all about the w.o.w.

I am a Latter Day Saint, or more commonly known as a Mormon.  You might wonder how religion plays into this little blog about food -- OR -- being Mormon yourself, might wonder how I feel about the Word of Wisdom.  If you have either of these questions, keep reading and you're sure to find out.

For those of you who aren't LDS, you may have heard that we don't drink alcohol or smoke tobacco as part of our religion.  These practices are commonly referred to as the Word of Wisdom.  In the W.o.W we are given guidelines that promise us blessings if we follow them.

The W.o.W. is a hotbed for debate mostly because of how it is interpreted.  I know that a lot of people will have questions about how I interpret The Word and how I feel a vegan lifestyle fits into it.  I don't mean to use this page as a soapbox.  I simply mean to use it to put questions to rest and maybe have a way to explain myself.

I have taken an excerpt right out of the LDS church's set of scripture called the  Doctrine and Covenants, or shorthanded to D&C. (find the whole section HERE)

Doctrine & Covenants Section 89: v 10 states:
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.
16.  All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit,
whether in the ground or above the ground--
17.  Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild 
drinks, as also other grain.
18.  And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, all 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.

I will try to say this with all the clarity and sensitivity I can.  I chose to eat a plant based diet based on many factors. The top 3 being:
1.  Health: being a responsible steward of my body
2.  Environment: being a responsible steward of the earth
3.  Animal Cruelty: being a responsible steward of animals.
I feel that all 3 of these things are gifts from God and are to be honored and respected.  

The more and more I thought about eating a plant based diet,  the more I realized that it clashed with what I have been interpreting the W.o.W. to be.  After careful study and prayer I have come to conclusion that I can eat a plant based diet and still follow the word of wisdom.  I personally believe that eating meat with every dinner-time meal does not fall under "sparingly" as the scripture states.  I also believe that our modern "farming" techniques have made eating meat a horrible practice.  It is my personal belief that the way we treat our animals is not pleasing to God or respectful of the life He has placed on earth.   That being said,  I will eat meat every once in a while. Every once in a long while. When it does happen,  I usually try to source locally grown, grass fed meats and I feel good about it.  

I think that is what it really boils down to.  How YOU feel about what YOU are eating.  Again, I don't want my explanation of how I eat to become a persuasive essay, but I like being able to explain myself and maybe help others understand my reasoning.  

To find out more about the LDS church click HERE

xo

Whitney

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