THE POWER OF PREPARATION

 

Joseph, the son of Jacob, would have to be the greatest example of the importance of preparation. Joseph started off as somewhat of an insufferable teenager. Not that he was unrighteous but because his advantages in early life were leading him to a possible path of pride. Here’s what I mean by that:

1.       He was favoured and most loved of all of his father’s children. He was the only one who was honoured with a coat of many colours which symbolized not only favouritism but high status in the ancient world  (Genesis 37:3). This alone had the potential of going to his head;

2.       He policed his brothers and reported their evil doings to his father (v 2);

3.       He bragged about his dreams of the prosperous future and leadership that they promised (v 5-10). This earned him the derision of his brothers who named him ‘the dreamer’ (v 19).

The favouritism, the self-righteousness, the revelations, all point to a teenage lack of humility and a slippery slide in the opposite direction. Joseph was 17 when his brothers cut him off from his home and sold him into servitude in Egypt but by the time he was 30 he was Egypt’s ruler (Genesis 37:2; 41:46). When his brothers arrived in Egypt to buy food, we see a different Joseph, a Joseph with a tender heart willing to forgive and yearning to embrace his brothers and re-unite with his family (Genesis 42:24; 43:24-31). This story alone is worth the weeping.

There was something wonderful about Joseph….besides his integrity and righteousness, he had an uncanny ability to make lemonade out of lemons. He possessed a positive attitude and God used this attribute to refine and teach him. Through his optimism Joseph could see and understand that his servitude in Egypt had a higher purpose, that of saving the entire House of Israel (Genesis 45:5-8). There was no pride in this admission, only credit and honour to God.

This was the preparation of Joseph, a prolific figure in the patriarchal line and a prototype of the promised Messiah. His life heralds the exciting and complicated history of the House of Israel that we belong to. Knowing the patriarchs and the people who shaped this history is a privilege we should consider to be of immense worth.

Sometimes God is preparing us for something great when it least seems like it…. “He has the ability to turn everything into something good. This is a godly characteristic. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord” (Hartman Rector Jr., “Live Above the Law To Be Free”, Ensign Jan 1973, p 130). It reminds me of this poem by Benjamin Malachi Franklin:

My life is but a weaving between my God and me,

I cannot choose the colours, He weaveth skillfully.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow; And I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas and reveal the reason why

The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joseph of Egypt by Michael T. Malm)

BE PREPARED

 

Section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants was received by revelation on 3^rd November 1831 and called the Appendix (“History of the Church”, 1:229). Elder John A. Widtsoe explained that this section was named such because it supplements the introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants in Section 1 identifying the book as a voice of warning to the world.

This Section affirms the Second Coming of the Lord who “shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man” (D&C 1:10).

The Appendix reiterates the warning to ready ourselves in three parts: prepare, sanctify, and gather.

PREPARATION: President Harold B. Lee defined preparation as coming to know the Saviour Jesus Christ first and foremost: “…How can one meet a person whose identity is unknown? How can one be prepared to meet a person about whom he has no knowledge? How can one be prepared to meet a being whose personality he cannot comprehend?....to receive the Lord at the beginning of the Millenium reign demands that the people be taught to accept the divinity of the mission of Jesus as the Saviour of the world (see Alma 11:37,40).” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1956)

Recognising the Saviour as He appears in the clouds of heaven will, I believe, be an automatic thing for everyone when He comes. To me it seems that the whole world has heard of Him in some way but mostly I believe it will be a thing of intuition that will cause everyone to recognise Him as every ‘knee shall bend and every tongue confess’ that He is the Christ (D&C 88:104).

There is, however, for us, members of His Church, more to ‘knowing’ Him. Accepting the divinity of His mission as the Saviour of the world depends also on our testimony of its process:  

“We must accept the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith as the instrumentality through which the restoration of the gospel and the organisation of the Church of Jesus Christ was accomplished. Each member of the Church, to be prepared for the millennial reign, must receive a testimony, each for himself, of the divinity of the work established by Joseph Smith.”  (Harold B. Lee, in CR Oct 1956)

If we cannot accept Joseph as the Prophet of this Dispensation, we cannot accept the priesthood ordinances and the organisation of the Church which will be the administrative force of the theocratic government of the Millenium.

This made me reflect on those who have left the Church because they have been sidetracked by false accusations to consider Joseph a fallen prophet. I know a few members who do so. I agonise over them when I read the consequences of their rejection of someone the Saviour himself had chosen to bring the world His truth (see D&C 121-16-22).

I believe each one of us who belongs to the Church will meet Joseph one day and we will see for ourselves the goodness of his heart and we will be grateful.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Bridegroom by LDS Book Store)

THE SHEPHERD

 

The more I study the Church history, the more I can see one truth: the Saviour himself restored His Church. We often say the Church was built on the sacrifices of the pioneers. This statement is not without its foundation but it overlooks the power behind those pioneers and their sacrifices.

When President Joseph F. Smith received his revelation regarding the spirit world in 1918, he was given to understand the greatest truth regarding the Church and its ability to rise. In the revelation, he observed that there were noble and great spirits who were chosen ‘in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God’, and that they were prepared, with many others, to come forth ‘in due time to labour in the Lord’s vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men’ (D&C 138:55,56).

I am amazed how plain it is to see that the Saviour placed these chosen people where they should be for the establishment of the Church. Over and over He sent men prepared to receive the Gospel to Joseph, asking for baptism and a revelation from the Lord to know what He would have them do. This is what the Church was built on. Consider just a few of these men:

·        Orson Pratt, a brother of Parley P. Pratt, was baptized in 1830 in New York and arrived on Joseph’s doorstep six weeks later asking him to inquire of God what his duty was. He was 19 years of age (History of the Church, 1:127-28)

·        Sidney Rigdon heard the message of the restored gospel in 1830 in Ohio and was baptized immediately. Soon after his baptism, he travelled to Fayette, New York, to meet the Prophet and inquired what the Lord wanted him to do.  (History of the Church, 1:128)

·        Edward Partridge first heard the Gospel message in Ohio in 1830, from the missionaries who had been sent to the Lamanites and who stopped there on the way to Missouri. In December of that year he travelled to Fayette, sought out the Prophet and asked to be baptized (History of Joseph Smith, p 191-2)

·        Parley P.  Pratt: I read about his story years ago. It is astounding. In short, he was preaching around the countryside and came upon a man who had been given a Book of Mormon. He thought Parley would be interested in it so he gave it to him. Parley Pratt started reading and could not stop until the next day. He could not eat or sleep until he finished it. He also found the Prophet and asked to be baptized.

And Joseph? It is not by accident that he wanted to know which Church to join at 14 years of age. He was led to read the scripture which brought him to the sacred grove to utter the question he asked. Therefrom, he was guided in all things until his life was asked of him.

The Church was restored and has prospered because of one thing: “I am the good shepherd…..and my sheep hear my voice” (John 10:14,27)

We are in this Church because we are His sheep. We were prepared long before the world began to answer the call. All glory be to the Shepherd who calls us His own….

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Gentle Saviour by Greg Collins)

A ZION WARNING

 

I find it fascinating to read scriptural prophecies of the last days. I am amazed by the accuracy of Nephi’s vision of us in 2 Nephi chapter 28. Nobody can dispute it, not only because we can see its reality very plainly but because he states at the onset of this chapter that he was ‘constrained’ by the Spirit (v1), meaning the vision of us came to him from heaven itself, and who can dispute that?

 

Nephi begins this chapter with the importance of the Book of Mormon to the world in the last days because of the corruption of many churches that will be promoting Satan’s value system of selfishness, self-indulgence and immediate gratification, which is basically the doctrine of the prodigal son: indulge now and repent later  (v8). He then brings to our attention Satan’s technique of leading people into ‘carnal security’ by pacifying, lulling and flattering them (vs21,22) but what is particularly interesting about this is that in the course of 4 verses, he makes it plain he is directing his remarks to ‘Zion’. This is a warning to the Church and not to the world. 

 

The ‘carnal security’ Nephi speaks of leads the members of the Church to a dangerous mentality of  ‘all is well in Zion’ (v21). It makes some of us think that we are good enough as it is; that we have enough time to improve; it’s not so bad if we commit a little sin here and there….after all, we are members of the Church, we meant well and we will in the end be forgiven. This is the mentality of the Ten Virgins in Jesus’ famous parable. 

 

As a symbol of our covenant relationship with Christ, Jesus used the metaphor of marriage between Himself and His Church. Therefore, when He comes, He will come as a bridegroom to wed the righteous of His Church. These, He states are the members who have received the truth, have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide and have not been deceived (D&C 45:56,57).

 

When the time of His appearing is here, there will be no reservoir of good works, spiritually building moments, and a sinless slate we will be able to borrow from. We will no longer be able to exist on the testimony of others. The ‘carnal security’ we had wallowed in and been comfortable in will come to an end and all will be lost. Do not be deceived and think you are safe in Satan’s territory. He upholds no one in the end because he will not be able to uphold even himself. His path is futile and has no reward. When the Saviour comes, you will behold Him in His glory and you will want to be with Him. You will want to be with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 

 

ODE TO THE TEN VIRGINS

I would gladly give you some oil

Your empty lamp to fill,

If you could glean the sweat

From my furrowed brow

As I worked on the oil press

So diligently until now.

- Cathryne Allen

(Art: Ten Virgins by Liz Lemon Swindle)

ABSENCE OF FEAR

"Legend has it that one day a man was walking in the desert when he met Fear and Plague. They said they were on their way to a city to kill 10,000 people. The man asked Plague if he was going to do all the work. Plague smiled and said, 'No, I'll take care of only a few hundred. I'll let my friend Fear do the rest'."   -  Author unknown


During some of the toughest persecutions experienced by the saints in the meridian of times Apostle Paul wrote tirelessly to the Church exhorting the members to faithfulness and endurance. During his second imprisonment in Rome and just prior to his martyrdom, Paul wrote his second epistle to Timothy which stands as 'one of the great monuments to faith and hope in the face of loneliness and adversity' (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p 375). One of the most profound things he said in this letter had reference to fear: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). This statement should become the creed by which we, the saints of this dispensation, live by because we live in a world filled with turmoil, uncertainty, calamities and strife. We who are living during the winding up scenes of this earth's 6,000 years of time are living during the best and the worst of times. Before the Saviour comes again to personally reign for a thousand years we will experience some of the most intense trials of all dispensations that will drive fear into the hearts of all who will stand as witnesses of such times. Discoursing on the signs that will precede the Second Coming, the Saviour described the condition of our day: "And they shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars....for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places" (JSM 1:28,29).

This scripture is a very accurate description of our world today for "nations and kingdoms and peoples are at war all over the globe. The D&C 45 version of this discourse says that men "will take up the sword (or its modern equivalent) one against another" (vs 23). We see this as people fight among their own without regard to any living person; and this, according to Christ, is due to the hardening of their hearts. There will be commotions and desolations as we just read that will come in the form of famines, pestilences, disasters and earthquakes. Such events have increased dramatically in just our lifetime. The D&C version also indicates that these wars and catastrophes will increase until "the whole earth shall be in commotion" which will cause "men's hearts to fail them" (vs 26). We already see the beginning of a general feeling of hopelessness, despondency, depression and despair among many in the world today. This, for instance, is one of the primary purposes of terrorists - to strike a feeling of fear and hopelessness in others - and this will only increase" (Larry D. Keeler, If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear (Now Is the Time to Prepare), p.3). Like the civilizations of old we allow and even foster 'secret combinations' within our societies which drive fear into the inhabitants of the whole earth. These are our modern day 'Gadianton Robbers' who seek power by inducing fear for the purpose of controlling countries and nations in upholding Satan's plan of destruction of the plan of salvation.

Perilous times equal fear. For this reason the Saviour chose to make the signs of the times known to us who follow His teachings. He said He did so for the 'elect's sake' (JSM 1:29), 'elect' meaning those who have taken upon themselves His name through the covenant of baptism. In His infinite mercy, the Saviour wanted us to have hope of the promises He has made so that we would not be troubled and fearful of the present: "Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled" (D&C 45:35). In other words, instead of fearing the calamities, rejoice that the end is fast approaching and the promises of something better are about to be fulfilled. Here are a few priceless promises made to the faithful who watch for the signs of His coming:

1. We can have peace in the midst of turmoil of the world and live without fear.
2. We can be assured that in the coming destruction of the world, we will be caught up to escape the baptism of fire for it is written 'that in the last days, two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left' (Matt 24:40-41).
3. We can be assured a place in His Kingdom after this life, which He promised when He said to His disciples: "In my Father's house are many mansions: I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2)

An absence of fear equals a brighteness of hope. Hope and fear cannot co-exist for one will always dispel the other. If we choose not to fear, should we not hope for something better? Considering the bleakness of today's world, can we not rejoice when contemplating the promise of eternal life in Christ's Kingdom of which John the Beloved said: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice of of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev 21:1-4). Can we not in the absence of fear, have an abundance of hope in the Prince of Peace who can indeed dry all tears from our eyes and give us splendour and glory after the valley of shadow and death?

The greatest promise of all that we have been given is to receive the Second Comforter while still in mortality. The Prophet Joseph Smith has said that this is a reality for every faithful and worthy Latter-Day Saint who continues to humble himself before God; who hungers and thirsts after righteousness; and who lives by every word of God. Once a person has proven through his faithfulness that he will serve God at all cost, the Saviour Himself will come to Him and even manifest the Father to him, "and the Lord will teach him face to face" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 150-151, 298). Can we not be lifted up above fear when we hear the Saviour's divine promise such as this: "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you....I will love [you], and will manifest myself to [you]....and my Father will love [you] and we will come unto [you] and make our abode with [you] (John 14:18, 21, 23). This promise is, firstly, that the Son and the Father will visit us in person; and secondly, that we can receive from Him an assurance while still in mortality that we will be exalted. This divine promise is given even though we are not yet perfect. This promise means that the Lord knows the innermost desires of our hearts and will assure us divine tutoring beyond the grave that will qualify us for exaltation. Joseph Smith himself received this promise: "For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your father" (D&C 132:49)

What could we possibly fear if we had an assurance of exaltation and if we knew the Saviour was bringing with Him at His appearing the fulfillment of all His wondrous promises? No earthquake, no flood, no act of terrorism could possibly consume us with fear. We are children of the promise, the elect of the covenant, who have everything to hope for. We are here but for a moment; a moment of learning, a moment of faith, a moment of preparation. As we witness the fulfillment of the signs of the times may we be propelled to urgent preparation to meet our Maker and may we be like John the Beloved,to whom the Saviour gave a glorious vision of the Second Coming and following which He said: "Surely, I come quickly", meaning quickly after all has been fulfilled and to which John simply replied: 

"Even so, come, Lord Jesus"

(Rev 22:20)

A special thanks to my good friend Larry D. Keeler from whom I learnt most of what I posted here and his insightful talk entitled "If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear" on which this post was based.

WISDOM OR FOLLY

When Adam and Eve came to be in the Garden of Eden they were commanded to eat the fruit of every tree of the garden freely except of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  They lived in the garden as one with the animals because there was no enmity between them.  Adam and Eve's ideal diet consisted of 'the fruit of the vine', meaning whatever came from the ground. There was no killing in the Garden of Eden, therefore, Adam and Eve ate no animal flesh. When Jesus comes again the enmity between man and animals that came into the world with the fall will be taken away and we will once again live in a paradisiacal state, this time for a thousand years.  In Isaiah chapter 65 we read:

"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.