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Section 15—Diet and Health
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your whole life to Him who was crucified for you, but do not tie
yourself down to a meager diet; for thus you misrepresent health
reform.
While working against gluttony and intemperance, we are to
remember the means and appliances of gospel truth, which commend
themselves to sound judgment. In order to do our work in straight,
simple lines, we must recognize the conditions to which the human
family are subjected.
Wisdom in Teaching
God has made provisions for those who live in the different
countries of the world. Those who desire to be co-workers with God
must consider carefully how they teach health reform in God’s great
vineyard. They must move carefully in specifying just what food
should and should not be eaten. The human messenger must unite
with the divine Helper in presenting the message of mercy to the
multitudes God would save.
We are to be brought into connection with the masses. Should
health reform be taught them in its most extreme form, harm would
be done. We ask them to leave off eating meat and drinking tea and
coffee. That is well....
All flesh food should be discarded, but vegetables should be
made palatable with a little milk or cream or something equivalent.
The poor say, when health reform is presented to them, “What shall
we eat? We cannot afford to buy the nut foods.” As I preach the
gospel to the poor, I am instructed to tell them to eat that food which
is most nourishing. I cannot say to them, “You must not eat eggs or
milk or cream. You must use no butter in the preparation of food.”
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The gospel must be preached to the poor, and the time has not yet
come to prescribe the strictest diet.
The time will come when we may have to discard some of the
articles of diet we now use, such as milk and cream and eggs; but
my message is that you must not bring yourself to a time of trouble
beforehand, and thus afflict yourself with death. Wait till the Lord
prepares the way before you.—
Letter 37, 1901
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