word of wisdom and meat

[BabyJane]

"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;And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine."

This is probably a very simple question But I have always wondered about it.
Is this part to be taken literally? Because if so; not many of us actually follow this part of the Word of Wisdom, do we? My family eats meat all the time.
Should we basically be vegetarians, besides sometimes - in cold and famine? That's what it's saying, isn't it?

Same with grains? "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."

If someone wanted to follow the Word Of Wisdom to the teeth, what can they eat!? Fruits and Veggies?

[BenRaines]

Considering what they say a caveman ate of meat I guess I eat it sparingly. Compared to a vegetarian I would not say it is sparingly.

I read somewhere in the Bible that to condemn the eating of meat is not of God.

Ben Raines

[pam]

I believe the eating of meat, as in all other things, should be consumed in moderation. Too much of most things are not healthy for us. I am mainly referring to the consumption of red meat. Just my opinion.

[Hemidakota]

I am meat eater. Whether it is animals or vegetation.

Gratitude is the key. This for me has changed dramatically when now I give thanks to those lower intelligences [animals, vegetation, and so forth], for help in sustaining me in mortality. I never reach this point in my life about the life we eat [intelligences], until I came to a greater understanding of the Atonement and Justice [Intelligences].

I hope and pray that others may gain some insight on this subject. That we are not the only life on this planet. Yes! We maybe the top of the creation's list, but the lesser intelligences [depicted in Geneses chapter 1 and 2] that are not human will honor us as we honor them.

[Hemidakota]

Originally Posted by pam

I believe the eating of meat, as in all other things, should be consumed in moderation. Too much of most things are not healthy for us. I am mainly referring to the consumption of red meat. Just my opinion.

Your opinion is correct as for I am concern. Where it is white, red, dark, or any other range of color of meats, should be eaten with gratitude and sparely. Moderation of all of food ranges should be included throughout the day.

[BenRaines]

The redder the better on meat.

Ben Raines

[pam]

that are not human will honor us as we honor them

I honor and give thanks to that cow that gave it's life that I might enjoy my prime rib every time I eat it.

[FunkyTown]

Originally Posted by BabyJane

"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;And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine."

This is probably a very simple question But I have always wondered about it.
Is this part to be taken literally? Because if so; not many of us actually follow this part of the Word of Wisdom, do we? My family eats meat all the time.
Should we basically be vegetarians, besides sometimes - in cold and famine? That's what it's saying, isn't it?

Same with grains? "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."

If someone wanted to follow the Word Of Wisdom to the teeth, what can they eat!? Fruits and Veggies?

You raise a good point and one that few members of the church adhere to: The Word of Wisdom is an admonition towards health. However, many members have developed a legalistic viewpoint towards it that borders on dangerous.

However, here are some things recently discovered about meats that shows the prophetic nature of the Word of Wisdom:

Too much red meat could lead to bowel cancer

- Too much red meat leads to bowel cancer.

Each cow requires about 25 acres of land to feed:

How many acres does a single cow need for grazing? - Yahoo! Answers


Something that will be found, as more and more people in China and around the world start to eat more meat like Westerners do, is that there simply isn't enough to go around. The more cows that are grown, the more land must be dedicated to simply feeding them. Am I guilty of eating too much meat? Sure. I don't know what the answer is.

[a-train]

Originally Posted by BenRaines

I read somewhere in the Bible that to condemn the eating of meat is not of God.

Ben Raines

It was Paul, talking about the false prophets of the latter times which will be "forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." (1 Tim 4:3)

To imagine the "meat" Paul is talking about is vegetable, would be to ignore verse five which includes the word "creature".

The Word of Wisdom DOES counsel us to eat meat sparingly. It also advocates "mild drinks" of "barley" in the seventeenth verse, id est: BEER.

What we call the Word of Wisdom today (the forbidding of: alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea whether cold or hot, and harmful drugs), is a modern
commandment given through the brethren, it is not actually the Word of Wisdom found in Doctrine and Covenants section 89.

A simple differentiation of how the term "Word of Wisdom" is modernly used and how it was used in 1833 is necessary to avoid confusion. This should not annoy or frighten us when we learn of Joseph Smith's having owned a bar in the 1840's in Nauvoo, almost a decade after the reception of the Word of Wisdom. It should also not cause us trouble when we see the words: "not by commandment or constraint" in the first verse. Further, this understanding helps us in considering the modern commandment against iced tea.

Could such commandments be lifted some day? Will Mormons be drinking a nice cold beer or iced tea in the future? It is perhaps as possible as it is improbable.

-a-train

[Elgama]

Personally I do only meat in the winter, I am considering not bothering with that either. Its upto each of us what sparingly means

-Charley