2. What do you personally think sparingly means? This seems to be so subjective. Do you think that the Lord clarifies Himself in the Word of Wisdom or do you think it is left wide open for interpretation?
My sister in law Elise emailed me and said, "I heard a woman (who married a vegetarian) in our stake once say they interpreted the word "sparingly" in reference to a spare key. They decided they would eat meat as often as they used their "spare" key!!!! Pretty interesting, eh?"
I have been thinking about other ways we use the word spare - spare key, spare tire... These are things that you only use when you absolutely must -- when the other resources are exhausted. So the counsel would hold true then, in times of winter and famine.
It seems that we are asked in the word of wisdom to eat it only in times of famine or in winter. And it repeats itself. We eat it about one time a week, sometimes less. Sometimes more. I don't think the word of wisdom is vague though. I also think it takes time to build up to truly eating meat sparingly.
Well, I feel the scriptures are plain. Eat sparingly and in times of famine and winter - looking in perspective, the Word of Wisdom was given when there weren't any refrigerators and the ability to import fresh food from the southern hemisphere when we are having winter, so meat was used as a necessity when there was no imported fresh foods and when general supplies were low and when the body needed to have extra bulk to burn to help it keep warm. With modern conveniences, I'm not sure we need meat as much as even prescribed in the scriptures. But I do have - wouldn't really miss it, but choose organic options and natural products without hormones added as much as possible.
My sister in law Elise emailed me and said, "I heard a woman (who married a vegetarian) in our stake once say they interpreted the word "sparingly" in reference to a spare key. They decided they would eat meat as often as they used their "spare" key!!!! Pretty interesting, eh?"
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about other ways we use the word spare - spare key, spare tire... These are things that you only use when you absolutely must -- when the other resources are exhausted. So the counsel would hold true then, in times of winter and famine.
It seems that we are asked in the word of wisdom to eat it only in times of famine or in winter. And it repeats itself.
ReplyDeleteWe eat it about one time a week, sometimes less. Sometimes more. I don't think the word of wisdom is vague though. I also think it takes time to build up to truly eating meat sparingly.
Well, I feel the scriptures are plain. Eat sparingly and in times of famine and winter - looking in perspective, the Word of Wisdom was given when there weren't any refrigerators and the ability to import fresh food from the southern hemisphere when we are having winter, so meat was used as a necessity when there was no imported fresh foods and when general supplies were low and when the body needed to have extra bulk to burn to help it keep warm. With modern conveniences, I'm not sure we need meat as much as even prescribed in the scriptures. But I do have - wouldn't really miss it, but choose organic options and natural products without hormones added as much as possible.
ReplyDelete