Every Herb and Fruit shall be for Meat

Playing with Innocence by h.koppdelaney

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When God placed Adam and Eve on this earth in it’s Celestial State He gave them dominion over all the animals with instructions to live on a vegetarian diet: ²⁹And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. (Bible, Genesis 1:29) The prophet Joseph Fielding Smith writes concerning this matter: There is no statement in the scriptures indicating that the flesh of animals and birds and other living creatures was used as food before the days of Noah. (Answers to Gospel Questions Vol. 4:42) If we were vegetarians when this earth was in its Celestial State then when it returns to its Celestial State we will once again be vegetarians. Therefore in order to prepare ourselves for the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven on earth we should become vegetarians. After the flood the Lord gave a lesser law, or a Telestial law, rather than the Celestial Law in the Garden of Eden regarding the eating of meat. In the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible the Lord teaches Noah: Blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands. (Genesis 9:11) In other words mankind should only eat meat when it is absolutely necessary and they will be held accountable for the animals whose lives they have taken unnecessarily. I know most members of the Mormon Church would not agree with my interpretation of their Word of Wisdom because I believe it advocates a vegetarian diet: 4. Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you… 13. …it is pleasing unto me that they [the flesh of beasts and of fouls of the air] should not be used… (Doctrine and Covenants 89:13) Here the Lord appears to give the Celestial vegetarian Law. He goes on however to, I believe, also give them a Telestial exception to this Law for extreme situations and even then if they do have to eat meat it should be eaten sparingly; only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine. (Doctrine and Covenants 89:13) Hyrum Smith, the brother of the prophet Joseph Smith, writes: And why to be used in times of famine? Because all domesticated animals would naturally die and might as well be made use of by man as not. (Times and Seasons Vol. 3, p799)  Here Hyrum Smith clearly seems to point out that the Word of Wisdom advocates a vegetarian diet and the domesticated animals should be eaten, only in times of famine. The Lord goes on to give a similar exception to the Celestial vegetarian Law with regards to wild animals: 14. All… wild animals that run or creep on the earth; 15. … these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger. (Doctrine and Covenants 89:14-15) The prophet Joseph Smith wrote: 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 suckling child can play with the serpent in safety. [See: Isaiah 11:6-9] …I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird or an animal of any kind during my journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger. I had frequently spoken on this subject. (Answers to Gospel Questions by Joseph Fielding Smith, Vol. 4, p44-45) The Ascended Master Saint Germain teaches us why the Ascended Masters, including Beloved Jesus, Who dwell permanently in the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven and therefore know the Celestial Laws there, do not eat meat and why we should not eat meat either: There is a definite reason why We never eat meat, and why human beings should not eat it either. This is because the atoms of which it is composed are the condensation into substance of this world of mankind’s own vicious thoughts and feelings of the past. (The Magic Presence by Godre Ray King p149) The Beloved Goddess of Light teaches: A person who continues to use intoxicants, tobacco, meat and all those things which bring depravity upon mankind, is not a [real I AM] student and never will be so long as that one continues to do such things! (The Voice of the I AM 1940 February p11)