This is the third part in my series on the Word of Wisdom. The first part, aimed at correcting general but foundational misunderstandings of the Word of Wisdom, can be found here. The second part, dealing with myths and misunderstandings surrounding the Latter-day Saint usage of coffee and tea, or lack thereof, can be found here.
In this part I want to explore what the Word of Wisdom teaches about eating meat. There is a lot of confusion over exactly what the Word of Wisdom asks of Latter-day Saints, especially in regard to eating meat. Some, like this article here, argue that the Word of Wisdom essentially commands that we only eat meat when plants are scare, such as they were in winter in the early 19th century, or during times of famine. As a result, we should not be eating meat and should instead have an almost or completely plant-based vegetarian diet. Having studied the Word of Wisdom and the rest of the Doctrine and Covenants on this topic, I intend to refute this argument.
From my studies I have concluded that while the Word of Wisdom, and the Doctrine and Covenants more generally, absolutely commands us to be aware of the lives we take when we kill animals for food, to limit them to what we will consume so that we are not throwing away meat and therefore wantonly wasting the lives of animals, I find nothing to suggest that it is a commandment or even divine counsel that we are commanded to not eat meat except in winter or times of famine. In refuting this interpretation of the Word of Wisdom I will propose what I believe it to mean, that the Lord was telling the Saints not to waste animal life by killing more than they could eat which would result in the wasteful deaths of animals and for which they would one day be held accountable.
Note: Before going further I want to make some terminology clear. I understand that words like vegetarian and vegan carry a lot of baggage with some people. Even those who would otherwise be labelled by those terms often reject them for other terms, such as plant-based diet, in an effort to distance themselves from that baggage. In order to simplify and already complex issue I will not be bothering with such pedantic distinctions. Vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based eating/diet are all terms which I will use largely interchangeably to refer to people and ideas which teach, for whatever reasons, that humans should not ever eat meat if possible.
The Text of the Word of Wisdom
Before we go further, it behooves us to read the text of the Word of Wisdom that we are going to be talking about so as to establish a firm foundation upon which we can build our understanding. This comes from Doctrine and Covenants Section 89:
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
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.
14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
I have expanded this beyond the typically quoted verse 11 because I think placing that verse in its full context helps us to better understand what the Lord is asking of us. Next I want to return these to their original forms. We often forget that versification is something that was added to the text by later authors and that the Lord wasn’t dictating in verses. By doing so I hope we can better understand what is being said to us.
And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man – every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
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; and it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth; and these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
Even here it is worth noting that to some degree even this punctuation is artificial. The original revelation was nearly one long run on sentence and even the first version in the Book of Commandments displays a startling lack of punctuation and is therefore hard to understand. A lot of punctuation has been added over time to try and make it clearer to read and easier to understand. I’ll be working with the modern printing, except for one notable exception explained below, as it is the most familiar to all of us and appealing to the original texts doesn’t offer any additional clarity.
Paragraph 1: Verses 10-11
I don’t think there is a lot to discuss on these verses themselves. But it is interesting to note that the Lord talks about using every herb and fruit in their proper season. This makes sense considering the lack of refrigeration in 1833 and the fact that the United States was largely an agrarian society where most things were grown or made locally, though that had begun to change as the Industrial Revolution developed in the North. Most foods, whether plants or meats could only be preserved by salting, spicing, smoking, pickling, or drying with a great deal being eaten closer to when it was harvested (or slaughtered.) Excess portions were set apart either for winter or for trading/selling. As a result, a great deal of farmed foods were probably eaten in the season they were harvested just by default.
It is interesting to note though that if you did take these verses to be literal – that you can only eat something in the season they were harvested – that would have caused a serious problem for the people living in 1833, almost as much as it would now given how prevalent canned foods are today. Preservation played an important part in cities then as it does now simply because no food can be grown in cities, meaning that a great deal of the food had (has) to be preserved and shipped in or transported very quickly. People eating food only in the season it is produced wouldn’t preserve anything at all and would therefore would have faced a very difficult winter. Cities would collapse since most food sold in cities is harvested and preserved and later sold long after the season it was harvested in.
I mention this not to counter the Word of Wisdom but to note how much people pick and choose exactly which parts they want to follow strictly. Many want to (incorrectly) argue that the Word of Wisdom says meat should only be eaten in winter but ignore that by that same logic they aren’t supposed to be eating carrots in February. But if you want to turn around and say that the Lord isn’t being literal when He says he wants you to eat fruits and herbs in the seasons they’re produced then that opens up space for a similar application of reasoning when He says a similar thing regarding eating meat.
Paragraph 2: Verses 12-13
What is in a comma? Well, apparently a lot as it is possible that the entire meaning of these verses rests upon the placement of a singular comma. For the basic history here I am going to depend on Dr. A. Jane Birch’s paper Questioning the Comma in Verse 13 of the Word of Wisdom even if I am going to come to very different conclusions than she did.
In her paper Dr. Birch talks about how verse 13 was altered in 1921 by the addition of a comma such that it went from reading:
And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine
to how it reads today:
And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
Notice the addition of the comma after used which would seem to change the apparent meaning of the verse from saying that meat shouldn’t be eaten just in winter, cold, or famine to saying it should only be eaten in winter, cold or famine. As Dr. Birch notes many people today argue that this distorts the meaning of verse 13, but Dr. Birch counters this by saying that verse 13 has always been interpreted to say that meat should only be eaten in times of winter, cold, or famine and that the addition of the comma was actually to preserve the original meaning of the verse in the face of how the usage and meaning of the word “only” was changing at the time. She additionally quotes nine sources from church history, including six apostles, showing that this interpretation is well founded in church history. As her arguments here are the best presentation of this argument I wish to address them, first by addressing the quotation of church leaders and then the issue of language.
What I am trying to do here, always trying to do really, is not get at what the interpretation of scripture is by Church leaders, but what the specific scripture or revelation is trying to tell us. The Prophets and Apostles are magnificent sources of revelation but they as sources of theology they are mere men, like all the rest of us, and are prone to making the same mistakes we all do. To whit, they are often wrong. In saying that I am sure to ruffle some feathers as members of the Church are often treating our leaders as if their utterances are infallible even though they neither claim that authority for themselves nor do they suggest we should treat them that way. In fact, in a statement about what the sources of LDS doctrine are the Church has openly disclaimed the authority of any Church leader to claim the power of officially interpreting scripture. This is from a Church release titled Approaching Mormon Doctrine:
Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted.
Notice it is only as the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles proclaim something together that official doctrine is established and that the doctrines can be found in the official scriptures, the official declarations, as found in the Doctrine and Covenants, the six official church proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. As a result I am largely unconcerned with what Hyrum Smith, John A. Widstoe, or Lorenzo Snow taught about eating meat in the same way I am unconcerned about their opinions on people of African descent. Their opinions, even if well educated ones founded on established tradition, are not doctrine and as often perpetuate error as they do truth as can be seen with the aforementioned case of people from African descent. In order to determine doctrine, or at least come closer to it, we have to determine what the actual scriptures in question ay and therefore mean.
To do that we return to the issue of the comma in D&C 89:13. Dr. Birch makes the argument that the word only here can be used synonymously with the word except, suggesting that the verse should be read:
And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used except in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
Now it is absolutely true that the word only can mean except, but it does not necessarily mean except. When you look at the 1828 Webster’s dictionary you can see that all of its official definitions reflect how it is commonly used now, to mean something singularly, as in, “John was the only man present.” So, returning to the scripture, if we read:
And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine
As saying the Lord would be happy with us eating meat in all seasons and not just in winter then that reading would also match the meaning of the language in the verse.
So, how do we figure out which is the correct interpretation? There are multiple ways of doing so. I favor just accepting the plain meaning, which would be that we can eat meat in seasons other than winter, but recognize that for many this is unconvincing. For reasons already outlined merely appealing to the authority of some Church leader is also unconvincing because such opinions are neither authoritative nor definitive by the Church’s own pronouncement. The third option, referring to the rest of the scriptures to see what else the Lord has said upon this subject and using that to inform our understanding here, is most likely the best course. The scriptures are sources of authoritative doctrine and therefore it makes sense to use them that way. So what else do the scriptures say about eating meat?
First let us look at D&C 49:
18 And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;
19 For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.
20 But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.
21 And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.
Right off the bat here we can see a refutation of any lifestyle that tells you that you shouldn’t eat meat. This alone rings the death knell for vegetarianism and any other “plant based diet” that tells you to not eat meat. The Lord makes it clear here that He has created animals and ordained them for use by man for both food and clothing. When we eat and use animals for clothing we are using them to fulfill two of their God given purposes. (Side note: That also destroys PETA.) It is also interesting to note here that using animals for both food and clothing is connected with living an abundant life, a life of “great quantity” and which is “fully sufficient.” Using animals for food and clothing helps us to have a full life.
That said, the Lord issues a stern warning in verse 21 to those who would “wasteth flesh,” which we will discuss in more detail after the next citation, which is D&C 59:
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
If D&C 49 wasn’t enough, here in D&C 59 the Lord makes it clear that everything that flies or walks upon the Earth is meant for both food and clothing (“raiment”). I believe these verses also help provide a greater understanding of what the Lord means in D&C 49 when he says that using animals for food and clothing will give us more abundant lives as here He talks about how they smell, taste, and strengthen the body in positive ways. They, along with the plants of the world, please the eye and gladden the heart.
So it seems clear that the Lord has a very positive opinion of eating meat. But in both D&C 49:21 and D&C 59:20 the Lord gives men a serious warning. Animals are living beings and should not be killed wantonly. Those who shed animal blood, waste animal flesh, use it in excess of what they need, or do not use good judgment in their eating of animal flesh will face the judgment of God, hence the warning of “woe be unto that man” that does these things. A similar warning comes from the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of Genesis 9:10-11. I include them here because not only are they restored in the same general time period that the revelations that became D&C Sections 49, 59, and 89 were received, but because these verses from JST Genesis 9 concern the same subject and can give us further insight on this subject. The italics are in the original and represent the added text received by revelation:
10 But, the blood of all flesh which I have given you for meat, shall be shed upon the ground, which taketh life thereof, and the blood ye shall not eat.
11 And surely, blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands.
Here again we see that the Lord has given all flesh to us as meat and again we see the same warning. While it has pleases the Lord to give animals to man to be used for food and clothing they are still living beings. We should not kill them because we can. We should not waste their lives and their blood. They are meant to be food, to be eaten to preserve our lives and not to be wasted or killed for mere fun or sport. And echoing D&C 49, here the Lord makes it clear that He will judge us for every animal life we take, and woe to those who have wasted and killed for some other cause than for food or clothing.
Understanding all this, the context of ideas and revelations in which D&C 89 was received, we can return to verses 12 and 13. The Lord has given us animals to eat and we can do so throughout the year, but we are to do so “sparingly.” What does that mean? Well, in 1828 the definitions of sparingly included frugally, moderately, seldom, cautiously, and tenderly. The Lord is repeatedly clear that we are only supposed to kill what we will consume. If it goes to waste – if it rots before we use it or if we throw it away unconsumed – then we have taken an animal life in vain and the Lord will hold that life against us in the Day of Judgment if we do not repent.
In order to prevent this from occurring then we should carefully plan exactly how much meat we will need, how much we will consume, and then only use what is necessary, avoiding all excess and being moderate or sparing. Does this mean we can’t have leftovers? I don’t think so. But it does mean that you shouldn’t produce so much you can’t or won’t eat it all before it goes bad. If you have leftovers you must eat them all so as to not waste the life of the animal taken to provide that food. This requires us to exercise caution and care with how much meat we eat and for many of us may even demand that we eat less meat in order to meet the standard the Lord has set. But it is not the same thing as saying we shouldn’t eat meat and it doesn’t mean we should only eat it when it is winter or we are starving, an argument which is even further diminished in the next verses of Section 89.
Paragraph 3: Verses 14 – 15
I’m sure on the face of it this verse helps those who believe the Word of Wisdom says we shouldn’t eat meat except in cold or winter feel like their opinions are confirmed. It mentions all these types of beasts and then, right there at the end, it says you can only eat them “in times of famine and excess of hunger,” right? Well, in a word? No. It doesn’t. It only says that if you ignore that verses 14 and 15 are actually one whole sentence and refuse to treat the last line of the sentence as part of the whole. When you approach it holistically that understanding becomes untenable very quickly.
I’ll repeat the entire sentence below for the ease of the reader so you don’t have to scroll back up:
All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth; and these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
Notice it says that “all grain” ordained for the use of men and beasts and then lists a whole bunch of types of beasts who eat grains- beasts of the field, fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep upon the Earth. Then it says “these” – meaning all grains – are for use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger. If you go with the no meat interpretation that says you’re only supposed to eat meat when you’re starving or don’t have any other options then this sounds like you’re only supposed to eat grains when you’re in a famine or starving as well. In which case, when are you ever supposed to eat and what are you supposed to eat? You’re saying I can only ever eat fruits or vegetables? After all, it only mentions grains here. That isn’t health advice, as the vegetarian proponents like to present their arguments and interpretation of Section 89 as being. That is suicide.
So, what does it mean then? Simple. You’re only supposed to eat grains when either there is a famine or when you have an “excess of hunger” i.e. you’re hungry. This whole verse has nothing to do with not eating meat. The mention of beasts here isn’t meant to say you aren’t supposed to eat animals. It is a way to say that men and all animals, except for those in the water, eat grains. And that we should only eat grains when we’re hungry or when we’re starving. Which is not revolutionary advice. You should only ever eat when you’re hungry and then you should eat carefully, mindfully, and sparingly of both meats and plants. Ironically, if you interpret this verse as talking about eating meat in addition to eating grain it actually gets worse for the vegetarian argument because then it says you should only eat these – meats and grains – when you’re in a famine or when you’re hungry. And that totally destroys their interpretation of verses 12 and 13 entirely.
In Summation
The Word of Wisdom directs people to be mindful of what they eat and how they eat. All grains are good for human consumption. Fruits and herbs likewise, the fresher the better. Despite many LDS traditions on the subject, nothing in the Word of Wisdom definitively says that meat should be eaten only in times of winter, cold, or famine. When considering both the language of the text and other revelations given on the same subject around the same time period, it seems pretty clear that the Lord is telling us that we should use animals for both food and clothing, further that it is good to do so as these are some of the purposes for which animals exist, that those who tell us to abstain from meat are not guided by God, and that it has made God happy to have given us animals to use for food and clothing.
At the same time God has commanded us to eat meat sparingly – to not prepare more than we will eat such that the excess will spoil and have to be thrown away as this is wasteful of the gift of life given us and we will be held accountable before Him in Judgment for every animal life we take and those who are judged guilty of wasting animal life will be condemned to woe. Meats and grains are given to us by God to feed us when we are hungry only, which would suggest that gluttony and sport hunting would be activities that would fall under condemnation as they can and do lead to waste. God did not create animals so that we can kill them and mount them on our walls. That said, those who use the Word of Wisdom to try and argue for a vegetarian life style are incorrect in their interpretation of the text and, at least according to D&C 49, “not ordained of God” as teaching people they should abstain from eating meat or wearing animal skins or furs is counter to God’s explicitly stated purposes for creating animals. Be measured, be healthy, and be moderate when it comes to eating meat but eat meat. Not only does the Word of Wisdom not tell you to abstain from meat, the Lord has repeatedly given His blessing to doing so.