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Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods
Christ did not seek to attract men to Him by gratifying the desire
for luxury. The simple fare He provided was an assurance not only of
His power but of His love, of His tender care for them in the common
needs of life.
Testimonies for the Church 4:515-516
God wants men to cultivate force of character. Those who are
merely time-servers are not the ones who will receive a rich reward
by and by. He wants those who labor in His cause to be men of keen
feeling and quick perception. They should be temperate in eating; rich
and luxurious food should find no place upon their tables; and when
the brain is constantly taxed, and there is a lack of physical exercise,
they should eat sparingly, even of plain food. Daniel’s clearness of
mind and firmness of purpose, his strength of intellect in acquiring
knowledge, were due in a great degree to the plainness of his diet, in
connection with his life of prayer.
Testimonies for the Church 5:206
Should we dress in plain, modest apparel without reference to the
fashions; should our tables at all times be set with simple, healthful
food, avoiding all luxuries, all extravagance; should our houses be
built with becoming plainness, and furnished in the same manner,
it would show the sanctifying power of the truth, and would have a
telling influence upon unbelievers. But while we conform to the world
in these matters, in some cases apparently seeking to excel worldlings
in fanciful arrangement, the preaching of the truth will have but little
or no effect. Who will believe the solemn truth for this time, when
those who already profess to believe it contradict their faith by their
works? It is not God who has closed the windows of Heaven to us, but
it is our own conformity to the customs and practices of the world.
Testimonies for the Church 2:45-46
You need to carry out the health reform in your life; to deny your-
self and eat and drink to the glory of God. Abstain from fleshly lusts
which war against the soul. You need to practice temperance in all
things. Here is a cross which you have shunned. To confine yourself to
a simple diet, which will preserve you in the best condition of health, is