See also: Articles and audio by Jane Birch on the Word of Wisdom and WFPB nutrition.
Discovering the Word of Wisdom Basics
Where Do You Get Your Protein?
Wholesome Herbs and Every Fruit
The Danger of Displacing Grain
Commonly Asked Questions
Word of Wisdom: Why Aren’t We Told How to Eat?
Latter-day Saint Leaders on the Word of Wisdom
Why the Preoccupation with the Prohibitions?
We are Not Very Different from the Early Saints!
The Evils and Designs of Conspiring Men
What about the Experts Who Disagree?
What about Alternative Health Products?
What about Moderation in All Things?
Special Topics
Ebola and the Destroying Angel
A Closer Look at the Scriptures
“Whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats”
Questioning the Comma, Part II
Getting to the Meat of D&C 89, Part I
Getting to the Meat of D&C 89, Part II
The Word of Wisdom Way to Weight Loss
Can Wholesome Foods Taste Good?
Are Plant-based Diets Nutritionally Deficient?
The Social Pressures of Eating a Different Diet
Is it Worth Sacrificing Foods We Love?
Discovering the Word of Wisdom Pioneers
Elder John A. Widtsoe and Leah Widtsoe
The Most Vegetarian General Conference (Elder Joseph F. Merrill)
Just What is the Word of Wisdom? (Dr. John R. Christopher)
A Heart Attack Proof Diet (Ray G. Cowley, M.D.)
A 1951 Murder Mystery (W. Dean Belnap, M.D.)
Our Evolving Understanding (of the Word of Wisdom)
Whole Food, Plant-based Champion (Earl F. Updike)
A WFPB Medical Doctor (Kenneth E. Johnson, M.D.)
Eating as a Sanctifying Experience (Paul H. Peterson, Ph.D.)
You Don’t Have to Push a Handcart (Becoming a modern-day Word of Wisdom pioneer)
Paleo Diet
“Discovering the Word of Wisdom: A Short Film”
Misc. Topics
Making Plans to Go WFPB
Strategies for Going Cold Turkey
Maximum Weight Loss Principles
Mormon Mom Goes From Despair to Joy
Our Microbiome and the Word of Wisdom
The Mighty Microbes in Your Body
The Good and Bad News About Our Microbiome
Let’s Save Our Microbial Heritage!
5 Ways to Care for Your Microbiome
Food Cravings, Obesity, Mood, and Our Gut
Decisions, Not DNA, Determine Destiny
Gut Reactions to Low Carb Diets
Will the Destroying Angel Pass Us By?
The Role of Fat and Oils in Our Diet
International Saints Embracing a Word of Wisdom Diet
Featuring International Saints
Misc. Topics
Whole Food, Plant-based Made Easy
Out of Small and Simple Things
Is a Whole Foods Plant Based Diet Extreme?
How to Handle Our God-Given Hunger
Join the 10-Day January Jumpstart
Celebrating Christ Through Food
A Key to Success in the New Year
Is This the Year to Radically Improve Your Diet?
If You Really Want to Be Both THIN and HEALTHY
Doctrines, Principles, and Applications
(For a short description of each article, see: Doctrines, Principles, and Applications of the Word of Wisdom)
Distinguishing Between Doctrines, Principles, and Applications
The Doctrine of the Word of Wisdom
Rethinking Alcohol, Tobacco, Coffee, and Tea
The Principle Behind Alcohol, Tobacco, Coffee, and Tea
The Wholesome Herbs Ordained by God
Animal Flesh is Ordained by God
Discovering the Word of Wisdom: God Ordained Grain as the Staff of Life
Going Beyond the Doctrines and Principles
Visualizing the Word of Wisdom
Why Whole Food, Plant-based Is Not the Word of Wisdom
Why Whole Food, Plant-based is a Superb Word of Wisdom Diet
The Word of Wisdom Vs. The Wisdom of the World
Jane,
I can appreciate your vigor and excitement over your personal discovery. You have obviously spent a great deal of time reading, studying, and pondering the matter. From your essays, we can surmise you have made the complete transition to a vegan diet. You may be applauded for your dedication and perseverance.
However, it is also easy to appreciate others disdain for your sanctimonious approach to diet and health. Your interpretations and personal insights are your own. They do not represent the authoritative decree of the Lord’s church or His appointed ministers.
I wish you the best in your personal journey. May we all find peace with our individual agency and decisions regarding the matter of diet and health.
Justin
Thank you, Justin, for sharing your thoughts! I completely agree with you that the ideas I express are my own interpretations and personal insights. I have never once thought or suggested that my ideas represent the authoritative decree of the Lord’s church or His appointed ministers.
Every lay member who writes (you, me, and everyone else) is in the same position. We are expressing our personal interpretations and insights, but I hope none of us shy away from sharing what good we have found on that account. The Lord wants us each to share the light we have with others. You are free to agree or disagree and to criticize it fairly or unfairly. Either way, I wish you well!
Justin,
I have read each of Jane’s articles, as well as many of her responses to Facebook posts by many people responding to her articles, book, or discussions on various topics related to the Word of Wisdom and health in general. I have always been impressed with her non-judgmental tone and her acceptance of those with opposing views. Never once have I sensed the least degree of sanctimony (defined as “pretending to be morally better than other people”). Your statement, “it is also easy to appreciate others disdain for your sanctimonious approach to diet and health” perhaps could have been expressed in a way that would explain your disagreement with her conclusions without calling into doubt her character. Just a thought to consider.
I have been so impressed with how Jane teaches without preaching.
I love how she has an article called something similar to ‘WFPB is Not the Word of Wisdom Diet’.
She has helped me, as a WFPB eater, stop being so intense in my attitudes and beliefs about food.
I believe she is about as well-rounded as any one I’ve followed.
I want to be like Jane when I grow up.????
Judy
You make this person sound very special. I really need to get to know her! 🙂