EXCELLENT PLACE TO VISIT IN ISRAEL - FORMER LOCATION OF ARK OF THE COVENANT

On my bucket list before I leave this sphere is a visit to Israel with my wife.

This sounds like a nice place to stay while near Jerusalem - and alot of low-key things to do, as well:

CLICK LINK

Can't wait for the trip..... And maybe I can hit the rebuilt Temple while I am there (hope, hope, hope.....)

FASCINATING EXPLANATION FOR THE TUGUNSKA BLAST IN 1908

Apparently this thing will swing by again in 2045 (not worried - I will be enjoying the company of Great Aunt Gertrude on the other side by then....).

The theory that a chunk of hydrogen ice could have made the monster blast is intriguing indeed.....

CLICK LINK

PASSING OF APOPHIS CAUSED THE GREAT TSUNAMI OF DEC 26TH, 2004?

Man, was this just coincidence, or what? I had no idea the occurrence of the great tsunami could be correlated to a rather unusual celestial event. Fascinating!

CLICK FOR LINK

I have not gotten into the Bible Code stuff here - but that was kind of an interesting side note, as well. I will have to take a deep dive into that stuff later.

THE NATURE OF THE BEAST

I have "wondered after" what this thing really is (LINK TO REVELATIONS 13:3). A person, a government, an institution?? I have always thought it would be a person based largely on the world's interpretation of the signs given in Revelations Ch 13.

Lately, I have been wondering about the institution angle and wonder if it is not the banking/stock market/money institutions. We truly worship it as a people and hang our lives and our futures on it. I am trying to disconnect myself from that world because I think the pursuit and the interconnectedness of money and our relentless pursuit of it is toxic in our lives and truly is at the root of most of the evils out there. If we would like to participate in these markets (and survive in today's world) you will have to submit to the mark of this thing (probably some kind of electronic chip), etc. Right now, you cannot fly, rent a car, buy gas after hours, pretty much do anything without the plastic and participating in this thing. So much for self-sufficiency and the autonomy and self-determination that is required of all free men so that they may be judged for themselves. We have virtually no freedoms left - and most of this promulgated from (the former) "most free nation on the face of the earth". People are beginning to wake up to their awful situation that they find themselves "occupied" with. Good people will not remain slaves forever....

Here is a graphic and headlines that caught my attention on the Drudge report this morning....

Do you worship? Or are you extracting yourself from the teat of this thing from which you have been taught to suck since you were a child?

I can't wait until the Lord comes again. These institutions that seek to get gain from the fortunes and misfortunes of others will come to naught and man will once again live organically off the land relying only on God and His power and goodness to make it through their lives.

SOME HISTORY ON THE TEMPLE LOT IN INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI

I thought this was interesting info about our recent past church history in Missouri. When my wife and I visited the area with our young family 10 years ago, we walked the grounds of the Far West Temple site in opposite directions and returned to each other and remarked to each other that we were indeed "inside the temple" - even though we were standing on grass in the direct sun. There is a spiritual building in existence there - even though we could not see it with our natural eyes. How I would love to have my spiritual eyes opened to have a glimpse - just for a moment. That would be a fulfillment of a dream!

We (or at least I) did not have the same feeling on the temple grounds in Independence, even though the Spirit was present there in the LDS visitor's center (and not so much at all in the RLDS "concha shell" temple that we toured.

Here is the link: CLICK LINK

I hope you enjoy.

THE MISSION OF ELIJAH IS STILL IN THE FUTURE??

What??

This is pretty unbelievable stuff. Even I am scratching my head.....

BUT, Elijah's mission not being completed, yet?? Still not sure where we are getting the massive bump in genealogical interest in and out of the Church, and how we would have gotten the keys to do our temple work. Or what the theory is of what mission he will yet perform when he does come - but I do know that Denver is no slouch and I do feel the need to pay attention to what he does have to say....

Here is the article: CLICK LINK

I would love to have any feedback on this from people in the know. This is truly interesting stuff. Maybe I will have to tell my Jewish friend to keep the chair up on the wall of the synagogue for their guest of honor, Elijah. I told him a few months ago that there was no need for it and that it was a done deal in 1836.... Interesting indeed.

SHEM AS MELCHIZEDEK

Joseph Smith was the first one I had seen that presented the idea that Melchizedek was indeed the elusive Shem that seemed to disappear from history after the flood. I first read that in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith before my mission and was intrigued by it. In doing research for a seminary class I am teaching, I ran across that information again in Wikipedia (CLICK LINK) and this source, (the Babylonian Talmud), seems to indicate the same thing.

Interesting stuff. I have run across other information on who Japheth was in conventional (Chinese) history.

Great stuff for another post. Can't wait until we can view world history one thousand years at a time.....

PLANT-BASED DIET CUTS CANCER OFF AT THE PASS?

My wife probably will not like this - but alot of this stuff rings true with what I understand about health. But then again, I only have had one biology course in my life, so what do I know??:


Kathy Freston
Kathy Freston

Author, Health and Wellness Expert
Posted: September 24, 2009 08:34 AM
BIO Become a Fan
Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index
A Cure For Cancer? Eating A Plant-Based Diet
What's Your Reaction:
Inspiring
Enlightening
Crazy
Scary
Helpful
Amazing
Innovative
Important
Read More: Animal Protein , Cancer , Cancer Cure , Carcinogens , Casein , Cure For Cancer , Health , Kathy Freston , Nurtition , Plant-Based Diet , Preventative Medicine , T. Colin Campbell , Living News
0
0
46
Get Living Alerts
Sign Up
Submit this story
digg reddit stumble

I have been working closely recently with a few extraordinary nutritional researchers, and I find that the information they have compiled is quite eye opening. Interestingly, what these highly esteemed doctors are saying is just beginning to be understood and accepted, perhaps because what they are saying does not conveniently fit in with or support the multi-billion dollar food industries that profit from our "not knowing". One thing is for sure: we are getting sicker and more obese than our health care system can handle, and the conventional methods of dealing with disease often have harmful side effects and are ineffective for some patients.

As it is now, one out of every two of us will get cancer or heart disease and die from it - an ugly and painful death as anyone who has witnessed it can attest. And starting in the year 2000, one out of every three children who are born after that year will develop diabetes--a disease that for most sufferers (those with Type 2 diabetes) is largely preventable with lifestyle changes. This is a rapidly emerging crisis, the seriousness of which I'm not sure we have yet recognized. The good news is, the means to prevent and heal disease seems to be right in front of us; it's in our food. Quite frankly, our food choices can either kill us - which mounting studies say that they are, or they can lift us right out of the disease process and into soaring health.

In the next few months, I will share a series of interviews I've conducted with the preeminent doctors and nutritional researchers in the fields of their respective expertise. And here it is straight out: they are all saying the same thing in different ways and through multiple and varying studies: animal protein seems to greatly contribute to diseases of nearly every type; and a plant-based diet is not only good for our health, but it's also curative of the very serious diseases we face .


Cancer

On the subject of cancer, I've asked Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Cornell University and author of the groundbreaking The China Study to explain how cancer happens and what we can do to prevent and reverse it. Dr. Campbell's work is regarded by many as the definitive epidemiological examination of the relationship between diet and disease. He has received more than 70 grant years of peer-reviewed research funding, much of which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), and he has authored more than 300 research papers. He grew up on a dairy farm believing in the great health value of animal protein in the American diet and set out in his career to investigate how to produce more and better animal protein. Troublesome to his preconceived hypothesis of the goodness of dairy, Dr. Campbell kept running up against results that consistently proved an emerging and comprehensive truth: that animal protein is disastrous to human health.

Through a variety of experimental study designs, epidemiological evidence, along with observation of real life conditions which had rational biological explanation, Dr. Campbell has made a direct and powerful correlation between cancer (and other diseases and illnesses) and animal protein. Following is a conversation I had with him so that I could better understand the association.


KF: What happens in the body when cancer develops? What is the actual process?

TCC: Cancer generally develops over a long period of time, divided into 3 stages, initiation, promotion and progression.

Initiation occurs when chemicals or other agents attack the genes of normal cells to produce genetically modified cells capable of eventually causing cancer. The body generally repairs most such damage but if the cell reproduces itself before it is repaired, its new (daughter) cell retains this genetic damage. This process may occur within minutes and, to some extent, is thought to be occurring most of the time in most of our tissues.

Promotion occurs when the initiated cells continue to replicate themselves and grow into cell masses that eventually will be diagnosed. This is a long growth phase occurring over months or years and is known to be reversible.

Progression occurs when the growing cancer masses invade neighboring tissues and/or break away from the tissue of origin (metastasis) and travel to distant tissues when they are capable of growing independently at which point they are considered to be malignant.

KF: Why do some people get cancer, and other don't? What percentage is genetic, and what percentage has to do with diet?

TCC: Although the initiated cells are not considered to be reversible, the cells growing through the promotion stage are usually considered to be reversible, a very exciting concept. This is the stage that especially responds to nutritional factors. For example, the nutrients from animal based foods, especially the protein, promote the development of the cancer whereas the nutrients from plant-based foods, especially the antioxidants, reverse the promotion stage. This is a very promising observation because cancer proceeds forward or backward as a function of the balance of promoting and anti-promoting factors found in the diet, thus consuming anti-promoting plant-based foods tend to keep the cancer from going forward, perhaps even reversing the promotion. The difference between individuals is almost entirely related to their diet and lifestyle practices.

Although all cancer and other diseases begin with genes, this is not the reason whether or not the disease actually appears. If people do the right thing during the promotion stage, perhaps even during the progression stage, cancer will not appear and if it does, might even be resolved. Most estimates suggest that not more than 2-3 percent of cancers are due entirely to genes; almost all the rest is due to diet and lifestyle factors. Consuming plant based foods offers the best hope of avoiding cancer, perhaps even reversing cancer once it is diagnosed. Believing that cancer is attributed to genes is a fatalistic idea but believing that cancer can be controlled by nutrition is a far more hopeful idea.


KF: You said that initially something attacks the genes, chemicals or other agents; like what?

TCC: Cancer, like every other biological event--good or bad--begins with genes. In the case of cancer, gene(s) that give rise to cancer either may be present when we are born or, during our lifetimes, normal genes may be converted into cancer genes by certain highly reactive chemicals (i.e., carcinogens).

Consider 'cancer genes' as seeds that grow into tumor masses only if they are 'fed'. The 'feeding' comes from wrongful nutrition. It's like growing a lawn. We plant seeds but they don't grow into grass (or weeds) unless they are provided water, sunlight and nutrients. So it is with cancer. In reality, we are planting seeds all of our lifetime although some may be present at birth, not only for cancer but also for other events as well. But this mostly does not matter unless we 'nourish' their growth.

The chemicals that create these cancer genes are called 'carcinogens'. Most carcinogens of years past have been those that attack normal genes to give cancer genes. These are initiating carcinogens, or initiators. But more recently, carcinogens also may be those that promote cancer growth. They are promoting carcinogens, or promoters.

Our work showed that casein is the most relevant cancer promoter ever discovered.

Aside from chemicals initiating or promoting cancer, other agents such as cosmic rays (energetic particles) from the sun or from the outer reaches of space may impact our genes to cause them to change (i.e., mutate) so that they could give rise to cancer 'seeds'. The most important point to consider is that we cannot do much about preventing initiation but we can do a lot about preventing promotion. The initiating idea is fatalistic and outside of our control but the promotion idea is hopeful because we can change our exposure to promoting agents and reverse the cancer process, thus is within our control.

KF: What exactly is so bad about animal protein?

TCC: I don't choose the word "exactly" because it suggests something very specific. Rather, casein causes a broad spectrum of adverse effects.

Among other fundamental effects, it makes the body more acidic, alters the mix of hormones and modifies important enzyme activities, each of which can cause a broad array of more specific effects. One of these effects is its ability to promote cancer growth (by operating on key enzyme systems, by increasing hormone growth factors and by modifying the tissue acidity). Another is its ability to increase blood cholesterol (by modifying enzyme activities) and to enhance atherogenesis, which is the early stage of cardiovascular disease.

And finally, although these are casein-specific effects, it should be noted that other animal-based proteins are likely to have the same effect as casein.


KF: Ok, so I am clear that it's wise to avoid casein, which is intrinsic in dairy (milk and cheese), but how is other animal protein, such as chicken, steak, or pork, implicated in the cause and growth of cancer?

TCC: I would first say that casein is not just "intrinsic" but IS THE MAIN PROTEIN OF COW MILK, REPRESENTING ABOUT 87% OF THE MILK PROTEIN.

The biochemical systems which underlie the adverse effects of casein are also common to other animal-based proteins. Also, the amino acid composition of casein, which is the characteristic primarily responsible for its property, is similar to most other animal-based proteins. They all have what we call high 'biological value', in comparison, for example, with plant-based proteins, which is why animal protein promotes cancer growth and plant protein doesn't.


KF: Isn't anything in moderation ok, as long as we don't overdo it?

TCC: I rather like the expression told by my friend, Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., MD, the Cleveland Clinic surgeon who reversed heart disease and who says, "Moderation kills!" I prefer to go the whole way, not because we have fool-proof evidence showing that 100% is better than, say, 95% for every single person for every single condition but that it is easier to avoid straying off on an excursion that too often becomes a slippery slope back to our old ways. Moreover, going the whole way allows us to adapt to new unrealized tastes and to rid ourselves of some old addictions. And finally, moderation often means very different things for different people.

KF: Are you saying that if one changes their diet from animal based protein to plant-based protein that the disease process of cancer can be halted and reversed?

TCC: Yes, this is what our experimental research shows. I also have become aware of many anecdotal claims by people who have said that their switch to a plant-based diet stopped even reversed (cured?) their disease. One study on melanoma has been published in the peer-reviewed literature that shows convincing evidence that cancer progression is substantially halted with this diet.


KF: How long does it take to see changes?

TCC: It is not clear because carefully designed research in humans has not been done. However, we demonstrated and published findings showing that experimental progression of disease is at least suspended, even reversed, when tumors are clearly present.


KF: Consider a person who has been eating poorly his whole life; is there still hope that a dietary change can make a big difference? Or is everything already in motion?

TCC: Yes, a variety of evidence shows that cancers and non-cancers alike can be stopped even after consuming a poor diet earlier in life. This effect is equivalent to treatment, a very exciting concept.


KF: This is sounding like it's a cure for cancer; is that the case?

TCC: Yes. The problem in this area of medicine is that traditional doctors are so focused on the use of targeted therapies (chemo, surgery, radiation) that they refuse to even acknowledge the use of therapies like nutrition and are loathe to even want to do proper research in this area. So, in spite of the considerable evidence--theoretical and practical--to support a beneficial nutritional effect, every effort will be made to discredit it. It's a self-serving motive.

KF: What else do you recommend one does to avoid, stop, or reverse cancer?

TCC: A good diet, when coupled with other health promoting activities like exercise, adequate fresh air and sunlight, good water and sleep, will be more beneficial. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.


For help on how to lean into a plant based diet, check out my blog post here; and for recipes click here.

For more information about diet and cancer, visit tcolincampbell.org.

SIGN OF THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN - JOSEPH SMITH'S WORDS

Thought this was worthy of posting:

Great Destructions Ready to Be Poured Out upon the Inhabitants of the Earth
The last time I spoke on this stand it was on the resurrection of the dead, when I promised to continue my remarks upon that subject. I still feel a desire to say something on this subject. Let us this very day begin anew, and now say, with all our hearts, we will forsake our sins and be righteous. I shall read the 24th chapter of Matthew, and give it a literal rendering and reading; and when it is rightly understood, it will be edifying. [He then read and translated it from the German.]

I thought the very oddity of its rendering would be edifying anyhow—"And it will preached be, the Gospel of the kingdom, in the whole world, to a witness over all people: and then will the end come." I will now read it in German [which he did, and many Germans who were present said he translated it correctly].

The Savior said when these tribulations should take place, it should be committed to a man who should be a witness over the whole world: the keys of knowledge, power and revelations should be revealed to a witness who should hold the testimony to the world. It has always been my province to dig up hidden mysteries—new things—for my hearers. Just at the time when some men think that I have no right to the keys of the priesthood—just at that time I have the greatest right. The Germans are an exalted people. The old German translators are the most correct—most honest of any of the translators; and therefore I get testimony to bear me out in the revelations that I have preached for the last fourteen years. The old German, Latin, Greek and Hebrew translations all say it is true: they cannot be impeached, and therefore I am in good company.

All the testimony is that the Lord in the last days would commit the keys of the priesthood to a witness over all people. Has the Gospel of the kingdom commenced in the last days? And will God take it from the man until he takes him himself? I have read it precisely as the words flowed from the lips of Jesus Christ. John the Revelator saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth.

The scripture is ready to be fulfilled when great wars, famines, pestilence, great distress, judgments, &c., are ready to be poured out on the inhabitants of the earth. John saw the angel having the holy priesthood, who should preach the everlasting Gospel to all nations. God had an angel—a special messenger—ordained and prepared for that purpose in the last days. Woe, woe be to that man or set of men who lift up their hands against God and his witness in these last days: for they shall deceive almost the very chosen ones. (HC 6:363-64.)

Coming of the Son of Man Will Be Soon
When I contemplate the rapidity with which the great and glorious day of the coming of the Son of Man advances, when he shall come to receive his Saints unto himself, where they shall dwell in his presence, and be crowned with glory and immortality; when I consider that soon the heavens are to be shaken, and the earth tremble and reel to and fro; and that the heavens are to be unfolded as a scroll when it is rolled up; and that every mountain and island are to flee away, I cry out in my heart. What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness! (HC 1:442.)

Bow in the Cloud Is a Sign
The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail; but when it shall disappear, woe to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly. (HC 5:402.)

Sign of the Son of Man
I saw a notice in the Chicago Express that one Hyrum Redding had seen the sign of the Son of Man, etc.; and I wrote to the editor of the Times and Seasons, as follows:

Sir:—Among the many signs of the times and other strange things which are continually agitating the minds of men, I notice a small speculation in the Chicago Express, upon the certificate of one Hyrum Redding, of Ogle county, Illinois, stating that he has seen the sign of the Son of Man as foretold in the 24th chapter of Matthew.

The slanderous allusion of a "seraglio" like the Grand Turk, which the editor applies to me, he may take to himself, for, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Every honest man who has visited the city of Nauvoo since it existed, can bear record of better things, and place me in the front ranks of those who are known to do good for the sake of goodness, and show all liars, hypocrites and abominable creatures that, while vice sinks them down to darkness and woe, virtue exalts me and the Saints to light and immortality.

The editor, as well as some others, "thinks that Joe Smith has his match at last," because Mr. Redding thinks that he has seen the sign of the Son of Man. But I shall use my right, and declare that, notwithstanding Mr. Redding may have seen a wonderful appearance in the clouds one morning about sunrise (which is nothing very uncommon in the winter season), he has not seen the sign of the Son of Man, as foretold by Jesus, neither has any man, nor will any man, until after the sun shall have been darkened and the moon bathed in blood; for the Lord hath not shown me any such sign; and as the prophet saith, so it must be—"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (See Amos 3:7.) Therefore hear this, O earth: The Lord will not come to reign over the righteous, in this world in 1843, nor until everything for the Bridegroom is ready. Yours respectfully, Joseph Smith(HC 5:290-91.)

The Sign of the Son of Man
The devil knows many signs, but does not know the sign of the Son of Man, or Jesus. (HC 4:608.)

A DEFINITIVE WORK ON THE WORD OF WISDOM

There is nothing in this article that I would retract or argue with. We wonder why our health is not any better than that of the people of the world when we have modern revelation. Its because we are following after the ways of the world. When I teach on this subject, I always hit this bent - just not this in-depth. My hat is off to this thoughtful, excellent researcher in his work:

CLICK LINK

Here is the article copied and pasted in case the site ever goes down. I will use this info for the rest of my life to promote the true law. As with all laws we were originally given, we are living a lesser version of them - or a perverted version of them. Law of Consecration/Tithing; Celestial Marriage (plurality)/Monogamy; the Lord's Law of Health(Word of Wisdom)/the world's base and corrupt diet. Folks, maybe it is just me, but not only have we fallen off the wagon, but the wagon is being dragged along some incorrect path; and its upside down with the wheels spinning in the air as its being dragged along..... We are in a state of apostasy as a people - and I think the Bretheren just are at a loss as to what to do with us. If you taught most of this stuff in EQ, you would be run out on a rail.....

I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did:



A fresh take on the Word of Wisdom

Posted by Steven Reed // October 5, 2011 // Health

The Word of Wisdom is a revelation that includes many instructions from the Lord pertaining to the substances we consume that therefore make up our bodies. The promised blessings for obedience to the principles revealed to us are priceless and varied. But before getting to this modern dietary law, let’s start with a few examples of instructions concerning diet that God has given to man since the beginning.

A brief history of divinely mandated dietary laws
The Garden of Eden

We read, there was a garden eastward in Eden where Adam and Eve were counseled concerning that which they took into their bodies for nourishment:

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17)

Since they were allowed to eat of every tree of the garden, we can assume that their diet in this case was strictly limited to vegetation. There is no evidence of man consuming flesh for food at this point. The only thing they were counseled to not partake of was the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

Now the interesting thing about these dietary restrictions is that they had a specific purpose; to facilitate the fall, create a state whereby redemption was necessary and allow for the eternal progression and posterity of man. Have you ever thought about what other purposes God might have in mind for the other dietary laws he has instituted over time?
Post Garden of Eden Counsel

After partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, Adam is given new counsel as to what he will eat from this time forward.

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast…eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;…and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;…Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.(Genesis 3:17-18,23)

This is all that we read about diet at this point. In the next chapter we read that Abel kept flocks and we can assume at least two or three things that they were used for:

1. Sacrifices (Adam and his posterity offered sacrifices to the Lord)
2. Clothing (think of the coats of skins the Lord provided for Adam and Eve)
3. Food? (It doesn’t appear clear one way or the other but it is certainly possible)

Noah and his people

We begin to get a little more information as we see the Lord teaching Noah what is acceptable to him in terms of what he may eat.

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. (Genesis 9:2-4)

They are told that every moving thing that liveth is ok to eat, just as the green herbs are ok to eat. But interestingly, the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 9:11 reads:

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.

This seems to indicate that while the Lord approved of his people eating flesh for food, that it was to only be in circumstances where you needed to do so to “save” your life. He further indicated that we would be accountable for the blood of every beast that we slay.
The Law of Moses

The Law of Moses contains, perhaps, the most rigorous set of dietary restrictions and laws that has ever been revealed. These may be found in Leviticus chapter 11 and Deuteronomy chapter 14. The Lord begins saying “These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth (Lev 11:2)” So it is clear that God has ordained animals for the use of man, for food and for raiment.
The Restoration’s Word of Wisdom

In March, 1831 a revelation was given to Joseph Smith mainly to counteract the ideas being promoted by Ann Lee who claimed to be the embodied Jesus Christ who had returned to the earth. One of the things she and her followers taught was abstention from the eating of meats to which the Lord replied:

And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God; 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. (D&C 49:18-19)

This goes right in line with the previous instructions that we have read about in the Old Testament. But just in case one might assume that “abundance” means “open season” on the shedding of blood, the Lord adds a caveat in the next verse:

And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.

Well, when exactly does one “need” to shed blood for food? Thus far, we have read that it should be done to “save your lives”.

A few months later August of 1831 we get further guidance from the Lord in:

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; 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; 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; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. 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. (D&C 59:16-20)

These verses instruct us that all things are made for the benefit and use of man, both plant and animal alike. This sounds very much like the counsel given to both Noah and Moses and is consistent with what the Lord has said in other places. It seems to be an established fact that all these things are for us to use, but with judgment and not to excess.

In 1833, a new revelation was given concerning these things and is perhaps the clearest of all revelations on the matter. However, there is something uniquely different about this revelation, it was given as a unique set of instructions to the people of the last days for important key purposes. In the beginning of the revelation the Lord states:

In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation— (D&C 89:4)

The Lord in his infinite foreknowledge is aware of “evils and designs” that could be dangerous to us, so he is seeking to warn His people by giving a clear set of instructions. The Lord then goes on to list a set of things to beware of along with a set of things TO partake of. Now I think it is common for people to concern themselves with the negative items on the list, after all, we are being warned of danger are we not?
Perspective on caffeine

I think we drastically misinterpret the Word of Wisdom in many ways, one of which can be illustrated by our dreadful fear of the insidiously evil additive caffeine (yes my tongue is a bit in cheek here).

Yes, many Mormons will avoid caffeine as if it were an illegal street drug, but where did this aversion to caffeine come from?

I have a theory that is rooted in the fact that we are always wanting to know the exact reasons why the Lord has banned certain things in the Word of Wisdom. Somewhere along the lines, we figured that some of the “don’ts” in the Word of Wisdom are addictive in nature. The Lord has given us agency and doesn’t want us addicted to things to he counsels us to avoid them; makes sense. So what is addictive about some of these items? Alcohol can be addictive as well as tobacco for certain reasons, but what about Coffee and Tea? Ah, they have caffeine in them.

So maybe caffeine in these beverages is one of the main culprits for these drinks being banned by the Lord. We assume that caffeine, since it is addictive, must be avoided anywhere it can be found, but this is where the hypocrisy sets in.

A can of Coca-cola harbors 35 milligrams of caffeine and is on most Mormon’s “no-no list”, yet many of these Mormons may still enjoy a Hershey’s dark chocolate candy bar that harbors 31 milligrams of caffeine. Eat a Hershey’s kiss, and you’re eating 1 milligram of caffeine and I’ve seen these given to primary children – oh the horror! Caffeine is found plentifully in chocolate, which can be found regularly in treats consumed at home and at church activities.

Now I have heard people claim that they have “withdrawals” when they stop drinking their favorite caffeinated beverage. They attribute this to the addictive qualities of caffeine, but is it the caffeine that is causing the withdrawals or is it something far less obvious?

What if there was something else in those fizzy drinks and many other things that we ingest that was discovered to be more addictive than caffeine and even more addictive than crack cocaine? Wouldn’t you want to know immediately what this horrifying substance was so that you could adjust your eating habits accordingly?

Sure, that can of Coke has 35 milligrams of caffeine, but did you ever consider that the 39,000 milligrams of SUGAR might have anything to do with your withdrawal headaches? Yes, sugar is, in fact, a highly addictive substance.

In a recent French study, scientists found data that led them to conclude:

Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals. We speculate that the addictive potential of intense sweetness results from an inborn hypersensitivity to sweet tastants. In most mammals, including rats and humans, sweet receptors evolved in ancestral environments poor in sugars and are thus not adapted to high concentrations of sweet tastants. The supranormal stimulation of these receptors by sugar-rich diets, such as those now widely available in modern societies, would generate a supranormal reward signal in the brain, with the potential to override self-control mechanisms and thus to lead to addiction.

Are we so focused on “evil and conspiring men” putting caffeine in our beverages that we are blind to the astronomical increase in added sugars being put into virtually EVERYTHING we consume! What else is there that we take into our bodies regularly that shouldn’t be there? These conspiring men are good at what they do and you’ll remember how good they are every time you participate in a ward function where “refreshments” are served. Instead of donuts, how about some fruit? Call me crazy, I guess.
Statements from general authorities of the church concerning eating meats

I was surprised to find very little said concerning the eating of meats in recent years. Most of the quotes that I found were all very similar and not very specific, they just say “sparingly” and leave you to interpret what that means. I think this make sense given that the church is a global one now and they are speaking to people in many circumstances, some of which live in famine-ridden countries; so I think they are more careful about what they say.

As we look backwards in time to when the church was centered mostly in the United States, we see leaders of the church speaking more specifically on the matter.

President George Q. Cannon (This one starts off talking mostly about hunting):

We should by every means in our power impress upon the rising generation the value of life and how dreadful a sin it is to take life. The lives of animals even should be held far more sacred than they are. Young people should be taught to be very merciful to the brute creation and not to take life wantonly or for sport. The practice of hunting and killing game merely for sport should be frowned upon and not encouraged among us. God has created the fowls and the beasts for man’s convenience and comfort and for his consumption at proper times and under proper circumstances; but he does not justify men in wantonly killing those creatures which He has made and with which He has supplied the earth. SOURCE

George Q. Cannon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 7 April 1868:

We are told that swine’s flesh is not good, and that we should dispense with it; and we are told that flesh of any kind is not suitable to man in the summer time, and ought to be eaten sparingly in the winter. [“Word of Wisdom—Fish Culture—Dietetics,” reported by David W. Evans, Journal of Discourses, vol. 12 (Liverpool: Albert Carrington, 1869), pp. 221–22.]

Brigham Young, President of the Church, 19 July 1877

Mothers, keep the children from eating meat…Now, sisters, will you take notice, and instruct those who are not here today, to adopt this rule—stop your children from eating meat, and especially fat meat. [“Relief Societies—Talk to Mothers—Improvement Societies—Domestic Matters—Training Children—Home Production—Silk Interests,” reported by James Taylor, Journal of Discourses, vol. 19 (Liverpool: William Budge, 1878), pp. 67–68; spelling modernized.]

Lorenzo Snow, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, 11 March 1897:

[President Lorenzo Snow] introduced the subject of the Word of Wisdom, expressing the opinion that it was violated as much or more in the improper use of meat as in other things, and thought the time was near at hand when the Latter-day Saints should be taught to refrain from meat eating and the shedding of animal blood. [in Journal History of the Church, 11 March 1897, LDS Archives; see also Leonard J. Arrington, “An Economic Interpretation of the ‘Word of Wisdom,’ ” Brigham Young University Studies, vol. 1, no. 1 (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, Winter 1959), p. 47.]

Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Twelve, 30 Dec. 1966

This is my answer to you in relation to President Brigham Young’s statement that mothers should not feed their small children meat. Yes! Small children do not need the flesh of animals. May I add also that adults would be better if they would refrain from too much eating of meat. As far as I am concerned the eating of meat should be very sparingly. In fact I will be contented if the Millennium was to be ushered in next week. When it is, we will learn that the eating of meat is not good for us. Why do we feel that we do not have a square meal unless it is based largely on meat. Let the dumb animals live. They enjoy life as well as we do.

In the beginning the Lord granted man the use of the flesh of certain animals. See Genesis 9:1-6, but with so many fruits of the soil and from the trees of the earth, why cannot man be content? Naturally in times of famine the flesh of animals was perhaps a necessity, but in my judgment when the Millennium reaches us, we will live above the need of killing dumb innocent animals and eating them. If we will take this stand in my judgment we may live longer. [In a letter to a member sister in El Paso, Texas, dated 30 Dec. 1966, quoted in Health Is A Blessing: A Guide to the Scriptural Laws of Good Health, by Steven H. Horne, advance publication copy (Springville, Utah: Nature’s Field, 1994), p. 34.]

Heber J. Grant, President of the Church, 4 April 1937 said:

I think that another reason why I have very splendid strength for an old man is that during the years we have had a cafeteria in the Utah Hotel, I have not, with the exception of not more than a dozen times, ordered meat of any kind. On these special occasions I have mentioned I have perhaps had a small, tender lamb chop. I have endeavored to live the Word of Wisdom, and that, in my opinion, is one reason for my good health. [in Conference Report, April 1937, p. 15.]

Heber J. Grant, President of the Church, 1 October 1937

It is no hardship to me to eat meat sparingly. I lived for several years, during the winter time, in the Utah Hotel and I am sure that not more than ten or a dozen times did I order meat, and then it was some small lamb chops; no pork, no turkey, no chicken, no veal of any kind did I ever eat during that time at the cafeteria. [in Conference Report, October 1937, p. 14.]

John A. Widstoe speaking of the Word of Wisdom in his 1937 book “The Word of Wisdom, A Modern Interpretation” wrote:

The revelation deals only with grains, fruits, vegetables– nature’s products– and with meat to be used sparingly in cold or famine, but it does not follow that foods not specifically mentioned in the Word of Wisdom are prohibited…It is believed by many that grains, fruits and vegetables are chiefly valuable as foods for other than their protein content. This is incorrect, for a properly selected low meat or wholly vegetarian diet, if supplemented with milk, cheese and eggs, will support life completely. The above conclusion is fully borne out by experiments carried out by men of the highest professional training and integrity. SOURCE

Jessie E. Smith, Wife of Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Church said:

My husband doesn’t eat meat [but rather] lots of fruit and vegetables. [in Gerald E. Jones, PhD Dissertation entitled Concern for Animals as Manifest in Five American Churches: Bible Christian, Shaker, Latter-day Saint, Christian Scientist, and Seventh-Day Adventist (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1972), p. 118.]

Elder Joseph F. Merrill of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in a General Conference of the church:

The foods to be used most sparingly are those which contain a great excess of protein, such as meat, eggs, cheese, and beans. On this account, there are many authorities who think that it would be safer to discard the use of meat altogether than to continue to use it so freely as many Americans are doing. [He goes on to quote a USDA bulletin which states:] ”meat may be omitted from the diet altogether, for it has been determined that all necessary protein and energy may be obtained from other materials.” …Americans eat too much meat, a non-essential in human diet, because all the proteins needed are available in the other foods just named.” SOURCE

Joseph Fielding Smith said concerning the use of flesh:

While it is ordained that the flesh of animals is for man’s food, yet this should be used sparingly. The wording of this revelation is perfectly clear in relation to this subject, but we do not always heed it. The designated grains for the use of man, beasts and fowls, is scientifically correct. (CHMR, 1948, 2:148.)

Spencer W. Kimball in 1978 quoted Joseph F. Smith who said:

“I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds unless he needs them for food, and then he should not kill innocent little birds that are not intended for food for man. I think it is wicked for men to thirst in their souls to kill almost everything which possesses animal life. It is wrong, and I have been surprised at prominent men whom I have seen whose very souls seemed to be athirst for the shedding of animal blood.” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939, pp. 265-66.)

Elder Harold G. Hillam of the seventy said in October 2001:

The scriptures tell us that all grains are good for us (see D&C 89:14) and that meat is “ordained for the use of man” but should be “used sparingly” SOURCE

L. Tom Perry said in 1996:

The Word of Wisdom contains some very positive aspects. It encourages us to use grains, particularly wheat, and to use fruits and vegetables and the sparing use of meat. SOURCE

Since recently we are left to determine what the meaning of the word “sparingly” means in relation to the Word of Wisdom, it becomes necessary to examine the scriptures further for additional clarification.
The laws concerning man’s core diet and the consuming of flesh

In Doctrine & Covenants 89, we are introduced to a simple outline of what God has ordained for man to eat:

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. (D&C 89:10-11)

So all wholesome herbs and fruit are ordained, or set apart, for the constitution, nature and use of man. Now it is important to analyze some of the words in these verses. Going by the trusty Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, we learn that herbs are defined as “A plant or vegetable with a soft or succulent stalk or stem, which dies to the root every year, and is thus distinguished from a tree and a shrub, which have ligneous or hard woody stems.” Further, “The word herb comprehends all the grasses, and numerous plants used for culinary purposes.”

Fruits are defined as “the produce of a tree or other plant; the last production for the propagation or multiplication of its kind; the seed of plants, or the part that contains the seeds; as wheat, rye, oats, apples, quinces, pears, cherries, acorns, melons, &c.”

Now what does it mean that these things are to be for the “constitution” and “nature” of man? Constitution in this instance means:

“The state of being; that form of being or peculiar structure and connection of parts which makes or characterizes a system or body. Hence the particular frame or temperament of the human body is called its constitution. We speak of a robust or feeble constitution; a cold, phlegmatic, sanguine or irritable constitution. We speak of the constitution of the air, or other substance; the constitution of the solar system; the constitution of things.”

So herbs and fruit are ordained to be the things that constitute the human body; you are what you eat, right? What about “nature”? Nature is “The essence, essential qualities or attributes of a thing, which constitute it what it is” and there you have the word “constitute” again.

Continuing with the revelation we read:

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; (D&C 89:12)

Read the language very carefully, the Lord says that he has also “ordained” the flesh of beasts and fowls for the USE of man, with thanksgiving and that they are to be used sparingly. Note that herbs and fruits were ordained for the “constitution, nature and use of man” but when speaking of the flesh of beasts the words “constitution” and “nature” are NOT used, furthermore, it is emphasized that they are to be used sparingly. Sparingly means:

“Not abundantly. Frugally; parsimoniously; not lavishly. Abstinently; moderately.”

If we take a deeper look at the word “abstinently” we read that it means:

“in general, the act or practice of voluntarily refraining from, or forbearing any action. More appropriately, The refraining from an indulgence of appetite, or from customary gratifications of animal propensities. It denotes a total forbearance, as in fasting, or a forbearance of the usual quantity. In the latter sense, it may coincide with temperance, but in general, it denotes a more sparing use of enjoyments than temperance. Besides, abstinence implies previous free indulgence; temperance does not.”

In verse 13 the Lord elaborates by saying:

And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

The Lord is pleased when the flesh of animals is not used as food with the exceptions being, only in times of winter, cold or famine, or in the words of Genesis 9:11, “to save your lives”.

In verse 14 the Lord indicates what the staff of life should be:

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;

The Lord indicates that all grain is ordained to be the staff or support of life for man and the animals as well; and speaking of the animals, he refers to their use yet again:

And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.

So it isn’t just winter time that the Lord is concerned about, he prefers it seems, that the flesh of animals is only to be consumed when we do not have access to the herbs, fruits and grains that he has ordained for our constitution and nature. The Lord continues in verses 16 and 17 to emphasize this point to us:

All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—Nevertheless, 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.

Animal protein as an addictive and carcinogenic substance

Casein is a protein found in animal products such as meat, milk and cheese. While unprocessed and unseasoned fruits and vegetables are naturally casein-free. So what’s the big deal about casein? Well, many people are allergic to it along with gluten for instance, but here’s were it gets interesting; what if you knew that it was also an addictive substance?

The Orlando Sentinel July 13, 2003, published an article that revealed some interesting information about cheese:

Why is cheese so addicting? Certainly not because of its aroma, which is perilously close to old socks. The first hint of a biochemical explanation came in 1981, when scientists at Wellcome Research Laboratories in Research Triangle Park, N.C., found a substance in dairy products that looked remarkably like morphine. After a complex series of tests, they determined that, surprisingly enough, it actually was morphine. By a fluke of nature, the enzymes that produce opiates are not confined to poppies — they also hide inside cows’ livers. So traces of morphine can pass into the animal’s bloodstream and end up in milk and milk products. The amounts are far too small to explain cheese’s appeal. But nonetheless, the discovery led scientists on their search for opiate compounds in dairy products.

And they found them. Opiates hide inside casein, the main dairy protein. As casein molecules are digested, they break apart to release tiny opiate molecules, called casomorphins. One of these compounds has about one-tenth the opiate strength of morphine.The especially addicting power of cheese may be due to the fact that the process of cheese-making removes water,lactose and whey proteins so that casein is concentrated. Scientists are now trying to tease out whether these opiate molecules work strictly within the digestive tract or whether they pass into the bloodstream and reach the brain directly…

The cheese industry is miles ahead of them, having gone to great lengths to identify people who are most vulnerable to addiction. It dubs them “cheese cravers,” and tracks their age, educational level and other demographics so as to target them with marketing strategies that are tough to ignore. With a $200 million annual research and marketing budget, the dairy industry is not content to have you just sprinkling a little mozzarella on your salad. It is looking for those Americans who will eat it straight out of the package, whatever the cost to their waistlines or cholesterol levels.

At a “Cheese Forum” held Dec. 5, 2000, Dick Cooper, the vice president of Cheese Marketing for Dairy Management Inc., laid out the industry’s scheme for identifying potential addicts and keeping them hooked. In his slide presentation, which was released to our organization under the Freedom of Information Act, he asked the question, “What do we want our marketing program to do?” and then gave the answer: “Trigger the cheese craving.” He described how, in a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the dairy industry launched Wendy’s Cheddar Lover’s Bacon Cheeseburger, which single-handedly pushed 2.25 million pounds of cheese during the promotion period. That works out to 380 tons of fat and 1.2 tons of pure cholesterol in the cheese alone. A similar promotion with Pizza Hut launched the “Ultimate Cheese Pizza,” which added an entire pound of cheese to a single pizza and sold five million pounds of it during a six-week promotion in 2000. The presentation concluded with a cartoon of a playground slide with a large spider web woven to trap children as they reached the bottom. The caption had one spider saying to another, “If we pull this off, we’ll eat like kings.”

So I guess we can see direct fulfillment in this case of the Word of Wisdom’s warning:

“In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—” (D&C 89:4)

Here are some quotes regarding the addictive properties of casein starting with a brief statement from the Great Plains Laboratory:

The peptides from gluten and casein are important because they can react with opiate receptors in the brain, thus mimicking the effects of opiate drugs like heroin and morphine. – Great Plains Laboratory

Dr. Neal Barnard, in an interview with the Washington Post had this to say:

Certain foods appear to stimulate the release of opiate chemicals within the brain. These are chemical cousins of morphine and heroin. The are not as strong as illegal drugs, but appear to be strong enough to keep us coming back, especially when we are stressed, tire, angry, or alone.

Not every food does this. The groups that do are sugar (and sugar-fat mixtures, such as butter cookies, as well as foods that produce sugar rapidly), chocolate, cheese, and meat. Let me share some of the evidence for this. In emergency rooms, doctors use the drug naloxone to block opiate receptors. So when a person has overdosed on heroin, naloxone can save their life. If we give it to a seriously addicted chocoholic–a person who really binges on it–chocolate is much less attractive. This suggests that chocolate’s attraction is not just its taste, but rather its effect on the brain. The same has been found for sugary foods, cheese, and meat…It is odd to think of meat as “addicting” but there are many people who feel they really cannot give it up, even after they have had a heart attack or a relative has developed colon or breast cancer (two forms of the disease linked to meat consumption).” - Dr. Neal Barnard is a nutrition expert, an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. SOURCE

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. in an interview said concerning casein:

“With dairy products you’ve got the whole problem of animal protein which is known to contribute to [heart disease], and you have casein, and that’s where Dr. T. Colin Campbell has really gotten four stars — he’s shown absolutely how horrifically powerful casein is as a tumor promoter, not to mention the IGF, which is the “Insulin-like Growth Factor” in milk, which is another tumor promoter.” SOURCE

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, whose name you might recognize from the now famous “China Study” produced some amazing research that found links between animal protein and cancer:

When Campbell and his colleagues looked at the connection between animal protein and late cancer, they discovered they were able to trigger and then shut down the formation of cancerous tumors by adjusting the amount of animal protein. In the study, the lab animals were expected to be at the end of their lives within 100 weeks. All 58 animals with diets consisting of 20 percent proteins were dead at the end of the 100-week period. All 60 at the 5 percent level of protein were living after the 100 weeks. SOURCE

Dr. Campbell has also said:

…the nutrients from animal based foods, especially the protein, promote the development of the cancer whereas the nutrients from plant-based foods, especially the antioxidants, reverse the promotion stage. This is a very promising observation because cancer proceeds forward or backward as a function of the balance of promoting and anti-promoting factors found in the diet, thus consuming anti-promoting plant-based foods tend to keep the cancer from going forward, perhaps even reversing the promotion.

…Our work showed that casein is the most relevant cancer promoter ever discovered. SOURCE

The addictive effects of animal protein are known and skillfully manipulated to bind us to them for profit. In my opinion, I believe that this more than fulfills the Lord’s words in the Word of Wisdom concerning “conspiring men in the last days” and considering the dangerous, carcinogenic effects of animal protein, I would say that we have direct evidence that “evils and designs” are certainly used by the companies that promote these products in our diets.

But what about fish? When asked this question in an interview, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. said this:

“For the question about whether or not you want to eat fish, here I refer to my friend and colleague Dr.John McDougall, a kindred spirit, John has explained it this way: that a piece of muscle, whether with claws with a hoof, whether it flaps a wing, whether it wiggles a fin, all animal muscle is made of animal protein,animal fat, and animal cholesterol, none of what you want. Now you do get some Omega-3s from fish, but you also get a lot of PCBs and mercury, and other things you don’t want. But you can get Omega-3 through flax seed meal, which is what I prefer.” SOURCE

Does the Word of Wisdom preach Vegetarianism or Veganism?

A Vegetarian is defined as “A person who does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products, esp. for moral, religious, or health reasons.” and a Vegan is defined as “A person who does not eat or use animal products.”

Now we approach the fine line.

I personally believe that according to scripture, both Vegetarianism and Veganism are not in line with the teachings of the Lord. Therefore, I would never refer to myself as a Vegetarian or a Vegan or any other such label. I also believe that, according to scripture, the modern practice of consuming animal flesh on a daily, regular basis, while we live in times of prosperity and plenty is in violation of the Lord’s instructions.

I have sought out further instruction from modern prophets on the subject of consuming of meat and there isn’t much detailed information. They always point back to D&C 89 and almost always mention “sparingly”. It seems that the revelation itself is plain enough to not warrant a more in-depth analysis.

The clear facts are that God has ordained herbs, fruits and grains for the constitution and nature of the bodies of man and that he has also ordained the flesh of animals for the use of man in times of famine, excess hunger and when it becomes necessary in order for survival.

So what does that mean for us today?

Well, it may mean some incredibly difficult dietary changes for each one of us. It’s taken me years, to adjust the eating habits of my family to be more along the lines of what the Lord has revealed and I am still working on it. It has meant giving up things I used to eat abundantly, things I used to and still do savor. I have a freezer full of beef which I will gratefully maintain in case I ever need it. However, on my journey, I have discovered a wealth of incredibly delicious and nutritious things to eat that are in line with the principles of the Word of Wisdom.

As I have been feasting upon herbs, fruits, grains and nuts, my tastes have adapted and now crave these items. I’ve dramatically reduced my sugar intake and am continuing to drop weight. I’m just beginning to realize that these changes have significantly affected my life concerning the promised revelatory treasures of knowledge and hidden knowledge. I’m not completely there yet; I’m still learning about this subject more and more, but I can say that as I have tried to pattern my life closer to the Lord’s instructions, I have been blessed.

I am sensitive to the fact that in many nations around the earth, people do not have very much choice in what they get to eat. Many of these people live in a state of constant famine and in these cases, I believe that they are fully authorized to utilize the flesh of animals for sustenance. I also support the Church in its maintaining of vast herds of livestock for the feeding of the needy, just as Abel was a keeper of flocks. But are WE, justified in partaking of the same where we are literally surrounded by stores where we can purchase any food we want at any time?
The Promise of living the principle

In 2003, at a Church Educational System (CES) Fireside for Young Adults, President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said some extremely significant things concerning the Word of Wisdom:

The “Word of Wisdom [was] given for a principle with promise” (D&C 89:1, 3). But what is the promise? The promise, of course, is personal revelation…Now, the Word of Wisdom is, I think, only incidentally to keep us healthy, if we will observe it. But that matter of physical health is a losing battle. You know, no matter what you do to take care of your body, in due course, it begins to weaken! We are not going to live forever in this life…The point is, if you want to move on spiritually and do as you ought to do in this life, the principle outlined in the Word of Wisdom shows you the requirements. You cannot just toy with it…And so, like it or not! If you are tampering, if there is any mischief, you have got to quit it! It is not that you are going to be a healthy athlete all of your life, and it is not that you are going to avoid old age. It is that you will have the key to revelation. When your body begins to deteriorate, the patterns of revelation will be augmented and magnified. (Boyd K. Packer, The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character, LINK)

So the Word of Wisdom is only incidentally about health and wellness. The key purpose is to guide us in the management of the constitution and nature of our bodies so they they can be an “instrument of [our] mind”, existing in a state whereby they will not be obstacles to our ability to receive revelation.

President Packer clearly states “the Word of Wisdom shows you the requirements. You cannot just toy with it”. Are we willing to follow the Word of Wisdom as revealed to us? Or will we continue to follow the diet of the average American citizen? Remember, the Word of Wisdom (yes, the entire thing) was given to warn and forewarn us “In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days.”
Conclusion

Why should we think that these evils are limited only to dangerous drugs and not to the very foods that we consume regularly? Do we not see the rampant cancers, obesity and disease even among members of the church who abstain from illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco?

If we do not change, we will continue to see more of the same. In a world where science is as fickle as the weather when determining what we should or should not eat, the Word of Wisdom is a rock of safety and consistency. If we have found ourselves in a state where we are not healthy physically or spiritually or worry about our future health, perhaps the best counsel is summed up in the three words offered by the Old Testament prophet Haggai: “Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5)

——-

Updates:

* Added section “Animal protein as an addictive and carcinogenic substance” – October 11, 2011
* Added section “Statements from general authorities of the church concerning eating meats” - October 11, 2011
* Added several quotes to the “Statements from general authorities…” section (Special thanks to Brian from LatterDayConservative.com) – October 11, 2011

About the Author

I grew up in South Texas, served a mission for the Church in the Idaho Boise Mission, have a degree in Management and background in Graphic Design. I thoroughly enjoy the study of any subject I can get my hands on. I particularly enjoy topics relating to religion, symbolism and government.

by Steven Reed

SYNOPSIS OF VELIKOVSKI'S LIFE AND WORK

Any of the old timers here ever read the book called "WORLDS IN COLLISION by Immanuel Velikovsky?" It is truly fascinating and a book way ahead of it's time. Velikovsky does a controversial study which posits a cosmic history of planetary cataclysms. According to Velikovsky, these epic catastrophes geophysically altered earth, radically affecting even its magnetic polarity and solar orbit. The great MYTHOLOGIES of the world, in particular the story of the Hebrew EXODUS, are cited to substantiate the theory that Venus may have originally been a comet whose near-collision with earth was the Physical Agency (ascribed to God in The Torah/Old Testament)of the terrifying tribulation called THE TEN PALGUES:


"The Russian-born scholar was a friend and colleague of Albert Einstein, a student of Freud's first pupil Wilhelm Stekel, and Israel's first practicing psychoanalyst. Some of his writings appeared in Freud's Imago. In 1930 he published the first paper to suggest that epileptics would be characterized by abnormal encephalograms. He was the founder and editor of the scholarly publication, Scripta Universitatis, the physics and mathematics section being prepared by Einstein."

It was while researching a book on Freud and his heroes that Velikovsky first wondered about the catastrophes said to have accompanied the Hebrew Exodus, when fire and hailstones rained upon Egypt, earthquakes decimated the nation, and a pillar of fire and smoke moved in the sky. Biblical and other traditional Hebrew sources speak so vividly that Velikovsky began to wonder if some extraordinary natural event might have played a part in the Exodus.

To explore this possibility, Velikovsky sought out a corresponding account in ancient Egyptian records, finding a remarkable parallel in a papyrus kept at the University of Leyden Museum, called the Papyrus Ipuwer. The document contains the lamentations of an Egyptian sage in response to a great catastrophe overwhelming Egypt, when the rivers ran red, fire blazed in the sky, and pestilence ravaged the land.

Velikovsky also encountered surprising parallels in Babylonian and Assyrian clay tablets, Vedic poems, Chinese epics, and North American Indian, Maya, Aztec, and Peruvian legends. From these remarkably similar accounts, he constructed a thesis of celestial catastrophe. He concluded that a very large body -- apparently a "comet" -- passed close enough to Earth to violently perturb its axis, as global earthquakes, wind and falling stone decimated early civilizations.

Before Velikovsky could complete his reconstruction, he had to resolve an enigma. He had found that in the accounts of far-flung cultures, the cometary agent of disaster was identified as a planet. And the closer he looked, the more clear it became to him that this planet was Venus: The converging ancient images include the Babylonian "torch-star" Venus and "bearded star" Venus, the Mexican "smoking star" Venus, the Peruvian "long-haired" star Venus, the Egyptian Great Star "scattering its flame in fire" and the widespread imagery of Venus as a flaming serpent or dragon in the sky. In each instance, the cometary language is undeniable, for these were the very symbols of "the comet" in the ancient languages.

By following the evidence, Velikovsky discovered that Venus holds a special place among the world's first astronomers. In both the Old World and the New, ancient stargazers regarded Venus with awe and terror, carefully observing its risings and settings, and claiming the planet to be the cause of world-ending catastrophe. These astronomical traditions, Velikovsky reasoned, must have had roots in a traumatic human experience, though modern science has always assumed that the planets evolved in quiet and undisturbed isolation over billions of years.

Based on extensive cross-cultural comparison, Velikovsky concluded that the planet Venus, prior to the dawn of recorded history, was ejected violently from the gas giant Jupiter, displaying a spectacular comet-like tail. Its later catastrophic approach to the Earth (around 1500 B.C.) provided the historical backdrop to the Hebrew Exodus, Velikovsky claimed.

In Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky argued that the terrifying "gods" of the ancient world were planets -- those inconspicuous specks of light we see moving with clock-like regularity, as if to deny their chaotic roles in the past. The book recounted two close encounters of the comet or protoplanet Venus with the Earth. Included in the same volume was a large section on the ancient war god, whom Velikovsky identified as the planet Mars. He claimed that centuries after the Venus catastrophes, Mars moved on an unstable orbit intersecting that of Earth, leading to a series of Earth-disturbing events in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C........

For many years after publication(The movie was 1953) of Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky was persona non grata on college campuses. He was denied the opportunity to publish articles in scientific journals. When he attempted to respond to critical articles in such journals, they rejected these responses. The attitude of established science was typified by the reactions of astronomers. Michigan astronomer Dean McLaughlin exclaimed, "Lies -- yes lies." In response to a correspondent, astronomer Harold Urey, wrote: "My advice to you is to shut the book [Worlds in Collision] and never look at it again in your lifetime."

For Velikovsky, this was the beginning of a personal "dark age". But remarkably, his friendship with Albert Einstein was unaffected, and Einstein met with him often, maintaining an extended correspondence as well, encouraging Velikovksy to look past the misbehavior of the scientific elite. In discussion with Einstein, Velikovsky predicted that Jupiter would be found to emit radio noises, and he urged Einstein to use his influence to have Jupiter surveyed for radio emission, though Einstein himself disputed Velikovsky's reasoning. But in April 1955 radio noises were discovered from Jupiter, much to the surprise of scientists who had thought Jupiter was too cold and inactive to emit radio waves. That discovery led Einstein to agree to assist in developing other tests of Velikovsky's thesis. But the world's most prominent scientist died only a few weeks later.

Velikovsky expected other discoveries through space exploration. He claimed that the planet Venus would be found to be extremely hot, since in his reconstruction, the planet was "candescent" in historical times. His thesis also implied the likelihood of a massive Venusian atmosphere, residue of its former "cometary" tail. And he claimed that the Earth would be found to have a magnetosphere reaching at least to the moon, because he was convinced that in historical times the Earth exchanged electrical charge with other planetary bodies.

Arrival of the space age was a critical juncture for Velikovsky, as data returned from the Moon, from Mars, and from Venus begin to recast our views of these celestial bodies. In 1959, Dr. Van Allen discovered that the Earth has a magnetosphere. In the early sixties, scientists realized, much to their surprise, that the planet Venus has a surface temperature as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt lead. "The temperature is much higher than anyone would have predicted," wrote Cornell Mayer.

Things grew more promising for Velikovsky. In 1962, two scientists, Valentin Bargmann, professor of physics at Princeton, and Lloyd Motz, professor of astronomy at Columbia, urged that Velikovsky's conclusions "be objectively re-examined." In support of this reconsideration, they cited his prior predictions about radio noises from Jupiter, the terrestrial magnetosphere, and an unexpectedly high temperature of Venus......

Here, on the other hand, is the opinion of the two authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods, each having investigated the thesis of Worlds in Collision for more than three decades. David Talbott and Wallace Thornhill write: "The authors of this book believe that Velikovsky was incorrect on many particulars, some of them crucial to a proper understanding of ancient events. But his place among the great pioneers of science will be secure if he was correct on the underlying tenets"

Talbott and Thornhill do not accept Velikovsky's specific chronology of events, and they place the age of planetary upheaval just prior to the flowering of monumental civilization, which they see as a creative act of human REMEMBERING. Rather than declare Velikovsky to be categorically "right" or "wrong", they cite these claims as crucial to any assessment of Velikovsky's contribution to science -

1. The present order of the planets is new. In geologically recent times the planetary system was unstable, and at least some planets moved on much different courses than they do today.

2. Erratic movements of the planets led to global catastrophe on Earth.

3. Through rigorous cross-cultural comparison of the ancient traditions, an investigator can reconstruct the celestial dramas.

One more principle must also be included, according to the authors. Velikovsky said that the key to reconciling his claims with scientific theory would be ELECTROMAGNETISM, a force in which astronomers and cosmologists had no interest in 1950. He stated that if the Sun and the planets are not the "electrically neutral" bodies astronomers assume, then even "the law of gravitation must come into question."

In the years since Velikovsky wrote these words, a new perspective has emerged from space age discovery. A universe teeming with charged particles-the "Electric Universe" of Wallace Thornhill and others -- is redefining everything we see in space. But you would not know this by listening to David Morrison, whose words still echo the electrically inactive, purely gravitational 1950's vision of the heavens.

The electrical theorists say that the picture of the universe has changed, and all of the theoretical sciences will give way to a revolution in human understanding. The authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods summarize the new view in these words:

"From the smallest particle to the largest galactic formation, a web of electrical circuitry connects and unifies all of nature, organizing galaxies, energizing stars, giving birth to planets and, on our own world, controlling weather and animating biological organisms. There are no isolated islands in an 'electric universe.'"

The confidence of the electrical theorists comes from the testability of the hypothesis. Its every component leads to implications and predictions that can be either confirmed or falsified through direct investigation. A comparison of this approach to that taken by David Morrison may be instructive, so let's go back to the "beginning," cosmically speaking:



You can read the rest of it at; The rest is a synopsis of the "electrical universe.


http://www.redicecreations.com/speci...skysghost.html

“We shall … do well to discern the signs of the times as we pass along, that the day of the Lord may not ‘overtake us as a thief in the night.” Joseph Smith


Modern Signs

Joseph Smith's most profound and enlightening sermon on the signs of the last days, given on the temple grounds at Nauvoo in April, 1843, demonstrates his views of the origin and nature of those signs, as well as our ability to recognize them for what they are.

"There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; … " (History of the Church, 5:337.)

Of particular interest is his addition of a truly remarkable sign to the customary list — one to which Latter-day Saints should give special heed. "… then will appear one grand sign of the coming of the Son of Man in heaven." (Ibid.) This is clearly a reiteration of the Savior’s statement in Matthew 24 wherein he said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven …."

Until this last dispensation of the gospel, no other prophet or passage of scripture had added the superlative "grand sign." Typically, all the signs are given equal weight or value; none is designated as special or more notable. Indeed, the only other mention is found in modern revelation wherein a slightly altered version of the term is used. Speaking of the last days, the Lord declared to Joseph in December 1842, "And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together." (Doctrine & Covenants 88:93.)

Indeed, Joseph may have intended that this sermon, given a mere four months after the revelation recorded in Doctrine & Covenants, reaffirm and amplify on that revelation since Section 88 is remarkable for its catalog of latter-day signs.

On that occasion, Joseph continued his sermon by explaining what that marvelous sign might be. "What will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, &c. But the Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east. (Ibid.)

It is a stunning statement, when carefully considered. The greatest or grandest of signs will be a comet or planet. Assumably, this comet or planet will be doing something well out of the ordinary to attract special attention.

Note that the Prophet is not saying the world’s assessment is incorrect, as some have supposed. Rather, he is merely noting that the worldly or scientific terminology for this eye-catching sign would be "a planet, a comet, &c."

In light of what modern science has discovered in recent years about rogue comets and asteroids, this observation by Joseph Smith is striking. Mention of this great or grand sign is unique to this dispensation and is therefore worthy of special attention by Mormons — especially in light of what occurred in the heavens a decade ago.


http://mormonprophecy.blogspot.com/2...ern-signs.html

I advised all to search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness. (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:363.)

I also gave some instructions in the mysteries of the kingdom of God; such as the history of the planets, Abraham’s writings upon the planetary systems, etc. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 118.)

“For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fullness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea.” (D&C 29:23, 24.)

Also, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1.)

The lyrics of a hymn written by Eliza R. Snow. The hymn appears as no. 322 of the 1905 hymn book, 5th verse.

"And when the Lord saw fit to hide The ten lost tribes away, Thou, earth, was severed to provide The orb on which they stay."

early patriarch, Homer M. Brown, was asked about the Eliza R. Snow hymn. His answer includes a second-hand account that claims that the Prophet Joseph Smith supported the star theory. The direct quote below was taken from Robert W. Smith, The Last Days, Salt Lake City, Utah: Pyramid Press, 1947, p. 215.

"Brother Brown, will you give us some light and explanation of the 5th verse on page 386 of the Hymn book which formed another planet (sic), according to 'the Hymn of Eliza R. Snow.

"Yes, sir, I think I can answer your question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, in visiting my grandparents (Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Brown), was asked by my grandmother: 'Eliza where did you get your ideas about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken away as you explain in your wonderful hymn?

"She answered as follows: 'why, my husband (The Prophet Joseph Smith) told me about it.'

"Have you any other information that your grandfather ever gave you, as contained in any conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith?

"I have! One evening in Nauvoo, just after dark, somebody rapped at the door vigorously. Grandfather said he was reading the Doctrine and Covenants. He rose hurriedly and answered the summons at the door, where he met the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"He said, 'Brother Brown, can you keep me over night, the mobs are after me?' Grandfather answered, 'Yes. Sir. It will not be the first time, come in.'

"'Al1 right,' the Prophet said, shutting the door quickly. He came in and sat down. Grandmother said: 'Brother Joseph, have you had your supper?'

"'No he answered, 'I have not.' So she prepared him a meal, and he ate it.

Afterward they were in conversation relative to the principles of the Gospel. During the conversation the ten lost tribes were mentioned. Grandfather said, 'Joseph, where are the ten tribes?' He said, "Come to the door and I will show you, come on Sister Brown, I want you both to see.'

"It being a starlight night the Prophet said: "Brother Brown, you show me the Polar Star?'" 'Yes sir,' he said, pointing to the North Star. 'There it is.' 'Yes, I know' said the Prophet, 'but which one? There are a lot of stars there.'

"Grandfather said: 'Can you see the points of the Dipper?' The Prophet answered, 'Yes,' 'Well," he said, "trace the pointers, pointing up to the largest star. That is the North Star.'

"The Prophet answered: 'You are correct. Now,' he said, pointing toward the star, 'do you discern a little twinkler to the right and below the Polar star, which we would judge to be about the distance of 20' from here?'

"Grandfather answered, 'Yes, sir.'

"The Prophet said: 'Sister Brown, do you see that star also?'

"Her answer was, 'Yes, sir.'

"'Very well then,' he said, 'Let's go in.' After re-entering the house the Prophet said: 'Brother Brown, I noticed when I came in that you were reading the Doctrine and Covenants. Will you kindly get it?'

"He did so. The Prophet turned to Section 133 and read, commencing at the 26th verse and through the 34th verse. He said, after reading the 31st verse, 'Now let me ask you what would cause the Everlasting Hills to tremble with more violence than the coming together of two planets. And the place whereon they reside will return to this earth. Now,' he said, 'Scientists will tell you that it is not scientific: that two planets corning together would be disastrous to both; but, when two planets or other objects are traveling in the same direction and one of them with a little greater velocity than the other, it would not be disastrous, because the one traveling faster would overtake the other. Now, that would cause the mountains of ice to melt quicker than the heat caused by the friction of the two planets coming together?' And then he asked the question. 'Did you ever see a meteor falling that was not red hot? So that would cause the mountains of ice to melt.'

"'And relative to the Great Highway ,which should be cast up when the planet returns to its place in the great Northern Waters, it will form a highway and waters will recede and roll back.' He continued, 'Now as to their coming back from the Northern Waters; they will return from the north because their planet will return to the place from whence it was taken.'

"Relative to the waters rolling back to the north. If you take a vessel of water and swing it rapidly around your head you won’t spill any, but if you stop the motion gradually, it will begin to pour out. Now,' he said, 'Brother Brown, at the present time this earth is rotating very rapidly. When this planet returns it will make the earth that much heavier, and it will then revolve slower, and that will account for the waters receding from the earth for a great while, but it has now turned and is proceeding rapidly eastward.'"

GREAT QUOTES ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE LOST 10 TRIBES

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information and knowledge, which is proof that will crush truth and destroy facts, and which cannot fail to keep any man or set of men in everlasting ignorance. This principle is Condemnation prior to examination."
Where are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?

Orson F. Whitney ; " It is maintained by some that the Lost Tribes of Israel, —those carried into captivity about 725 B.C. ....are no longer a distinct people; that they exist only in a scattered condition, mixed with the nations among which they were taken by their captors, the conquering Assyrians.’ "If this be true , and those tribes were not intact at the time Joseph and Oliver received the keys of the gathering, why did they make so pointed a reference to ‘the leading of the Ten Tribes from the land of the north?’ This, too, after a general allusion to ‘the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth.’ What need to particularize as to the Ten Tribes , if they were no longer a distinct people? And why do our Articles of Faith give those Tribes a special mention?"

10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of
the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the
American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and,
that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory. Articles of Faith, verse 10.

James E. Talmage; In his book Articles of Faith, page 340, "—it is plain that, while many of those belonging to the ten tribes were diffused among the nations, a sufficient number to justify the retention of the original name were led away as a body, and are now in existence some place where the Lord has hidden them’.

1.Juvenile Instructor Vol. 27, page 344 Bathsheba W. Smith, born May 3, 1822 , wife of President George A. Smith in her " Recollections of the Prophet Joseph Smith", published in the Juvenile Instructor for June 1,1892 is the following: I heard him say "Peradventure, the Ten Tribes were not on this globe, but a portion of this earth cleaved off with them, went flying into space, and when the earth reels to and fro like a drunken man, and the stars from heaven fall, it would join on again.’"

2.Millennial Star, Vol. 1, No. 10, Parley P. Pratt in answer to questions from Joseph Fielding: (Rev. 6:13, "And the stars of heaven shall fall unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.")

" How can the stars fall from heaven to the earth when they (as far as we know) are much larger than the earth?

"We are not here given to understand that all the stars will fall, or even many of them: but only as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken by the wind. The stars which will fall to the earth are fragments which have been broken off from the earth from time to time in the mighty convulsions of nature;----some in the days of Enoch;----some in the days of Peleg;----some with the Ten Tribes; and some with the death of Christ. These must all be restored again at the time of the restitution of all things."

"This will restore the Ten Tribes of Israel."

3.The Young Woman’s Journal, Vol. 3, No. 6, for march 1892. O. B. Huntington, Intimate associate of the Prophet Joseph, and an early day Patriarch of Springville, mentioned that the earth had two wings and drew them as semi-circles giving the earth the appearance of having polar elongations.

4.A Key To This Earth, by Matthew W. Dalton, 1906, Another intimate friend, and onetime bodyguard of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Hon. Philo Dibble of Springville, Utah, is said to have received a diagram from the Prophet in 1842, which indicated the arrangement of this earth as a triple planet, at the time when the Ten Tribes were directed to the northern sphere.

5.Interview of Homer Brown of the Forest Dale ward, Granite Stake, grandson of Benjamin Brown answered these questions. "Brother Brown, can you give us some light and explanation of the fifth verse, page 386, of the Hymn Book, (HYMN No. 323, ENOCH, little pocket Hymn Book 1905), which speaks of the Ten Tribes of Israel on part of the earth which now forms another planet, according to the composer, Eliza R. Snow?" "Yes, sir, I think I can.–I think I can answer that question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, when visiting my grand parents, was asked by my grandmother: ‘Eliza, where did you get your idea about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken as you explained in your hymn on page 386 of the Hymn Book?’ She answered as follows, ‘Why, my husband , the Prophet Joseph told me about it.’"

"Have you any other information, Brother Brown, that your grandfather ever gave you as contained in any conversation with the Prophet Joseph?"

"Yes I have. —One evening in Nauvoo, just after dark, somebody rapped at my grandfather’s door very vigorously. Grandfather was reading the Doctrine and Covenants, which he laid aside, arose hastily, and answered the door. There he met the Prophet Joseph Smith who said, ‘Brother Brown, can you keep me over night ? The mobs are after me.’

"Grandfather answered, ‘Yes sir. It will not be the first time. Come in.’

" ‘All right, ‘said the Prophet, shutting the door quickly. He came in and sat down."

"Grandmother said, ‘Brother Joseph, have you had your supper?’

" ‘No,’ he answered, ‘I have not.’ So she prepared a meal for him , and he ate it."

"Afterwards, they conversed relative to the principles of the Gospel, and during the conversation the Ten Tribes were mentioned. Grandfather said, where are the Ten Tribes?’

"He answered, come to the door and I will show you. Come on, Sister Brown, I want you both to see.’

"It being a starlight night, the Prophet said, ‘Brother Brown, can you show me the Polar Star?’

"Yes sir,’ he said , pointing to the North Star. ‘There it is.’

" ‘Yes I know , ‘said the Prophet, ‘but which one?’

"Then grandfather said, ‘Can you see the points of the Great Dipper?’

"The Prophet said, ‘Yes.’

" ‘Well, trace the pointers pointing up to the largest star. That is the North Star’

" ‘You are correct,’ the Prophet replied. ‘Now, do you discern a little twinkler to the right and below the Polar Star, which appears to be about 20 feet apart from here?’

"Grandfather answered, ‘Yes, sir.’

The Prophet said, ‘Sister Brown, do you see that star also?’

"She answered, ‘Yes, sir.’

"After entering the house, the Prophet said, ‘Brother Brown, I noticed when I came in that you were reading the Doctrine and Covenants. Will you kindly get it?’ He did so, and the Prophet turned to what is now the 133rd Section, and commencing at the 26th verse, read to the 34th verse.

26 And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence.

27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.

28 Their enemies shall become a prey unto them,

29 And in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land.

30 And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.

31 And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.

After reading the 31st verse, he said, ‘Now let me ask you: What would cause the everlasting hills to tremble with more violence than the coming together of the two planets? That planet on which they reside will return to this earth!’

" ‘Now what would cause the mountains of ice to melt quicker than the heat caused by the friction of two planets coming together? Did you ever see a meteor that was not red hot? So, you see, that would cause the mountains of ice to melt.’

" ‘And relative to the Great Highway that should be cast up; when that planet returns to its place in the great northern waters, it will form a highway, and the waters will recede and roll back. Now, as to their coming back from the northern waters,’ he continued, ‘they will return from the North, because this planet will return from the northern place from whence it was taken.

" ‘Relative to the waters rolling back to the North: If you take a vessel of water and swing it rapidly around your head, you won’t spill any. But if you stop the motion gradually, it will begin to pour out. Now, Brother Brown, at the present time this earth is rotating very rapidly. When this planet returns, it will make the earth that much heavier, and it will revolve slower, which will cause the waters to continue eastward rapidly.’ "

"Did the Prophet ever tell your grandfather about the City of Enoch being taken from the earth?"

"Yes he did. He said that Enoch and his people kept so faithfully the laws of the Lord, that they were translated. ----Not only Enoch and his people, but the Great City wherein they dwelt. Grandfather asked the Prophet, ‘Brother Joseph where was the City of Enoch located?’

"The Prophet answered, ‘Where the Gulf of Mexico now is.’ And he said, ‘The time will come when the mariner will say there is no bottom to the Gulf of Mexico. ----When that great piece of land was taken from the earth, it created a vacuum to the extent that it started a current that is now known as the Gulf Stream.’

" ‘Then he added, ‘In consequence of this great portion being taken away, it naturally threw the earth out of balance. Now when it comes back, and also the planet on which the Lost Tribes are, the earth will receive its equilibrium and revolve as it naturally was in the very beginning.’

" ‘then , Brother Brown, this will fulfill the saying of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 16:14-15, "Therefore a day cometh, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth , that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from the lands whither he had driven them; and I will bring them again unto their land that I gave unto their fathers."----Also the saying of the Prophet Nephi: And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the Lost Tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.’ "

"Brother Call, you have heard the statements of Patriarch Brown concerning the Ten Tribes of Israel being upon another planet besides this earth. Can you give us any corroborative evidence of this statement as made by Brother Brown from any of your recollections that as a boy you were told by your father or others?"

"Yes, my father, Anson Call, was a particular friend of the Prophet Joseph. I have heard him say on a number of occasions that the Prophet Joseph told him in company with others, that the Ten Tribes of Israel were on a portion of this earth that had been taken away."

-----Attested:

Homer Brown

Israel Call

6.Journal of Discourses, Vol. 16, page 325-6 Orson Pratt, ----we find that there is to be a great work among the nations —which will probably take place in the morning of the seventh thousand years. The Ten Tribes will have to come forth, and come to this land, to be crowned with glory in the midst of Zion, by the hands of the servants of God, even the Children of Ephraim;-----

7.Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, page 68, by Orson Pratt "I do not know how much will happen before the Ten Tribes will come from the north; but after Zion is built in Jackson County and after the temple is built upon the spot of ground where the corner stone was laid in 1831 ; after the glory of God in the form of a cloud by day shall rest upon the temple; and by night , the shining of a flaming fire will fill the whole heavens round about ; after every dwelling place upon mount Zion shall be clothed with a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day, about that period of time, the Ten Tribes will be heard of, away in the north, a great company, coming down from the northern regions, coming to sing in the height of the latter day Zion. -----

8.Book of Mormon, 3rd Nephi, Chapter16, 1-4;

"And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister.

For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them.

But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there shall be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them.

And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem, they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry, do not ask the Father in my name, that they may receive a knowledge of you by the Holy Ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fullness of the Gentiles , the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer."

9. Book of Mormon,2nd Nephi, Chapter 29, 12 and 13. "For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it ; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

And it shall come to pass the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews."

10. Articles Of Faith, No. 10; We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes;---.

11. Book of Mormon, 3rd Nephi, Chapter 15, verses15-17, "—other tribes of the house of Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land.-------That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring,----".

12. Journal of Discourses , Volume 18, page 25; by Orson Pratt, "Having spoken concerning the gathering of the ten tribes, I will refer again to their Prophets. ‘Their Prophets shall hear his voice." Do not think that we are the only people who will have Prophets. God is determined to raise up Prophets among that people, but he will not bestow upon them all the fulness of the blessings of the Priesthood. The fulness will be reserved to be given to them after they come to Zion. But Prophets will be among them while in the north, and a portion of the Priesthood will be there; and John the Revelator will be there , teaching, instructing, and preparing them for this great work;’

13.Journal of Discourses, Volume 18, page 68; By Orson Pratt, "—the Ten Tribes will be heard of, away in the north, a great company, coming down from the northern regions—‘

14.Millennial Star, March 1867, By Orson Pratt, "—But this (2500 miles from where they started ) could not be a year and a half’s journey: Indeed, it would be an average of five miles a day. From many intimations of ancient prophecy they evidently had a highway made for them and were led to a land in the neighborhood of the north pole. This region would be about 4,000 miles from their Assyrian residence and could be traveled in eighteen months at an average of a little less than eight miles a day."

15.The Way to Perfection, 1940 Joseph F. Smith, " The Ten Tribes were taken by force out of the land the Lord gave them. Many of them mixed with the peoples among whom they were scattered. A large portion, however, departed in one body to the north, and disappeared from the rest of the world........that they will return in a body, must be believed, else how shall the scriptures be fulfilled? There are to many prophecies concerning them and their return in a body to ignore the fact."

16.Journal of Discourses, Volume 7, pages 285-286, by Brigham Young, "It is no more difficult to transfer the Ten Tribes from this earth to another planet, than it is to take the city of Enoch from this earth, or bring Adam and Eve from another planet."

17.Millennial Star, Volume 29, page 201, by Orson Pratt, "The Ten Tribes cannot be among any of the known nations; for there is no one who is able to identify them; and there are no people who even profess or claim to be of such origin.------That they were not only to preserve their existence, but also their nationality, and were to return with a full knowledge of their Israelitish origin; and what is still more wonderful, they are not to be so amalgamated as to lose all distinction of tribes, but each family will know the particular tribe to which it belongs; and thus the whole nation will be able to classify themselves into ten distinct divisions, and each division according to the prophet Ezekiel, will receive their inheritance within the boundaries described in his prophecy.’

18.Millennial Star, Volume 28, pages 417-419, Orson Pratt, " The prophet Mormon, the father of Moroni, had been trusted with all sacred records of his forefathers, engraved on metallic plates. New plates were made by Mormon, on which he wrote, from the more ancient books, an abridged history of the nation, incorporating therewith many revelations, prophecies, the Gospel, etc.. These new plates were given to Moroni on which to finish the history. All of the ancient plates Mormon deposited in Cumorah, about three hundred and eighty four years after Christ. When Moroni, about thirty six years after, made the deposit of the book entrusted to him, he was, without a doubt, inspired to select a department of the hill separate from the numerous volumes hid up by his father. The particular place on the hill, where Moroni secreted his book, was revealed by the angel Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith, to whom the volume was delivered in September, A.D. 1827. But the grand depository of all of the numerous records of the ancient nations of the western continent was located in another department of the hill, and its contents under the charge of Holy Angels, until the day should come for them to be transferred to the sacred temple of Zion."

19. Messenger and Advocate, Vol II : 2 : 210 : 1 "It has been said by many of the learned, and wise men, or historians, that the Indians, or aborigines of this continent, are of the scattered tribes of Israel. It has been conjectured by many others, that the aborigines of this continent, are not of the tribes of Israel; but the ten tribes have been led away into some unknown regions of the north. Let this be as it may, the prophesy I have just quoted, "will fetch them" in the last days, and place them, in the land which their fathers possessed: and you will find in the 7th verse of the 30th chapter quoted:__ [Deut. 30:7] "And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee."

20.Messenger and Advocate, Vol II : October, 1835, "It appears that the long anticipated coming of the Ten Tribes from the north will take place shortly after or possibly before Zion has been sanctified and the Lord has come to the Temple. Oliver Cowdery stated that the Angel Moroni instructed the Prophet Joseph Smith that after the Church shall be sanctified and receive an inheritance where the glory of God shall rest upon them-----and all things are prepared, the Ten Tribes of Israel will be revealed in the north country whither they have been for a long season."

21.New Jerusalem, by Orson Pratt, pg. 33 , and pages 45 and 46, "Even the house of Israel, or the Ten Tribes, will not return to Jerusalem and permanently inherit the land until the house of Judah have been gathered together, and well scourged by the nations who will gather against them. But instead of going to Jerusalem to be scourged and chastened with the Jews, they will first come to Zion."-----" Here it shall be seen that the house of Israel will be in a very different condition from the Jews. The Ten Tribes will believe in Christ, so much so, that he will lead them, while on their return from the north country and they will come and sing in the height of Zion, and they will not sorrow any more at all; whereas the Jews will have no such favors shown unto them on their return from the nations, but will have great distress and sorrow and mourning, after they get back to Jerusalem. The Ten Tribes are redeemed from their afflictions before the Jews, consequently they come first to Zion among the redeemed Saints, and partake with them in all the glory of Zion, until the Jews and Jerusalem shall also be redeemed, when they shall return to Jerusalem and receive their inheritance in the land of Palestine according to the divisions of that land in Ezekial’s prophecy, and become one nation with the Jews, in the land upon the mountains of Israel."

22. Jeremiah Chapter 31, verses 7-14 , " For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; publish ye, praise ye, and say , O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together; a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the Lord , O ye nations , and declare it in the isles afar off, and say He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd; and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow anymore at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness , saith the Lord."

23.Ezekiel chapter 48, verses 21-23, "So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you, and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.