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Question

Gramps,

I’ve been a vegetarian for five years. Today in seminary, the teacher told us that we have to eat meat and that vegetarians are bad. Do I absolutely have to eat meat? I really don’t want to.

Leah

 

Answer

Leah,

Our health is important to us because our bodies are a gift from God. We ought to treat them as best we can. There are some things our bodies need that cannot be found in vegetables, fruits, or grains. In 1 Timothy 4:1-4 we read the following;

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 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.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

Before we examine this, let us also read from the Word of Wisdom. In verses 12-13 we are told the following;

Doctrine and Covenants Section 89:12-13,

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.

From these two verses I conclude that a vegetarian diet is very healthy, and mostly recommended by God, however he does clearly state that meat is given to us for our diet. We don’t need much meat, but it is there for our use as needed.

I keep coming back to the same questions I asked myself years ago; Which is worse, to be a vegetarian or to choke myself with as much soda and fast food as I want? Neither soda nor fast food is mentioned as being forbidden in the Word of Wisdom, yet it’s plainly clear such food doesn’t make for a very healthy diet.

Having an occasional hamburger, or steak….maybe a grilled chicken breast or turkey sandwich is all the meat we need in a given year. Maybe some fish now and then…as the Lord said, sparingly is the key.

 

Gramps

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