While writing the book Discovering the Word of Wisdom: Surprising Insights from a Whole Food, Plant-based Perspective, I solicited the stories of other Latter-day Saints who are living the whole food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle. As their stories came pouring in, one after the other, I realized something very profound was happening. There are Latter-day Saints, literally around the world, who are “waking up” to the Word of Wisdom, just as I was. I knew there must be a reason for this great awakening. There must be a reason so many Latter-day Saints are feeling moved by the Spirit to take a much closer look at D&C 89, to find the “hidden treasure” that has been there all along.
After making room for 30 stories in my book, I realized I could not make room for the many other stories I had received, and I knew there must be many more out there. It was then that I decided to create a website devoted to discovering the Word of Wisdom, so that I could share more of these amazing stories, along with providing help and support for anyone, Latter-day Saint or non-Latter-day Saint, who wishes to explore the Word of Wisdom and/or WFPB nutrition.
I hope this site can be helpful to you in your efforts to better understand and live the Word of Wisdom. I hope you’ll experience the same awakening that so many others are experiencing and that you’ll find the hidden treasure that this beautiful revelation promises us. I also hope that you’ll be willing to share your story on this site.
Bless you!
Jane Birch
Thank you for this website! I am so excited to delve into it and find out how other members of the Church are becoming healthier. I am extremely overweight (5’4″, 285 pounds) and MISERABLE. I have yo-yoed so many times, it is scary even thinking of starting another plan, because I cannot get bigger if I fail. Living life on a daily basis has become very difficult (picking things up off the floor, tying my shoes, other easy-peasy things that I used to take for granted.) Thanks again!
Sandy Phillips
Vancouver WA
Dear Sandy:
Thanks for reaching out! God bless you dear sister. I have a testimony that the Word of Wisdom can lead all of us to the truth, under two conditions: (1) we sincerely want to know the truth; and (2) we are willing to conform our lives to the truth. Under these conditions, the light we receive will grow “brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (D&C 50:24).
I am happy to help in any way. There are a lot of resources on this website, and many more than I link to (http://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/wfpb-guidelines/more-resources/). Please also feel free to contact me directly: http://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/contact-me/.
Hi Sandy,
So glad you found this site! I was in a similar place last year… reading your comment reminds me of having to hold my breath and strain to reach the gas release lever in my car, and not being able to walk the distance of a high school without extreme pain in my back and shortness of breath. It was AWFUL! I have lost 70 lbs so far and 10 BMI points. I’m a few inches taller than you, and still a few pounds heavier than you, but life is SO much better now (even though I have a long ways to go in the weight loss department). Even a small amount of weight loss from healthy plant-based eating can make a BIG impact on your physical abilities! I know it has for me!
Blessings,
Duffy
Hi Sandy,
How are you doing now? I am in Washington too. We can be friends!
Do you send out links to new articles on your website via email? If so I would like to be added to your email list. I am one of those who have over time continually studied the Word of Wisdom to obtain a greater understanding of its meaning and then to apply it to my life. Its funny that more than 20 years ago I began eating many more vegetables and fruits and less meat, without really thinking about it, and with only a very rudimentary understanding of the Word of Wisdom. In fact I can safely say at that time, I only related to the don’ts to as revelation, not clearly seeing what the Lord was asking to do in the way of proactivity with my diet. Over the last 20 years I have come to focus more on the eating meat sparingly portion, as well as to the admonition to eat of all the good herbs of the earth; paraphrasing. My husband was diagnosed with type II diabetes over 3 years ago and I went with him to the appointment with the nutritionist. The diet she described that in her belief would cure his diabetes, sounded to me like the Word of Wisdom, and I think I may have mentioned that to the nutritionist. I decided to eat the way she suggests: give up dairy, processed foods, eat only whole grains (the way she described it: eat grain the way it looks when picked from the plant), and eat more vegetables and fruits. She asked us to picture a 9 inch dinner plate every time we sat down to eat: 25% protein, 25% carbohydrates and 50% vegetables. I began doing just that. I have told lots of people about the dramatic transformation for my husband during the first couple of years after this meeting. He did follow the dietary guidelines she outlined, and after 18 months lost 50 plus pounds, as well as not needing any more oral medication to control his blood sugar. In addition his liver and kidney function returned to normal, his blood pressure and cholesterol level returned to normal. Over the last year he has chosen to return to many of his old habits, and the weight has returned. At this writing I am not certain if his blood work is going in the other direction as a result of the return to old eating patterns. A few months ago I posted a link to your book on my FaceBook page and a dear friend whose husband had decided to listen to a doctor from sometime in the past that suggested a vegan diet to help with his cholesterol, ordered your book and began changing the diet within their home. Just a couple of weeks she and I spoke about a Relief Society event in which she was going to present her ideas from your book about the Word of Wisdom. I had not yet read your book, and I was still under the understanding the Word of Wisdom when speaking about meat, was only suggesting eating meat sparingly, not eliminating meat only in the event of famine or winter. So in our conversation I suggested to my friend that she should read the Word of Wisdom again to clarify what it says. After our conversation she text messaged me a day or so later and asked me to look at D&C 89 again, specifically at where the first comma is placed in verse 13: “And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or cold, or famine.” I read it with attention paid to the punctuation, and realized I now understood “nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;” very differently. I text messaged her back and thanked her. I had admonished her to read the Word of Wisdom carefully, or more precisely to always refer back to it when considering the implementation of a change from some other source (like your book)…which BTW I appreciate your counsel to also do the same…Now, I was the one going back to the source and obtaining a new understanding of those words. Yesterday in church my friend handed me a copy of your book as a gift, which I graciously accepted. Today at lunch while eating my poached egg on top of vegetables, I felt very differently about that poached egg, realizing I have been coming to this new understanding for some time now, even before my conversation with my friend about what section 89, verses 12 and 13 say, and more specifically what they mean to me. Thank you so much for your efforts, and I can feel the Lord at work in this effort, and His hand guiding me as I am ready to obtain more truth and light. Sincerely, Renée Berry Thehandcartwoman FaceBook Blog and Renee Machado Connelly Berry personal FaceBook page
Dear Renée: What an amazing story!! Thanks so much for sharing that with me. It was very uplifting, but I’m sorry about your husband going back to his old ways. I hope he will decide his health is worth the effort it takes to eat right. Anyone can subscribe to this site on the main page. See “Subscribe to Stories.” I just added you to it! Please keep me posted on your progress. I’d love to hear from you again. You can contact me here: Contact Me.