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Author's note:
I make no claim to represent the official position of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any truths contained herein
have been expressed previously by others. Any errors are my property
and my responsibility.
Most of the quotes by LDS leaders appear in longer citations recorded
in Dr. Kenneth Johnson's wonderful book, Mormon Wisdom and Health
formerly titled The Word of Wisdom Food Plan.
This talk was originally presented at the Northern Utah Health
and Nutrition Conference on November 8, 1997 in Ogden, Utah.
A Path Begins
On an autumn day in 1992, I was stretched out on a sofa in front
of the TV set feeling ill. I routinely suffered four or five cold
or flu episodes each year and this was one of those times. Television
can be an intellectual desert, but on that day a Dr. Marc Sorenson
was being interviewed about his book MegaHealth. He was suggesting
that a total vegetarian diet could not only reverse obesity and
provide immunity against many infections but also drastically reduce
the incidence of several degenerative diseases including diabetes,
allergies, arthritis, heart disease and even cancer. He was so bold
as to suggest that, in many cases, a plant-based diet could actually
cure these modern plagues.
I probably would have dismissed his arguments except that what
he was saying seemed, at the time, to be vaguely consistent with
a health code that is part of my religious experience. That code
is known as the Word of Wisdom among members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints who are also called Mormons. The Church
is commonly referred to as the LDS Church.
LDS Doctrines Relating to Human Health
A core belief for Latter-day Saints is that God speaks to individuals
in the present day so they can be beneficiaries of divine revelation
to guide their lives. The person who has been called to lead the
Church as its president is regarded as a modern prophet who passes
general revelations along to the Church at large. As such, modern
prophets fulfill the same function as the prophets of Biblical times
in that they communicate the will of God to humankind regarding
its current circumstances.
Mormons believe that in 1833 God gave by divine revelation to
the first of these modern prophets, Joseph Smith, Jr. a health code
that came to be known as the Word of Wisdom. Some might question
why a health code, something that seems more earthly than spiritual,
should be part of a religious observance in the first place. Mormon
theology is consistent with a health code for several reasons.
First, the Mormon cosmology, or the Mormon view of the nature
of the universe, does not divide the physical from the spiritual
as separate or conflicting elements. In fact, in an 1830 LDS revelation,
the Lord is quoted as saying, "...all things unto me are spiritual,
and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal..."
(Doctrine and Covenants 29:34)
In such a context, the physical becomes a sub-set, or a small
part of, the larger realm which is spiritual so that all of God's
laws take on a spiritual significance even if they are concerned
with seemingly temporal things like food or physical health. LDS
doctrine is quite specific about the importance of overcoming earthly
appetites especially those that lead to over-consumption, compulsion
and which can be detrimental to health thereby causing physical
and consequently spiritual damage.
Lifespan-Can I Lengthen "My Turn on Earth?"
Another aspect of LDS theology which supports a health code is
that the time allotted on earth for this mortal life is absolutely
critical to individual spiritual progression and must be used wisely.
A verse recorded in the Book of Mormon, which is a companion volume
to the Bible recorded in ancient America, says "...wo unto him...that
wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!" (2 Nephi
9:27)
It is believed that the first fully human inhabitants of earth,
Adam and Eve, could have lived indefinitely inside the Garden of
Eden had they not transgressed a commandment that had to do with
what they chose to eat. Even after having been driven from the garden,
however, Adam and Eve and their descendants down to Noah seemed
to enjoy a maximum life span of almost 1,000 years. The eldest was
Methuselah who is reported to have died at 969 years of age. Just
before the Great Flood, however, God announced to Noah that after
the flood the life span of man would be further reduced "...yet
his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." (Genesis 6:3)
Only in a few remote places on earth today do people attain the
age of 120 with any regularity. In our so-called sophisticated,
medically advanced society, average life span is little more than
75 years. Interestingly, a Biblical psalmist recorded 2,400 years
ago, and some 1,500 years after the flood, that life spans were
then down to "threescore years and ten," which is 70 (a score being
20) "...and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years" or
80 "yet is their strength labour and sorrow, for it is soon cut
off, and we fly away." (Psalms 90:10)
Isn't it fascinating that a psalmist lamented that his people
were only living from 70 to 80 years, a life span typical of our
modern era. Maybe that's what Brigham Young, the second prophet
of the LDS Church who led the pioneer saints across the plains,
had in mind when he said, "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)
Is a life span of 120 years realistically attainable in these
days? Credible, current, scientific research shows that not only
is it possible but, if we are willing to pay the price by strictly
monitoring what we put into our mouths and other lifestyle choices,
we can actually enjoy our extended years in vibrant health while
engaging in a full range of activities we now associate with youth
or with middle age.
The quest for a longer, healthier life is fully consistent with
the LDS view of mortality being a probationary period that is not
to be wasted but used joyfully and in service to others and in preparation
to meet God. Other LDS doctrines embody the principles of stewardship
and accountability being given and expected of the children of God
concerning their bodies as well as with their other possessions
and gifts.
Is This a Question of "Right and Wrong" or Degrees?
An interesting aspect of LDS theology is that many things are
considered to be on a continuum rather than in a cut and dried,
black or white, right or wrong dichotomy. For example, in the LDS
view of eternity there is no one Heaven or one Hades into which
all of humanity is sent to either enjoy endless bliss or suffer
eternal torment. Rather, the two spheres of paradise and hell are
temporary abodes which immediately follow death where most spirits
continue to prepare for an eternity in which there is a wide-range
of dwelling places each with a greater or lesser degree of light,
knowledge and reward.
With that in mind, it is easier to understand why the LDS Church
is not especially heavy-handed in its enforcement of principles
like the Word of Wisdom health code. While it is true that tobacco
or alcohol users cannot hold most Church offices or attend special
non-Sabbath day services in LDS temples, the dietary aspects of
the Word of Wisdom are left up to individuals to discover for themselves
when they become ready.
This tolerant atmosphere allows for a greater exercise of individual
agency--another vital LDS principle. Someone who is out of conformance
on an issue like the Word of Wisdom, therefore, is not so much considered
a candidate for eternal torment but an unfortunate soul who is missing
out on the blessings and rewards, both earthly and eternal, that
come from adherence. Possibly, this is why Church leaders are only
gradually making adherence to the Word of Wisdom an expected component
of LDS behavior.
Has Emphasis on the Word of Wisdom Ever Changed?
Obviously, in 1833 there wasn't much scientific evidence to reinforce
the wisdom of abstinence from coffee and black tea (referred to
as hot drinks in the revelation) and tobacco and alcohol. In fact,
the popular notion was that those products offered more benefit
than they did harm. Many Church members were overwhelmed by the
major sacrifices they were being called on to make. One can imagine
how these seemingly meaningless restrictions, but ones that required
dropping lifelong habits, met with resistance. Soon after it was
revealed, Joseph Smith felt the need to soften the impact of the
Word of Wisdom by adding an introduction. The first three verses
added after-the-fact and recorded in Section 89 of the book of Doctrine
and Covenants then invited Word of Wisdom observance, "not by commandment
or constraint" but by "greeting." (D&C 89:2)
Gradually, as more emphasis was given to this revelation, a minimum
standard of abstinence from the four listed stimulants and depressants
was adopted, and the Word of Wisdom was eventually accepted as binding
on the Church membership through a vote of common consent. However,
adherence has rarely been enforced by any strict disciplinary measures.
Are Mormons Ready to Step Up?
In my opinion (and I repeat that this is not in any way an official
policy of the Church), it seems that Latter-day Saints may now be
poised to embark on an even higher level of compliance to the principles
of the Word of Wisdom. During a semi-annual world conference, the
current president and prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, admonished, "We
must observe the Word of Wisdom. As we read our newspapers, as we
watch the television news, these remarkable words first spoken in
1833 come to life before our very eyes...People are becoming more
health conscious. We have a running start on the world, a code so
simple and easily understood." (Ensign, November 1997, pg. 69)
President Hinckley went on to show that even the current level
of compliance to the Word of Wisdom affords an additional 10 years
of life to Mormons who don't smoke or drink alcohol. I note, however,
that this still falls far short of the 120 years possible for humans.
One very disturbing trend is that Latter-day Saints are succumbing
to degenerative illnesses like heart disease and cancer in ever
increasing numbers (see the graphic in Church News, October 25,
1995, p. 12). I'll grant that other environmental factors also play
a part, but Mormons could do much better with the variables that
are within their control. President Hinckley had stated previously,
"I regret that we as a people do not live [the Word of Wisdom] more
fully." (Ensign, May 1990, p. 51)
Mormons believe in seeking individual inspiration to confirm that
which is spoken from the pulpit. Therefore, it behooves each Latter-day
Saint to prayerfully ask him or herself, "Is President Hinckley
suggesting that I pay more attention to verses 10 through 15 of
the Word of Wisdom?" Those passages in Doctrine and Covenants Section
89 read:
"...all wholesome herbs," or plants as the footnote explains,
"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 used with prudence and thanksgiving.
"Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I , the
Lord, have ordained for the use" and please note--NOT for the constitution,
nature and use as was said of the plants but merely 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.
"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 all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
"And these" in repetition of the admonition to limit the eating
of animal flesh "God made for the use of man only in times of famine
and excess of hunger."
Historic Baggage and the Current Social Climate
Despite the fact that the Word of Wisdom was recorded in 1833,
the economic evolution of the American West brought many early Latter-day
Saints, like their neighbors, into the livestock and dairy trades.
This continues to this day, and I count several of those good, hard-working,
honest people as friends. However, as more Americans move away from
meat and dairy products in favor of healthier options, it will certainly
bring more financial hardship on these good people whose careers
are wholly dedicated to and whose fortunes are sometimes completely
invested into land and equipment to raise livestock. I, for one,
wish them the very best as they strive to find better uses for their
lands and their energies.
I state firmly that no Latter-day Saint who has made a change
for better health has the right to judge harshly others who have
not. Each is on the path at a different point and the decision to
move ahead, backward or to stay put is strictly an individual one.
I also state emphatically, however, that the idea of not eating
the flesh of animals except for emergencies has NOT gone completely
unstressed in LDS teaching since 1833.
Hyrum Smith-Removing "Beastly Appetites"
Hyrum Smith, brother of the prophet Joseph and Patriarch to the
Church, wrote in 1842 in the Times and Seasons, which was then an
official Church publication "God...knows what course to pursue
to restore mankind to...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 design, to help to regulate
the great machinery, which shall eventually," and I call your
attention to the word 'eventually,' "revolutionize the earth,
and bring about the restoration of all things." (Times and Seasons
3:799-801)
He went on to say, "let them be sparing of the life of animals"
it sounds like for Hyrum it went beyond just a matter of just
human physical health, doesn't it? "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."
Hyrum wrote in summation, "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 & Seasons 3:799-801)
Hyrum's position is completely consistent with that of his brother,
the Prophet Joseph Smith, who edited certain Bible passages to correct
inaccuracies he said occurred because of mistranslations over time.
One of particular interest is found in Genesis which in today's
biblical versions seems to suggest that the vegetarian diet practiced
for 2,500 years by Adam and the other ancient patriarchs was replaced
by God with an omnivorous diet in the time of Noah. However, Joseph
Smith added a clear cautionary warning to the text. Genesis 9: 11
of the Joseph Smith Translation (found on page 797 of the current
LDS biblical index section) reads, "...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."
Brigham Young-Blunt Counsel to Bless Lives
Unfortunately, the prophetic vision of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
was not quickly fulfilled. 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)
George Q. Cannon-"Their Old Traditions Cling to Them"
A quorum of 12 apostles helps direct the affairs of the LDS Church,
and in 1892, Apostle and First Counselor 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)
Elder Cannon understood human psychology and knew how difficult
it is to change old habits (at least until we form new ones which
then become rather easy to maintain). He saw the importance of having
a personal testimony of the truth of principles before they can
be easily implemented. He stated, "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." (Journal of
Discourses 12:44-45)
Elder Cannon also knew that one of the techniques we humans resort
to in order to talk ourselves out of following the word of God is
rationalization. He said, "The question arises...'What then are
we to eat if we drop swine's flesh'," (note: several of the early
saints, like the Children of Israel, did not eat pig flesh at all)
" '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
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