--- The Flip Flopping of Mitt Romney, Mormonism, Big Money, and Their Pro-Vegetarian Word of Wisdom---
Okay, quick information about Mormons and their history and scriptures. The Doctrine and Covenants is the lesser known sibling to the LDS Religion's Book of Mormon that was supposedly translated from gold plates found in the state of New York by a fellow named Joseph Smith. Unlike the Book of Mormon, the D&C is not a translation, but supposed divine revelations to Joseph Smith (mostly). One such divine revelation is quoted below from a section often referred to as the "Word of Wisdom" which is same section and reason why Mormons don't drink alcohol or coffee or smoke.
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 89:10-18 (a.k.a. the Word of Wisdom)
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 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—
17 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.
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
The flesh of beast and fowls are to be used sparingly. It is pleasing, according to Mormon doctrine, unto God if they are NOT used except for winter and famine. It is reiterated TWICE.
Animals are to be used "sparingly" and "only in times of famine and excess of hunger".
Now, if a Mormon is to say that these scriptures cannot be taken literally, why stop there?
Why not say that actually drinking alcohol and chewing tobacco is okay? Illegal drugs aren't even mentioned in the Word of Wisdom and yet if you admit to taking any, you will be deemed as violating the Word of Wisdom and denied a temple reccommend (a permit you need to enter into a Mormon temple).
Now, you can worm and wiggle as much as you want, but the context and the message is clear. Eating animals should be a sparse activity especially reserved for famine. With the advent of modern technology and markets, very few people nowadays experience famine firsthand (in the United States). We have grocery stores. If you have money, you can buy almost anything you want food-wise. There is no famine or depletion of crops in winter seasons anymore. There isn't a good reason for many people to eat meat at all, according to the Mormons' very own Word of Wisdom.
Wouldn't it be a logical conclusion to say that Mormons ought to be eating less meat then?
And that possibly Mormons should be seeking a nearly vegetarian diet?
Likewise, according to Mormon doctrine, the use of beasts which is ordained and approved by God diet-wise is for times of famine.
It doesn't matter how you try to twist it, you have to admit one basic thing: God wants animals to be used sparingly and prefers them to be used for times of famine. Another thing is equally undeniable, if God does endorse sparingly usage, God would obviously not endorse a lifestyle that wantonly and indulgently consumes animals and would find it quite unpleasing.
This much, no matter how you twist and bend it, you have to admit to be true conclusions from those verses.
The American diet is meat and dairy centered. The consumption of meat and dairy in Utah, a majority of the population being LDS, is about 30% above the national average. Is this not wanton eating of flesh? Is this not mean that Mormons are violating their own health codes on a daily basis? Curious, isn't it?
The irony is that in the many criticisms launched against the LDS Church doctrinally and the many appraisals for its health code both ignore this glaring contradiction of LDS doctrine and LDS practice (or what is even encouraged). These verses which make up their health code are ignored by the Mormons, by those who criticize the Mormon Religion, and by those who praise the Mormon Church.
It is conveniently filtered out.
Furthermore, the LDS Religion believes that when their Prophet speaks to the Church it is infallible and as correct as if God Himself was speaking. It is akin to doctrine and scripture. And God doesn't change His mind, supposedly.
The Word of Wisdom was written by the founder of the LDS Church, Joseph Smith. Curiously, his successor, Brigham Young wrote: "The very object of our existence here is to handle the temporal elements of this world and subdue the earth, multiplying those organisms of plants and animals God has designed shall dwell upon it". This "subduing" according to Brigham Young involves multiplying the plants and animals God created, not wiping entire species that God created.
But once again, despite teachings by past prophets and scriptures held supposedly as doctrine, Mormons likewise aren't known to be big environmentalists, even though it is, it seems, to be a part of the "very object of our existence" to preserve and multiply the life of plants and other animals on earth. Brigham Young's statement also wouldn't support a wanton, indulgent destruction of animals which the standard American diet involves and the standard Mormon diet might even involve more.
Hyrum Smith, the brother of Joseph Smith, wrote in a then LDS Church publication, Times and Seasons, in relation to the Word of Wisdom, to:
“Let men attend to these instructions, let them use the things ordained of God; let them be sparing of the life of animals: “it is pleasing saith the Lord that flesh be used only in times of winter, or of famine”
Sparing of the life of animals. How does one wiggle around that?
The standard American diet is not sparing of the life of animals and Utahns, the home state of the modern LDS religion, is even less sparing of the life of animals. Indeed, if Joseph Smith is a great prophet of God, as the LDS religion claims and its other prophets also claim, then they have certainly filtered out what they liked and didn't like which this supposed great prophet of God preached, taught, and claimed to be divinely inspired.
One more case in point before I venture to explain why exactly I think the LDS religion is being hypocritical in its own Word of Wisdom.
There is a famous story of Joseph Smith on a march of LDS members between Kirtland to Missouri. Some people were going to attack some snakes found in a tent, but Joseph Smith told them to stop and that:
"Men must become harmless before the brute creation, and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety."
Let me reiterate what Joseph Smith stated:
Men MUST lose their vicious dispositions and CEASE to destroy the animal race.
Now, how just does one wiggle around that?
Also, the time when the lion and the lamb can dwell together (a reference to Isaiah's teachings in the Bible) is often termed by Christians as the Millennium, Jesus comes back and there is one thousand years of peace.
Well, if you are Mormon, the founding prophet of your religion states that this is NOT going to happen UNTIL men lose their vicious disposition against animals and CEASE to destroy the animal race. So, shouldn't it be your duty to lose a vicious disposition against animals and cease in destroying them? It is, according to your own religion, a condition that must be met in order to bring about prophecy. This ain't optional.
So, should it be surprising that Mitt Romney has done hunting gigs to win hunter's votes and money? Isn't hunting though a "vicious" disposition against animals, especially since those who hunt in America are generally well off and definitely not in any excess of dietary hunger?
If a LDS apologist says that Joseph Smith wasn't serious when he said that or can't be taken literally, how can we say he was serious about anything else he said? Is it just a matter of cherry picking what we like and don't like while claiming to believe that his statements were divinely inspired, except some we ignore and forget and some we don't?
So, what is going on here?
Mitt Romney is criticized for flip flopping. Understanding why Mitt Romney flip flops is similar to understanding why the LDS Church flip flops on its doctrines (though it claims that hasn't -- despite written, historical, and scientific proof otherwise).
Now, here is a special list of a certain type of business ventures and capital which the LDS Church is involved in and owns, see if you see why I grouped these together:
Deseret Land and Livestock (Utah)
Sun Ranch (Wyoming)
Deseret Ranches of Florida (Orlando area, the largest ranch in Florida)
Cactus Lane Ranch (Arizona)
Deseret Ranches of Alberta Raymond, AB Canada
AgReserves Ltd. Cambridge, England
Farmspeed (Southery Anchor) Ltd. (U.K.)
Hallwsworth (Farmland Trt) Ltd. (U.K.)
AgroReservas, S.C. Los Mochis, Mexico
Deseret Farms of CA Woodland, CA
Deseret Farms of CA Modesto, CA
Deseret Farms of CA Chico, CA
South Valley Farms Bakersfield, CA
Deseret Security Farms Blythe, CA
Naples Farms Naples, FL
Deseret Cattle & Citrus ST. Cloud, FL
Deseret Farms of Rkin Rkin, FL
Kewela Plantation O'ahu, HI
Rex Ranch Ashby, NE
Riverbend Farms St. Paul, OR
Deseret Land & Livestock Woodruff, UT
Wasatch-Dixie Farms Elberta, UT
Agreserves Cattle Co., TX
Agrinorthwest Kennewick, WA
Handcart Ranch Alcova, WY
Deseret Ranches of Wyoming Cody, WY
Agreserves Australia Ltd. Kooba Station, Australia.
Rolling Hills (Idaho)
West Hills Orchards (Elberta, Utah)
The LDS Church has significant financial interest, investment, and ownership in the animal enterprise industry.' The flip flopping on regards to what diet is ordained by God is explained simply by where the money currently is.
While Joseph Smith and LDS doctrine can easily be shown to be a harsh criticism of the standard American diet which Mormons match, if not surpass, you won't hear any pro-vegetarian or pro-semi-vegetarian arguments from Mormon prophets anymore. Nor will you hear any condemnations from Mormon prophets of the wanton consumption of meat by its members. Nor will you hear Mormon prophets condemning the absolutely vicious practices which are standard in the animal enterprise industry.
Why not? Easy. The Mormon Church is a part of the animal enterprise industry and a definite player in it, especially meat.
Encouraging a vegetarian diet among its members would be a financial conflict of interest and also would push to the surface a blatant, widespread, daily violation of the very Word of Wisdom. This is the same Word of Wisdom which is required to be kept in order to enter the temple. In other words, the temple workers and temple goers which have all been deemed as temple worthy because of compliance to the Word of Wisdom, are, actually, probably not.
When it comes to understanding things, a rule that almost always works: follow the money.
And following the money definitely shows a good explanation why the Mormon Church is not pro-semi-vegetarian or pro-vegetarian.
It is not in the interest of Mormon money to support such diets. The fact that they have scriptures and teachings by their Mormon prophets which do support such diets is ignored.
What isn't ignored, however, is money.
And when it comes to which is more important to the LDS Church, sacred doctrines inspired by God and given to supposed prophets loses.
And money wins.
- Stewart N. Thorpe, Citizen Press Revolution
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