Words of Wisdom

Thank you all for your comments.  I think I'm going to stick with being a nonsugaric.  I agree that there are many naturally sweet things and I'm mostly satisfied with those.  I am creating a plan for next year when I do plan to add a few small sugaric items to my diet.  I'm not eliminating sugar to lose weight.  I plan to do other things in order to accomplish that.  I find it interesting that in these same books that say you shouldn't deprive yourself they also say that you should stop smoking.  Isn't that depriving yourself?  Do people that try to quit smoking eventually return to smoking with a vengeance?  I think sugar is as bad a habit as smoking for lots of people.

I am reading



to my kids.  We just read the chapter when the Wilder parents leave for 2 weeks and leave their 4 children home by themselves.  As the parents are driving away the mother shouts over her shoulder, "Don't eat all the sugar."  As soon as the buggy was out of sight the kids made ice cream.  They also made candy and cake and more ice cream.  By the time it was time for their parents to return you could see the bottom of the sugar barrel.  I think the Wilders were pretty rich for their time.  They had wonderful meals, which usually included apple pie.  They even had apple pie for breakfast.  They also drank eggnog during harvest time to cool them off and give them energy.  I just find it very interesting that rich people indulge in sugar.  Don't you?


Of course, the Wilders also ate lots of veggies and fruits and all kinds of cuts of meat including tongue and head cheese.  It reminds me of the other book I read.





I love the way the used EVERYTHING.  Every winter they slaughtered 5 pigs and a yearling calf.  Every year they would save the calf hide to make shoes.  I just love it.  Which brings me to something else I have been pondering.  As I've mentioned I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We have a book of scripture called The Doctrine and Covenants.  In this book, in the 89th section we have a revelation that is called The Word of Wisdom.  This revelation is a health code.  I have been studying it and trying to decipher it for quite some time now. 

I have been trying to decide how I feel about meat.  There were a few verses that were a little confusing to me.  I wasn't sure if it was saying we should or shouldn't eat meat at certain times.  Just yesterday I read the verse again and it made perfect sense to me.

 Let's first look at verse 4.  It is one of my favorite.

4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of ^aevils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of ^bconspiring men in the last days, I have ^cwarned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—

I just think it is a good reminder that food companies aren't looking out for us.  Then the section goes on to say that we shouldn't drink alcohol, use tobacco or drink coffee.  This is where most people stop reading and figure they've got it.  I however, really wish more people would focus on the shoulds of the Word of Wisdom.

10And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome ^aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

 11Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with ^aprudence and ^bthanksgiving.

These 2 verses make me want to learn all about herbal medicine.

12Yea, ^aflesh also of ^bbeasts 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 ^csparingly;

 13And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be ^aused, only in times of winter, or of cold, or ^bfamine.

Now these are the two verses that I really struggled with.  When I read "sparingly" before I thought it must mean just a little every once in awhile.  However, I looked up the word "sparingly" and it also means not being wasteful or using all the resources.  So maybe I should start eating liver and tongue and blood pudding.  Ha, ha!  You never know, I might.  But, I think it is great that the Lord doesn't want us to be wasteful. 

Verse 13 was the hard one.  I'm wasn't a very good English student so it took me awhile to decipher this.  Yesterday one little word stuck out that really made a difference.  The word "or".  It seems that if the Lord was making a list of the times we should eat it he would have said "and" not "or".  It may seem like justification to you, but to me it was a little personal revelation that answered my question.  I feel like science supports that we should eat lots of protein along with fat and carbs and I just love it when science and revelation meet.  I studied science in college and I had a professor that said, "If science and religion don't agree, we just don't know enough about one or the other."

And the last verse that I really like is this.

16All grain is good for the ^afood of man; as also the ^bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—

 17Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.

Seems to me like we should be eating whole foods!  Plus, I like that it says "wheat for man".  Down with high fructose corn syrup :-) (that was for you Mom).  I also like that it says (oats for the horse) because whenever I am asking for oats in Albania they say, "Oats are for horses".  Right you are!

Just so you know if you follow this health code here are the promised blessings.

 18And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, ^ashall receive ^bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;

 19And shall ^afind ^bwisdom and great ^ctreasures of ^dknowledge, even hidden treasures;

 20And shall ^arun and not be ^bweary, and shall walk and not faint.

 21And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the ^adestroying angel shall ^bpass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

Sign me up!  I only wish it said something about sugar.  However, we are not to be commanded in all things so I'll have to figure this one out for myself. 

I've gone on long enough tonight.  I will talk more about my decision to stick with it tomorrow.