Feeding of Children
125
repeated, that whatever is taken into the stomach affects not only the
body, but ultimately the mind as well. Gross and stimulating food
fevers the blood, excites the nervous system, and too often dulls the
moral perceptions, so that reason and conscience are overborne by the
sensual impulses. It is difficult, and often well-nigh impossible, for one
who is intemperate in diet to exercise patience and self-control. Hence
the special importance of allowing children, whose characters are yet
unformed, to have only such food as is healthful and unstimulating.
It was in love that our heavenly Father sent the light of health reform,
to guard against the evils that result from unrestrained indulgence of
appetite.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to
the glory of God.” Are parents doing this when they prepare food for
the table and call the family to partake of it? Do they place before their
children that only which they know will make the very best blood, that
which will keep the system in the least feverish condition, and will
place it in the best relation to life and health? Or do they, regardless
of the future good of their children, provide for them unhealthful,
stimulating, irritating food?
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 141
Food should be so simple that its preparation will not absorb all
the time of the mother. It is true, care should be taken to furnish
the table with healthful food prepared in a wholesome and inviting
manner. Do not think that anything you can carelessly throw together
to serve as food is good enough for the children. But less time should
be devoted to the preparation of unhealthful dishes for the table, to
please a perverted taste, and more time to the education and training
of the children. Let the strength which is now given to the unnecessary
planning of what you shall eat and drink, and wherewithal you shall
be clothed, be directed to keeping their persons clean and their clothes
neat.
Testimonies for the Church 3:141
I was shown that one great cause of the existing deplorable state
of things is that parents do not feel under obligation to bring up their
children to conform to physical law. Mothers love their children with