V&M 2- health continued..

Still on the topic of health, and word of wisdom, here are some other references:

John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote in a book on the Word of Wisdom, "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)

President David O. McKay said, "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)

"Elder Benson, "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) His reference, of course, is to the biblical Daniel who, as a student in the Babylonian royal court, opted for simple vegetarian food and whose superior health quickly became visible to others. See Daniel, Chapter 1 in the Old Testament or the wonderful account in Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, Book 10, Chapter 10, verses 1-2 for details." -quoted from JimCatano

I want to be very clear that I do think vegetarianism is requisite for salvation, I am not writing these installments to persuade you, or make you feel guilty. I am not on the offensive, but rather defensive. After hearing about Rachel's encounter, I asked the vegan missionary in our area if he faced challenges, he said that in almost every area he has served he has received harsh criticism from other missionaries, to the point of being told he was disobeying the commandments of God. A friend of mine, upon hearing I was vegan, said he wanted to give me some church talks that would show me this was a wrong way to live. I will no longer sit back and have my religious conviction challenged. I also want to make clear that the behavior of these 'criticizers' is not representative of the Church as a whole, it just demonstrates the varying perspective of individuals within the church