Words of Wisdom, part 1 - Truth Supports Truth

I had a sense, a  hope really, that someday I'd understand more of what certain scriptures meant. Not that it was ever a total blank. But I really thought I had much more to learn. This is a story about finding out what "more" means.

Truth is the ultimate cure for everything. This applies to all sickness, all sadness, all problems. Truth reigns supreme. We all spend our entire lives in pursuit of it, in one way or another.And nutritarian eating is a slice of truth, appears to me.

“Eat meat sparingly… and fruits and vegetables in season.”

These words are the scripture I'm referring to I believe it's modern revelation, revealed by a prophet of God.The words, written in 1832, are part of the health code of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – the Mormons.

My church. I’m a happy member, trying my best to live right.

Dietary codes are part of religious lore. Kosher eating is familiar to many, as are the Muslim restrictions from eating pork and drinking alcohol.

We call our dietary code “The Word of Wisdom.” The major expression in our lives is avoiding alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, coffee and tea. This and other things set us apart (ok, makes us weird) enough that we don’t go generally looking for more weirdness. In fact, we generally abhor more weirdness than our religious beliefs call for. But I could write many books about the difference my religious beliefs make in my life. Others certainly have.

Perhaps for these and other cultural reasons, few of us are vegetarians. Fewer are vegans. Almost none of us are nutritarians.

Yet I find nutritarian eating to be completely in line with my personal expression of faith and belief.We Mormons have this “expansion clause” part of our religion. It’s a commandment to seek and do good things, as an organization and as individuals. It runs like this:

". . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, we seek after these things."

Let’s see. Longer life, better health. Definite virtue there.

How about evidence based (like how Dr. Fuhrman backs his stuff up with solid research citations and powerful real-world experience, not just his opinions). Good report there.

Then there’s this one: The nutritarian eating plan just plain tastes good. Lovely.

The major principle is, there is order in the Lord’s Kingdom. The Priesthood leads the church, from the Prophet (the whole church) to the Deacon’s Quorum President (local group of 12 year old boys). In other words, when you find a personal “pearl of great price” (and as for me, I do mean nutritarian eating and healing), you don’t presume to blab to every living creature in every possible setting, and complain that if the church were really about truth everyone would do this.

For that to generally apply would lead to total weirdness.

And although there are those that think I'm weird, I have every right and even a duty to seek health by every means possible.

I thank heaven for the truths of balance, order and personal revelation.