that drink the milk of another species beyond the time of our weaning. We insist that we must have protein from the flesh of animals that eat grass for their protein. Well, we think they eat grass. I once saw an American farmer on a TV programme who was feeding his cattle a mixture of cement and sawdust. So much for high quality protein on our plates, not to mention the abuse of a vegetarian cow that is forced to eat cement. And we pride ourselves on thinking with reason. Do we know what goes on in the food industry? If we don't, we should find out and we should live according to the dictates of our conscience.
Animals are God's creatures too and as such they should be given respect and human kindness that they deserve. Prophet Joseph Smith explained that John the Revelator "probably saw beings in heaven of a 'thousand forms' that were 'strange beasts of which we have no conception', and that all animals 'might be seen in heaven'. He also stated: 'John learned that God glorified Himself by saving all that His hands had made, whether beasts, fowls, fishes or men...." (DHC, vol. 5, p. 343)
"John heard the words of the beasts giving glory to God, and understood them. God who made the beasts could understand every language spoken by them. The beasts were four of the most noble animals that filled the measure of their creation, and had been saved from other worlds, because they were perfect. They were like angels in their sphere. We are not told where they came from, and I do not know, but they were seen and heard by John praising and glorifying God." (DHC, vol. 5. pp 343-44)
(Gerald E. Jones, The Gospel and Animals, Ensign Aug. 1972)
Why am I jumping on this bandwagon? For one, I recognise my need to change and; two, I firmly believe that the state of our bodies affects our spirituality. Our connection to God should matter to us the most. Everything is energy, even food. We absorb the energy from the food we eat. Consuming animal flesh means consuming all the vibrational energy from the animal that was once alive. In Roman times, soldiers were fed stressed out chickens before battle to increase the adrenalin and make them more aggressive. Could it be that our consumption of animal products is responsible for many mental disorders our society suffers from? Matt Monarch, a raw foodist who has subsisted on raw fruits, vegetables and nuts for 15 years, claims his spiritual energy is beyond what he ever dared imagine. Could we improve our spiritual channels if our bodies were purer and cleaner and not so burdened with dead and unhealthy food that affects us mentally, emotionally and physically? President Packer seems to think so:
"Our physical body is the instrument of our spirit. In that marvelous revelation the Word of Wisdom we are told how to keep our bodies free from impurities which might dull, even destroy, those delicate physical senses which have to do with spiritual communication." (Boyd K. Packer, Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, p. 211)
Information about bad effects of animal consumption on health are plentiful for anyone who wishes to research a healthier way of eating. We are all responsible to seek things out for ourselves that will improve the quality of our lives. We do not need to be commanded in this. We will, however, be held accountable for stewardship of our bodies because our bodies are not our own. Paul taught this principle to the Corinthians:
"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
"For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
(1Cor 6:19-20)
And again in Corinthians chapter 3:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." (1 Cor 3:16-17)
Clearly our bodies belong to God and are conduits for the Holy Ghost who administers the truth of all things and delivers personal revelation.
The children of Israel told Moses they would have been better off staying in servitude with their 'flesh pots of Egypt' than risk death being free in the wilderness. Such is the nature of mortal appetite. When the Saviour comes and we find ourselves vegan, will we reflect longingly on our 'flesh pots of Egypt' or will we live in gratitude for a society that will make us free from effects of crime, sin and wickedness? Preparation is everything.
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