Dear Gramps,
I work in a pharmacy, and a coworker of mine brought up how incredible the Lord’s prohibition of pork to the Jews was, considering how many health problems can stem from eating poorly cooked pork. I agreed with him and went on to discuss a little bit about the word of wisdom and other related topics. Then he asked me why I eat pork, since it is an unclean animal according to the Old Testament. The only scriptural evidence that the Lord had lifted the ban on “unclean” animals was in the New Testament in Acts chapter 10, where Peter has the vision and is told to partake of the unclean animals. My friend responded that the vision was not referring to that, but was only referring to bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. I told him that it was, but that its meaning was broader than he had interpreted it. I can’t seem to find any other scriptures that indicate that it’s alright to eat pork among other things. Can you help me out?
Andrew, from Visalia, California

Dear Andrew,
We may not find in the scriptures a list of recipes for everything that we should do. God has blessed most of us with a modicum of common sense, designed to be used to make value judgments in life, so that we won’t have to run to an instruction book for every decision that we make. The reasons why pork was “unclean” appear to be understood and agreed upon by your co-worker. Since enough is known now about the proper preparation of pork it is, of course, no longer a dangerous food to eat. Perhaps an appropriate scripture to use in this case would be Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-29—

Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.

Gramps