Writings of the Prophets

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints forbids members the use of tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and recreational or illicit drugs. The church also recommends a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on fruits, vegetables, grain, and only a sparing use of animal flesh. Because of the text known as the Word of Wisdom, and also from the counsel given through the years by various LDS leaders, many LDS believe they should use meat only sparingly and that it is pleasing to the Lord if they eat meat only when it is needed. LDS believe that God ordained all things on the earth for the use of man, including animals, so that man may always have in abundance what he needs, for food, for raiment, to build shelter, for comforts, etc, and that it is not right for one man to command another to abstain from meat. However, LDS have been counseled, from time to time, against killing animals and consuming flesh when no need to do so exists (p.198 – 202).

The LDS people have achieved, among other notable works, one of the highest standards of health of all populations in the world. According to Richard T. Wooten, who closely studied educated members of this faith; committed LDS people enjoy exemplary health and live 10 to 12 years longer than their countrymen populations. Wooten states:

Mormons produce wholesome youth who tend to avoid drugs, alcohol problems and venereal diseases, and who are often athletes—as examples: in the Winter 2002 Olympics, eight Olympic contenders (including aerial silver medal winner Joe Pack) were LDS representing six countries, and in the 1998 NCAA tournament, nine members of the top four basketball teams were LDS; they have a high educational level and scientific orientation; they work effectively and have high ability to sustain themselves economically; they have produced successful multi-national businesses and made Utah [predominantly LDS] a world center of new computer software (as identified by the Economist magazine and others); they have improved the quality of personal and family life, peace of mind, and harmony with others in the many countries in which Church members live, and they generate productive, service-oriented citizens, loyal to their own laws and governments—of whom any country can be pleased and proud.

A non-LDS scientist by the name of Dr. James E. Enstrom of UCLA conducted a study on the effects of LDS dietary health code on their population regarding disease.[i] He studied 400,000 California members of the LDS faith, and discovered that they have 50% fewer cases of cancer than the average American.

Not all LDS members strictly observe the church dietary teachings known as the Word of Wisdom, but as a group they smoke and drink less than half as much as the general population. Additionally, while only relatively few of them are strictly vegetarian, as a whole they are spiritually and physically conscious of the importance of limiting their intake of meat. This is probably a significant factor, when compared to most Americans who impose few meat-eating limits upon themselves due to religious beliefs, even if they are Christian or Jew.

Past and present leaders have encouraged only a sparing use of animal flesh. And, some LDS leaders have said a day will come when church members will be taught to refrain from eating animal flesh.

The Prophet of The LDS Church in 1988 (Ezra Taft Benson) challenged church members to raise a generation of people who eat in a healthier manner. His reference to Daniel of the Old Testament (who favored a plant-based diet and disdained eating animal flesh) leaves little doubt that he was telling the membership of the church that it was time to consider aspects of the Word of Wisdom that had been neglected for so long, which encourage only a sparing use of meat and to limit meat consumption to times of cold, excessive hunger, and famine (true need).

Ezra Taft Benson: President Benson 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)

"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).

" 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, such as no tea, coffee, tobacco, or alcohol. But what needs 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).

Let's review the following story of Daniel in order to have a better understanding of what this Christian leader meant (see also the Holy Bible, in the book of Daniel, chapter 1, versus 3-20):

Josephus, Chapter 5:2: Now Daniel and his kinsmen had resolved to use a severe diet, and to abstain from those kinds of food which came from the king's table, and entirely to forbear to eat of all living creatures: so he came to Ashpenaz who was that eunuch to whom the care of them was committed and desired him to take and spend what was brought for them from the king; but to give them pulse and dates for their food, and anything else, besides the flesh of living creatures, that he pleased, for that their inclinations were to that sort of food, and that they despised the other....[after a 10 day trial] they grew plumper and fuller in body than the rest, insomuch, that he thought that those who fed on what came from the king's table seemed less plump and full, while those that were with Daniel looked as if they had lived in plenty, and in all sorts of luxury, Arioch, from that time, securely took himself what the king sent every day from his supper, according to custom, to the children, but gave them the aforementioned diet, while they had their souls in some measure more pure, and less burdened, and so fitter for learning, and had their bodies in better tune for hard labor; for they neither had the former oppressed and heavy with variety of meats, nor were the other effeminate on the same account; so they readily understood all the learning that was among the Hebrews, and among the Chaldeans, as especially did Daniel, who, being already skilled in wisdom, was very busy about the interpretation of dreams; and God manifested himself to him.

How can any population, Christian, Jew, or other, change long-standing dietary traditions that include an abundance of animal products at nearly every meal...? Families eat primarily what is presented to them by mothers. The biggest challenge facing all religions that believe a plant-based diet is the best choice for spiritual and physical health is to learn how to thrive on and to enjoy such a diet. Not until one learns to make a healthy diet fun and exciting does believing in it do any practical good. If any peoples are successful in fulfilling their dietary destiny, as prophesied in the Torah and the Bible, it will be primarily mothers who bring about a new generation of youth who are raised up as Daniel of the Old Testament. Mothers possess the greatest power on earth to influence successful and permanent dietary changes in their homes. A Mother's role is unique and distinct. LDS members are aware that they live longer because they don't smoke, drink, etc., and have been admonished by their present leaders that they can do even better if they more closely observe the Word of Wisdom.

Gordon B. Hinckley: "We must observe the Word of Wisdom first spoken in 1833. As we read our newspapers, as we watch the television news, these remarkable words 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, p.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 Latter-day Saints who don't smoke or drink alcohol. However, the church also has recognized a trend that Latter-day Saints are succumbing to degenerative illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc., in increasing numbers (see the graphic in “Church News”, October 25, 1995, p. 12).

President Hinckley stated previously, "I regret that we as a people do not live [the Word of Wisdom] more fully." (Ensign, May 1990, p. 51)

For further insight regarding the teachings of the Word of Wisdom, as it pertains to our relationship with animals, I have included statements made by various leaders of the LDS church since its inception:

Hyrum Smith: When God first made man upon the earth, he was a different being entirely to what he now is: his body was strong, athletic, robust, and healthy; his days were prolonged upon the earth; he lived nearly one thousand years, his mind was vigorous and active, and his intellectual faculties clear and comprehensive, but he has become degenerated; his life has dwindled to a span; disease preys upon his system; his body is enervated and feeble; and his [mental] and intellectual faculties are impaired, and weakened: and man is not now that dignified, noble, majestic, honorable, and mighty being that he was when he first proceeded from the hands of his maker.

The Lord has in His wise designs revealed unto us His will; He has told us as He did the ancient prophets that the earth shall be redeemed—that the curse shall be removed from it...that man's days shall be as the "days of a tree," that he shall again live one thousand years on the earth...

Everything has become degenerated from what it was in its 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 judgment impaired: he has fallen - fallen - fallen, from that dignified state that he once occupied on the earth; and it needs a restorative that man has not in his possession—wisdom which is beyond the reach of human intellect; and power which human philosophy, talent and ingenuity cannot control. God only is acquainted with the fountain of action, and the main springs of human events; He knows where disease is seated, and what is the cause of it;—He is also acquainted with the spring of health; the balm of Gilead—of life; He knows what course to pursue to restore mankind to their pristine excellency and primitive vigor, 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 to health and vigor, promote peace between him and the brute creation, and as one of the little wheels in God's designs, to help regulate the great machinery, which shall eventually revolutionize the earth, and bring about the restoration of all things, and when they are restored he will plant "the tree of life, whose leaves shall be for the healing of the nations."

“.... Let these things be adhered to [Word of Wisdom]; 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." (Hyrum Smith, Times and Seasons Vol. 3, No. 15, 799-801)

Jesse Evans Smith: Jesse Evans Smith, wife of prophet Joseph Fielding Smith said, "my husband doesn't eat meat" and he felt a "disdain of meat and (a) love of vegetables." (Brigham Young University “Daily Universe”, May 6, 1971)

David O. McKay: "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)

John A. Widstoe: "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)

"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)

Heber J. Grant: "I think that another reason I have very splendid strength for an old man is that during the years we have had a cafeteria... I have not, with exception of not more than a dozen times, ordered meat of any kind. ...I have endeavored to live the Word of Wisdom and that, in my opinion, is one reason for my good health." (Conference Report, April 1937, p. 15)

Joseph F. Smith: "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 possesses 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)

"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, pp. 182-3)

Lorenzo Snow: 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)

One 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).

George Q. Cannon: "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)

"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)

He said further, "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)

Brigham Young: "You mothers and daughters in Israel... You may think that these things are not of much importance; ...but let the people observe ...and lay the foundation for longevity,... Do you think they will stuff themselves then with... beef, pork... No; you will find they will live as our first parents did, on fruits and on a little simple food, and they will never overload the stomach... The strength, power, beauty, and glory that once adorned the form and constitution of man have vanished away before the blighting influences of inordinate appetite and love of this world…. These lay the foundation of disease and death in the systems of men, and the same are committed to their children, and another generation of feeble human beings is introduced into the world...” (Journal of Discourses 12:37,118,119)

”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.... 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)

Since the establishment of the LDS church in 1830, it has become the fastest growing Christian religion in the world. The health code known as the Word of Wisdom has provided a health advantage to its members. All Christian religions would benefit by considering the impressive data that have been collected on both Christian religions presented thus far. Let’s now review dietary thought that has surfaced from other Christian sources.

Christ Teaches How to Eat

Many believe that Christ visited the inhabitants of the Dead Sea area who were known as the Essenes and taught his gospel, including a way of eating that is similar to Daniel's Diet of the Old Testament.

The Essene Diet

The following paragraphs are taken from the Essene New Testament, which was translated from archived Vatican manuscripts (written in Aramic); the same manuscripts also exist (written in old Slavonic) in the Royal Archives of the Habsburgs (property of the Austrian Government). These writings begin by teaching that God ordained plant foods alone for those who believe in him and who are righteous and that this was the food given to man in the beginning of the earth, before man corrupted the earth through lust and violence. The following is only a small sample of these beautiful writings:

"For of the fruits of the trees and the seeds of the earth alone do I partake, and these are changed by the Spirit into my flesh and my blood. Of these alone and their like shall ye eat who believe in me, and are my disciples, for of these, in the Spirit, come life and health and healing unto man."

"God giveth the grains and the fruits of the earth for food; and for righteous man truly there is no other lawful sustenance for the body.... For God is just and bountiful who ordaineth that man shall live by the fruits and seeds of the earth alone."

“Verily I say unto you, for this end have I come into the world that I may put away all blood offerings and the eating of the flesh of the beasts and the birds that are slain by men.”

”In the beginning, God gave to all, the fruits of the trees, and the seeds, and the herbs, for food; but those who loved themselves more than God or their fellows, corrupted their ways, and brought diseases into their bodies, and filled the earth with lust and violence.”

But I do say unto you: Kill neither men, nor beasts, nor yet the food which goes into your mouth. For if you eat living food, the same will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also. For life comes only from life, and from death comes always death. For everything which kills your foods, kills your bodies also.... Therefore, eat not anything which fire, or frost, ... has destroyed I tell you truly, live only by the fire of life (the sun), and prepare not your foods with the fire of death." (The Essene Gospel of Peace)

"And forget not that every seventh day is holy and consecrated to God. On six days feed your body with the gifts of the Earthly Mother, but on the seventh day sanctify your body for your Heavenly Father. On the seventh day eat not any earthly food, but live only on the words of God, and be all the day with the angels of the Lord in the kingdom of the Heavenly Father. And on the seventh day let the angels of God build the kingdom of the heavens in your body, as you labor for six days in the kingdom of the Earthly Mother. And let not food trouble the work of the angels in your body throughout the seventh day. And God will give you long life upon earth." (The Essene Gospel of Peace)

"Eat only when the sun is highest in the heavens, and again when it is set. And you will never see disease, for such finds favor in the eyes of the Lord. And if you will that the Angels of God rejoice in your body, and that Satan shun you afar, then sit but once a day at the table of God. And then your days will be long upon the earth, for this is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord" (The Essene Gospel of Peace)

"And when you eat, never eat unto fullness. Flee the temptations of Satan, and listen to the voice of God's angels. For Satan and his power tempt you always to eat more and more. But live by the spirit, and resist the desires of the body.... So give heed to how much you have eaten when your body is satiated and always eat less by a third...." (The Essene Gospel of Peace)

Other Christian Quotes

“...Just as divorce according to the Savior’s word was not permitted from the beginning, but on account of the hardness of our heart was a concession of Moses to the human race, so too the eating of flesh was unknown until the deluge. But after the deluge, like the quails given in the desert to the murmuring people, the poison of flesh-meat was offered to our teeth. . . . But once Christ has come in the end of time, and Omega passed into Alpha and turned the end into the beginning, we are no longer allowed divorce, nor are we circumcised, nor do we eat flesh, for the Apostle says, 'It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine.’” Jerome (c. 342-420), Adversus Jovianum 1.18

"The choice is between a meat-eating diet that celebrates a fallen world or a vegetarian diet that celebrates new life through the risen Christ. . . The vegetarian meal is a celebration of life in which we permit our fellow creatures to experience the joy of existence that God graciously shared with us and our companions. It beckons us to a gentler, kinder way of life that exemplifies the Christian hope. My prayer is that our daily meals will become spiritual activities that celebrate the wonders and mystery of God and God's creation." Richard Alan Young, Is God a Vegetarian? Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights, Open Court, Chicago, 1999, pp. 163-164.

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^[i] Enstrom, James E., "Health Practices and Cancer Mortality Among Active California Mormons", Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 81 Issue 23, December 6, 1989, pp. 1807-14; "Cancer Mortality Among Mormons in California during 1968-75", Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 65, November 1980, pp. 1073-82; "Cancer and Total Mortality Among Active Mormons", Cancer: Journal of the American Cancer Society, October 1978, pp. 1943-51.