By: Judy Olsen

Judy Olsen — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:25:00 +0000

The “comma” rationale has gone around and around for years. Read what subsequent Prophets and General Authorities have said and written on this topic. There’s quite a lot. Perhaps this is why Talmage was inspired to clarify the original meaning.
Also, as long as we are reading so carefully, if an individual is abstaining from meat, they are not partaking. Whosoever FORBIDS them to abstain is not ordained of God. In other words, those who choose to forego eating meat should not be counseled otherwise
People can rationalize and justify any behavior they choose, but I wouldn’t base my decision on what is “pleasing” to the Lord on a mark of punctuation. It’s too important. What have our leaders said over the years, and what does the Spirit tell you?

By: Jane Birch

Jane Birch — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 03:44:00 +0000

Melinda: You are to be commended for desiring to do what is pleasing to the Lord! I will not be too critical of the reply you got from Gramps because he is following in a long tradition of people who have written on this topic based solely on prejudice and without the perspective of scholarly research.

1. As to the comma added to D&C 89:13 in 1921. There is no evidence that the comma changed the meaning of the verse. Rather, the meaning of the word “only” has changed over time. In 1833, it was more clear than it is today that the word “only” in this verse meant “except.” Elder Talmage most likely added the comma to help modern readers not misunderstand this verse. Both before and after 1921, all Church leaders interpreted this verse in the same way we do today with the comma. For a scholarly examination of this topic, see “Questioning the Comma in Verse 13 of the Word of Wisdom” in http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/questioning-the-comma-in-verse-13-of-the-word-of-wisdom/.

2. As you correctly interpreted, the Lord is “pleased” if we do not eat meat, except in times of need (winter, cold or famine). This is in line with vs. 15 which emphasizes not using “the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals” except in times of famine and excess of hunger.

3. This interpretation is also in line with D&C 49:21, which Gramps quotes, “And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.”

4. Note that this does not contradict D&C 49:18, “And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God.” The Lord is not forbidding us from eating meat. He ordains meat for our use, but as you point out, the Lord is “pleased” if we do not use it except in times of need. But this is our choice! The dietary counsel in D&C 89 is given “not by commandment or constraint” (see v. 2). We are not commanded to abstain and of course we should not forbid others from eating meats. See also: http://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/about/the-word-of-wisdom/wow-faqs/command-to-abstain/

5. Finally, there is also no evidence that the Lord gave the counsel in D&C 89:13 because the Saints lacked refrigeration. Humans have known for thousands of years how to eat meat safely during warm weather without refrigeration. While of course there are important challenges with temperature, they are not insurmountable by any means, and this is just one factor in food safety. See also “Was lack of refrigeration the reason God advised meat for winter only?” (D&C 89:13) in http://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/about/the-word-of-wisdom/wow-faqs/refrigeration-theory/.

For a scholarly examination of most of the various interpretations of D&C 89:13, see “Getting into the Meat of the Word of Wisdom” in http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/getting-into-the-meat-of-the-word-of-wisdom/

Comments on: Should we eat meat only in winter and famine?

By: Judy Olsen

By: Jane Birch