By: Katie Johnson
Since becoming a new mother in 2003, I began to develop a passion for nutrition and healthy cooking. I tried hard to teach and feed my family good and healthy things. Over the years, I learned to make homemade wheat bread and enjoyed taking healthy recipes and adapting them to make them even healthier. I didn’t, however, fully adopt all the things I was learning and often fell back into the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet). Through much of my own personal study, as well as trial and error, I learned many good nutritional principles but with this also came “the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture.” While I see that I’ve been guided line upon line, I can see more clearly that it all was meant to come together to ultimately teach me light and truth.
Health trials
During the time of having our family, I began to develop anxiety and post-partum depression. I soon found that having a family was taking its toll on my body and my emotions. Pregnancies were accompanied by weight gain and hormone changes. Weight gain called for dieting and weight loss, finances caused stress, motherhood brought time constraints, and being a support to my husband through school taxed my mind, body, and spirit. I spent many years struggling with whether I should take medication to help alleviate the stress and just put up with the accompanying side effects. I decided that I was not willing to deal with those side effects and preferred to seek more natural ways of coping, such as yoga and vitamin supplements. Throughout the years, I also rode a giant roller coaster of different fad diets, including several versions of the oh-so-loved “high-protein, low-carb” diets.
In early 2011, I was 29, had born three children, had struggled through years of schooling for my husband, and we were now embarking on opening our own law practice in the worst economy since the Great Depression. It was then that I discovered a lump on my right breast. Shortly afterwards, my OBGYN also discovered that I had an ovarian cyst. I was terrified and knew some things with my health just were not right. I received a breast exam, and I was told I needed an ultrasound to check for cancer.
As I sat in the women’s center of the hospital waiting for an ultrasound to check the lump, I struggled with filling out the medical form. The age section of the form had a “3___” for me to fill in the blank. As I crossed the 3 out and wrote “29” in the blank spot, I thought to myself, “I am too young to be having issues like this!” Thankfully, between my first breast exam that prompted the ultrasound and the ultrasound itself, the lump had disappeared on its own. I took a deep sigh of relief and said a prayer of gratitude for the miracle. Life went on, but as far as our diet, it became more, well, S.A.D.
My sons
In August of 2011, I became pregnant with our fourth child. I was attending my 15-week doctor checkup on November 17 when we discovered the baby no longer had a heartbeat. On November 22, 2011, we delivered our first son, Samuel Joseph Johnson. I was devastated. After having three daughters, I had prayed to Heavenly Father for a son. Even though the experience was one of the most difficult events in my entire life, Heavenly Father helped us deal with the loss in a very peaceful way. I knew we would see our son again, that we were meant to have another child, and that there was another son for us. I knew my health was not where it should be, however, if I wanted to have a successful pregnancy. I started to recognize a growing dependence on junk food to deal with the stresses of motherhood and life. It hurt, knowing how much I loved health and nutrition so much, to still see myself give in to things that would not help me or my goals for good health.
I began to seek help from heaven through prayer and I was guided to a holistic nurse practitioner at a clinic in my area who was able to help me balance my hormones. While at this clinic, I again turned to a high-protein, low-carb diet to “restore” my health and to prepare my body to have another pregnancy. It worked. I lost all the weight, all my health numbers looked good, and in August 2012, we became pregnant with our fifth child.
During the pregnancy, my body was depleted of carbs from past diets, and I craved them for all the work my body was doing to grow a baby. I used that excuse to eat more of what I wanted because my body “needed the extra calories.” I had no self-control and went right back to the S.A.D. diet to ease the stresses of pregnancy and just survive. The weight came right back. Along with it came more anxiety and a lack of the energy that I so badly needed to function for my growing family. Regardless of diet, the pregnancy progressed well enough and in May 2013, our son Andrew, was born. After I was done nursing, and was looking for a quick and efficient way to lose the baby weight, I turned back to my “faithful” high-protein, low-carb diet. Surprisingly it did not work the same as before. While I lost weight, it was much harder and put more stress on my body. I struggled to gain true health and shortly after reaching what I believed was a healthy weight on the scale, the weight immediately started to creep back on. Then…came illness.
Illness and confusion
By October 2014, I started to become sick. I went through two bouts of the flu in a month, as well as laryngitis. The body aches and tiredness consumed me. I developed psoriasis on my scalp, and my hair became thin and brittle. I went to see my holistic nurse practitioner who found unbalanced hormones, low thyroid and adrenal gland function, and systemic yeast throughout my entire body. She also said my stress levels would go up and not come down as they should but would stay elevated. That explained my high levels of anxiety. She helped me all she could, and I was able to improve, but not fully feel better. I continued to feel exhausted and my body held onto weight no matter what I did. I also visited with my health coach at the clinic who continued to try diet after diet to see which one my body would respond to. It seemed that the illnesses would hit hard and last a couple weeks and then hit again before I could fully recover.
By December 2014, I was feeling hopeless. I remember one day feeling especially frustrated at all the nutrition advice that had sent me back and forth as to what I should eat, I stood in the kitchen having no idea what to cook for dinner. It felt daunting to try to figure out what would give my family something nutritious and delicious, yet fit the dietary needs I felt I was supposed to follow. After expressing my frustration to my husband, I’ll never forget how he looked at me and lovingly said, “Katie, you’ve been on so many different diets, it’s like you’ve forgotten how to eat.” Something in his words rang so true that I knew that I had been spinning in circles with no clear direction. With so much confusion in the world about proper diets, how could I ever find what I truly needed? Joseph Smith’s description of his search for truth describes my feelings perfectly as I waded through the many confusing voices of the world. He said, “In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” (Joseph Smith History 1:10.) I knew I needed guidance from Heaven.
Search for answers
In February 2015, I cleared my life of extra distractions and set to work on a journey of prayer, fasting, and searching the word of God and His prophets. I received blessings from my husband, whom I had felt prompted to ask to fast along with me. My approach at this time was to ask the Lord to direct me to which of the diets was right. Having tried so many, I wanted to know which one would help me truly gain back my health.
At the end of a second fast, I received a specific and detailed blessing guiding me, ”to continue to seek His will” and that “He was not hiding it.” I was directed that I would “need to open my heart to it and be prepared to receive it, but if I desired His will, He would show it to me.” I was also told that “when I opened my heart completely, I would need to be prepared to do difficult things that I did not expect and did not desire.” I was blessed to “remember my talents and use them to bless myself and others.” I was also blessed that, “I would feel His guidance as I participated in His will and that I would learn the best way to care for my body.” With this guidance, I moved forward determined to find answers, knowing and struggling that it would mean difficulty ahead. It would mean constant humbling on my part and seeking strength from the spirit.
Personal Revelation
One day in March, 2015, as I was doing my daily studying and inviting of the spirit to help in bringing personal revelation, I took a few minutes break to check my Facebook account. I came upon a neighbor from my youth who bore her testimony encouraging others to pray and ponder the Word of Wisdom. I had run into this neighbor a few months prior and felt a strong prompting to get in touch with her. I had been in touch with her in the past, specifically about the Word of Wisdom; but at this time did not relate the two ideas. After we became connected on Facebook, I now know it was to guide me to this beautiful section of scripture that I have felt a love for in the past, did not fully embrace or understand, and which I had abandoned for fad diets and teachings of the world.
As I took her challenge, thinking that it would be another great thing to study as I sought my answer (again not putting two and two together), I opened D&C 89 and began to read. As I studied the Word of Wisdom, the spirit poured down on me that this was what Heavenly Father had been trying to tell me and wanted me to know. I sobbed as I realized I had just received direct revelation and felt the love of a Heavenly Father who so directly and specifically answered my questions. Just like Joseph Smith was told to join none of the churches the world had to offer so that God could show him the best plan, The Master Physician, through His prophet Joseph Smith, has given us the very best health plan making all other plans pale in comparison. He truly is a God who “giveth liberally and upbraideth not” (James 1:5) as we seek His guidance.
I did not know quite where to begin. My first thought was to find some books or LDS talks on the topic that would expound on what I had just read in D&C 89. The thought that entered my mind was “to start with what I have.” I knew this was not my own thought as my response was, “What I have? What do I have?” I then remembered Jane Birch’s book, Discovering the Word of Wisdom: Surprising Insights from a Whole Food, Plant-based Perspective. I had bought it a year earlier because my husband’s Aunt Orva and Uncle Paul Johnson had been featured in it, along with many of his cousins and their children. They have been amazing examples to us through the years, as well as others we have had the privilege of knowing. We have seen many neighbors and friends who have saved their lives from cancer with this precious knowledge, and it nourished the seed in our own hearts. When I received the book, I had started to read the first few pages but dismissed its knowledge quickly as I was in the midst of my high-protein, low-carb diet and was not open to its truths. I had put the book on the shelf and decided I’d read it “someday.” As I scoured my bookshelves, found it, and started to read, I knew I was being given more help and guidance in how to accomplish the teachings I had just read in D&C 89 through a whole-food, plant-based diet. I knew one of the changes needing to be made would be our consumption of meat. All along I had felt deep down in my heart that the high-protein diets I had been trying were not in coherence with this part of the Word of Wisdom.
Making the change
The next step was to tell my husband that I had received my answer. I was preparing myself to go about this new way of eating alone, as I knew for myself that this was true, but I did not want to push him into anything. That evening when he got home from work and we had a minute to talk, I let him know I had received my answer about which direction to go for my health. As we talked, I was amazed how open he was to it all! He had witnessed my efforts and had even fasted with me. Together we reread the blessing that he had given me, which I had typed up to help me in my search, and he could not deny this was right.
That evening for dinner, I opened the refrigerator to see what we had available. I saw some steaks we had cooked up that week. I rationalized that it had been a cold week and my body had felt cold and that it would be okay to eat the steaks. My husband warmed his up and then I attempted to prepare mine. As I began, the Spirit very strongly stopped me in my tracks. I heard a distinct phrase in my mind, “Do not defile yourself.” I stopped, a bit confused, wondering if this was my own thought and again rationalized it was and moved forward only to be stopped again even stronger, “Do not defile yourself!” Right then I knew it was not me! I backed away and have not had meat since.
I have been amazed at how immediately the spirit began teaching me how to approach this new information. I wasn’t exactly sure how I needed to change, and I fought the idea of giving up meat that we loved so much. I know this experience was directly speaking of the “things I did not expect or desire” in the blessing I had received. The miracle? By not “defiling myself,” I believe I was given strength to continue in this path without much desire for meat. I believe that specific part was made easier for me as a gift of obedience to the guidance from the Holy Ghost. I know that eating meat sparingly is ordained of God. I also know that “it is pleasing unto Him if it is not used, only in times of winter, or of cold or famine” and “excess of hunger.” (D&C 89:13,15.) My desires to please my Heavenly Father and gain more fully the promises in the Word of Wisdom were a driving force to learn and study more by the Spirit.
Reaffirmation
As we moved forward, doubts crept in from the adversary about whether what we were doing was right or not. I continued in prayer, asking Heavenly Father to show me in a way that I would recognize and understand that I was on the right path and whether I should continue or not. I had no doubt my answer was the Word of Wisdom. I only questioned my interpretation of it and if I was doing what I needed to be doing. After that prayer, I jumped on the treadmill for a morning jog and prepared to only jog so far, knowing my aerobic asthma would soon be kicking in. I ran . . . and I ran . . . and I ran. I pushed the speed up and ran some more. When I finished, I thanked my Heavenly Father once again for answering my prayers so specifically and in a way I could see and understand. My aerobic asthma did not manifest, and I was able to “run and not be weary.” I knew I was on the right path.
Around this same time, I went to a checkup with my nurse practitioner. I had not seen her in three months since I was working on my many ailments. I was due to check in to see how things were working out. At the previous visit, she had given me several natural remedies to help with my ailments. Without telling her about my diet changes, I was curious to see if there would be a difference in what she found. After running her scans, she stared at her computer and said, “You are doing good things. You are doing REALLY good things.” Everything looked almost normal, and she said my thyroid was only slightly off and my hormone cream could be reduced to three days per month rather than two weeks. My heart soared as I knew Heavenly Father was again reaffirming to me that I was on the right path.
Praying for others
I began to pray that my husband and children would know for themselves that this was true; that they would gain their own witness. Little did I know, my husband was praying for his own witness, and as we have continued to read and study together, I have watched him making changes on his own. He even lost 20 lbs which has allowed him to better enjoy hiking and other activities that seemed to be getting harder to enjoy with “age.” I have also been so touched by the sweet efforts of my children to live as God wants them to live. They truly amaze me at their understanding. They are so teachable and without guile. They love their Heavenly Father and strive hard to please Him through taking care of their temple bodies.
I’m eternally grateful for the blessings He has given us to be able to succeed as a family. With great hope, we can pass on these blessings to future generations. It is a literal shield I feel is being put around my children. I could not be more grateful as a mother for this protection for my children, who are being raised in the last days. Of course, we are not perfect and we are continuing to stretch and grow as we reach out for more knowledge and tweak and work out the kinks in our old habits. We love this way of eating, and we love the peace and love it has brought into our home. As I continue to read and study these things, always looking to the prophets, the Spirit has brought back to my remembrance the true principles of health He has taught me and continues to teach me even more through new insights into His animals and plants and their purposes. It has been a steep learning curve, but it has been worth it. The process I have had to take to prepare food for my family has become a sacred and thoughtful experience.
My Testimony of the Word of Wisdom
While we only began this journey six and a half months ago, we can already see the many health benefits of living this way such as: more energy, better sleep, and trimmer waistlines. Most of all, we have had the spiritual benefits of having the Spirit direct us more fully and enlighten the minds of our children. I know for myself that this scripture is true: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” (St. Matthew 7:7) I also am grateful for Joseph Smith and can say with all confidence and true knowledge that I know he was an inspired prophet of the Lord to receive this revelation for us. As we live it, we will be added upon with health, energy and strength, and receive “treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” (D&C 89:19).
I am excited to continue on this journey and gain more fully the beautiful blessings in the Word of Wisdom and to continue in the peace and joy that comes from living more fully the way the Lord desires us to live. I know this knowledge is sacred. I know it is meant to be a personal revelation to each one of us in the last days to prepare us for our Savior’s Second Coming. We are not meant to be commanded in all things. By discovering it for ourselves, we can get closer to our Heavenly Father and become more like Him. This is His desire and will for us. Because of His deep love for us, He allows us to use our agency and discover it for ourselves! What perfect Love!
Katie Johnson is 34 years old and currently lives in Bountiful, Utah. She and her high school sweetheart, Steve, have been married for 13 years and have 4 beautiful children on Earth: Elizabeth age 11, Madelyn age 9, Molly age 7, and Drew age 2, and one in heaven: Samuel Joseph Johnson. Katie enjoys cooking, nutrition, hiking, gardening, learning and singing. She and her family enjoy being together: hiking, reading, playing board games, and learning about and practicing preparedness through food storage and beekeeping.
I’m very touched by your story, Katie, especially your determination to do something that was not expected or desired. What faith! I love the instruction you received that the Lord is not “hiding” the answer to diet and health. The answer is there in plain sight, right in the middle of our scriptures, just waiting for us to open our hearts to it. And while it may seem difficult at first, that is only because it is not what we expect or desire. But once we embrace it, oh how the blessings flow!!
Thanks Jane for your support in sharing my story! I appreciate and admire you! And yes! The blessings really do flow!!!
What an amazing journey Katie. Thanks for sharing your sweet story. You have a beautiful family. Hugs.
Hugs and much appreciation and admiration to you Orva! Thanks for sharing your light with us through the years!
God does not hide anything from us; does He? However, He does wait for us to find what is in plain sight or at least to ask for it. I’m glad both of us found His wisdom and knowledge that we might regain health, strength, and stamina.
“Do not defile yourself.”
“…they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
“…cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?”
Whenever I am tempted to give up my health for the White Witch’s Turkish Delight (or whatever), I remind myself of God’s witness, instructions, and peace. What more do I need?
I absolutely love your description of the “White Witch’s Turkish delight!” It gave me and my family a good chuckle as we absolutely love the Narnia series! We’ll just have to borrow that metaphor if you don’t mind! 🙂 love and blessings! Thanks for your comments!
Katie, I was deeply impressed with the way you searched and sought for the truth you knew the Lord could provide you. I quote one particular very special paragraph of that which you submitted to my dear daughter Jane:
“I am excited to continue on this journey and gain more fully the beautiful blessings in the Word of Wisdom and to continue in the peace and joy that comes from living more fully the way the Lord desires us to live. I know this knowledge is sacred. I know it is meant to be a personal revelation to each one of us in the last days to prepare us for our Savior’s Second Coming. We are not meant to be commanded in all things. By discovering it for ourselves, we can get closer to our Heavenly Father and become more like Him. This is His desire and will for us. Because of His deep love for us, He allows us to use our agency and discover it for ourselves! What perfect Love!”
That is such an inspired and clear expression of how your acceptance of what is written particularly in verses 10 through 21 of Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants is that instruction which you had been needing and so earnestly seeking. There are many others of us out here who verify with you that what the Lord tells us in those sacred verses is what we must do to gain the health we each have yearned and been searching for!
May the Lord continue to guide and bless you, your husband and your dear and very special children and all of the rest of us out here who have been earnestly searching, and like you, have been so greatly blessed with His promised blessings given to us in those verses of scripture!
Thanks J. Neil Birch,
I appreciate your kind words and feel so grateful there are so many others like yourself that I can identify with. Love and blessings to you and yours! You have an amazing hard working daughter! But you already knew that! 😉
Katie, it was inspiring to read your story. I stopped eating meat about 6 years ago, after I studied more about nutrition and the Word of Wisdom.
Along the way I have also taken other measures, like mostly phasing out processed sugars.
I’m grateful for the blessings I’ve received from this.
Thank you for continuing to inspire me and I’m sure, many others.
Thanks for your kind words! I agree about the sugar! Just cut it out just over a month ago and it was totally worth it and made a huge difference in my health! The blessings are continous! 🙂 thanks for your comments and inspiring me further!
What a beautiful and powerful story. It is so sad to see how much we have to suffer through disobedience but how merciful and loving God is to lead us to truth despite our stubbornness. Christ’s atonement is only thing that can change human nature. Through his strength we can overcome every aspect of the natural man including our dietary inclinations 🙂
Truth! Thanks for your comments!
Thank you for opening your heart and sharing your story Katie. My wife and I have been talking about this for the past 3 weeks, and when we heard it again at a Messengers Retreat we attended this past weekend, we knew it was time to get moving on it. Blessings and love to your family.
Thank you! Blessings and love to your family as well!
I loved your story! I too have read the Word of Wisdom and believe it means what it says and i live a vegetarian (almost vegan) lifestyle. My only concern is that I have lived this way for quite a few years now (and my husband a couple years more than me) and I haven’t seen any real health benefits. I haven’t lost any weight, I suffer from allergies (allergic to ask grasses, bushes, trees, etc. Anything outside!) I have headaches every day, I’m tired. I can’t run and not be weary. But I still believe what the Lord tells us in D&C section 89. I wish I was as fortunate as everyone in this blog says they are. I’m beginning to wonder if there are any more like me out there… Those who live the Word of Wisdom but don’t see significant changes in their lives. It’s hard to read these stories when I am not going in the same direction.
Hi Nancy! Thanks for your comment. Diet does not resolve everything, and we can learn important things through ill health, but I do have some thoughts for you. The Word of Wisdom is not just about avoiding meat. There are actually three principles and all three are very important to good health: (1) consuming wholesome plant foods in the season thereof; (2) animal flesh sparingly and only in times of need; and (3) grain as the staff of life.
From a whole food, plant-based perspective, the first principle points us to using whole foods (rather than processed foods). Many vegetarian/vegan diets are quite unhealthy because they include a lot of processed foods (including both sugar and oils). Getting rid of all processed foods can have a big impact on health. As for the third principle, many people today avoid grain, but the Lord ordained grain as the staff of life. So this principle is also important to follow. What about eggs or dairy? According to whole food, plant-based experts, these foods have the same health risks as meat, so eliminating all eggs and diary can also make a big impact on our health. Note that the Lord does not ordain eggs or dairy to play any role in our diets. The second principle seems to best cover their use.
What I love about WFPB experts is that they are helping see so much more into the Word of Wisdom than we have before! You may want to review the WFPB guidelines on this page to find other areas where your diet could be improved: WFPB Guidelines.
Losing any excess pounds also makes a huge difference, but to get down to an ideal weight means being pretty strict about following the WFPB guidelines (including very sparing use of high fat plant foods). That may not be easy, but we all have to decide what excellent health (and the blessings in the Word of Wisdom) are worth to us.
If we desire, I know the Lord can lead us to the answers we need for our lives. We just need to be careful to show the Lord we are serious about following his guidance. If we are not serious about making needed changes, it is unlikely we will hear the instructions clear enough or have enough faith to make any needed course corrections.
Best wishes on your journey! I’m happy to help in any way I can!!
Hello Jane!
I love this website and check in eagerly each Saturday to check out the new story that’s been posted. I truly believe the WFPB WoW diet is ideal and want so badly to follow it. I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 14. I’m now 36. I’m also 50 lbs. over my ideal right now. I’m so frustrated at the disconnect between wanting to do something and not knowing how. I have 9 kids, the youngest of which is 5 months, and just don’t have the time to research like crazy. I WANT to, believe me. I’ve been cooking vegan for the last several months, but just don’t know how to do it on a budget and still make it taste good and have it appeal to my family (who is also vegetarian). What I need is menus and recipes all laid out so I can go get the ingredients, cook the food and serve it up. I’ve been thinking of buying Jeff Novick’s Fast Foods, but the set is nearly $100. Do you have a link to something like this? I’ve read your sections on what to eat, but I need something more concrete if you know of anything.
I truly appreciate all that you’re doing. I know the impact you are making is huge, whether you can see it or not.
Carissa: If you live near Provo, you can borrow the Jeff Novick DVDs I have! I know this is hard and time consuming. But eventually ill health will be much harder and much more time consuming! You have a great heart. I’d love to help you if I can!
If you are already vegetarian, going healthy vegan will be a snap. Leave off the cheese. Leave out the oil. Limit use of nuts and avocados. Use flax seed meal + water to replace eggs in baking. To stay on budget eat lots stews and soups made from beans and rice or beans and tortillas or pasta (and beans) or oatmeal or winter squash or potatoes or wheat bread or polenta with some in season fruit and veg. Make muffins and bread. In short, eat from food that most Mormons store, such as rice, beans, wheat, oats, etc. If you cut the fat, processed grains, and animal excretions, the extra pounds will melt off your body. Maybe this will give you a few ideas. http://www.forksoverknives.com/healthy-food-on-tight-budget/
Try this mac and cheeze (or spaghetti alfredo). Everyone I serve it too LOVES it–even meat eaters.
1 head cauliflower, outer leaves removed and chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, whole
1/4 small white or yellow onion, chopped
pinch red pepper flakes
dash Italian herbs
1/4 c chopped red yam (omit if you don’t need it to be yellow)
2-3 T nutritional yeast (optional; I like it but hubby doesn’t so I alternate putting it in or not)
water to cover
1 lb whole grain elbows, shells, or spaghetti
Boil cauliflower, garlic, onion, herbs, and flakes with enough water to just cover until cauliflower is very soft. Meanwhile, cook pasta to your liking and drain. Blend cauliflower mixture and nutritional yeast in blender with enough water to make a cream sauce. Salt and pepper to taste if you use them. Mix sauce into pasta and serve. No need for additional veggies unless you want them. Peas, summer or winter squash, asparagus, red bell pepper, spinach, fresh herbs, and/or green beans nice to mix in or serve beside this dish. To further reduce the cost for a very large family or if you are one to think that high protein levels are needed, you can blend a cup or two of white beans with the cauliflower mixture.
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for your honesty about your situation. You aren’t alone. This is my story yes and i did gain some health back but I also did not lose weight in the beginning and my seasonal allergies were the worst they’ve been this summer. My hangup was too much sugar and not eating enough greens. As I prayed, the Lord told me to “read it again” (Referring to d and c 89). I found I was not putting enough emphasis on green vegetables. Once I started adding them more, my allergies stopped that very day and also, I knew I needed to cut out sugar. I found I was addicted and using natural sugars was even feeding it. I use very small amounts of maple syrup and honey to help sweeten fruit blended to go over pancakes but honestly I cut out the rest and allergies are gone and weight is going down. I agree with Jane’s suggestions and especially pray to the Lord and be willing to do what He asks. He will answer. We’re all on a continuous journey. But its amazing to see the Lord’s will unfold as we take each step.
I agree with what’s been written, I think some of the biggest health benefits for me have come from not eating processed foods. It’s not coincidence that Joseph Smith received the Word of Wisdom revelation just before the industrial revolution when our food was about to become very very processed.
You can be a vegetarian and still eat quite a bit of what I’d call “junk” food like sugary cereals, processed breads, chips, french fries, etc… I’m not saying that this is what you are doing, but I’d try eating a whole foods plant based diet – foods that you make yourself – and especially follow the word of wisdom when it says to eat fruits and vegetables IN THEIR SEASON. Maybe that will help.
Sometimes we are tested on our path. There are those that pay their tithing faithfully and are very very poor and don’t have enough food, those that pray for a miracle and one doesn’t come. Maybe the test for you is to stay on the path without immediate blessings? President Uchtdorf said once that “every story has a happy ending, you just have to stay with the story long enough.” Sometimes we just have to stay with what we know is right, knowing that in time the blessings will come from a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for us.
Just a few thoughts – stay strong. Lots of love!
Candice
Thank you Katie for sharing your wonderful story. I taught a Sunday School lesson just a month or so ago about the prophet Daniel. I noticed the phrase in scripture that Daniel did not defile himself with the king’s meat (Daniel 1:8) Ever since then I have not been able to think about meat the same way, just as your story also relates. Thanks again!
Thanks Adam! It’s funny you bring that up because just this week (after submitting my story) I read Daniel 1 again and saw that “he did not defile himself with the Kings meat.” Funny thing is, I had never made that connection till then. More reaffirmation from a loving Heavenly Father! 🙂 thanks for your kind words!
Hi Katie, I do not know if you have ever watched the documentary Earthlings,
but it is very, very powerful. It is a testimony that D&C 89 is absolutely correct.
You will probably have to force yourself to watch certain parts of it, but I think
it is has really helped me understand many things.
Earthlings
YouTube channel Georges Laraque
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibuQ-J04eLQ
I was nodding my head the entire time I was reading this story. I too, just this year, felt the promptings to live the Word of Wisdom the way it is written in the scriptures. I just felt a lot of similarities in our stories. Thank you so much for sharing. I started on a whole food plant based diet about the same time as you – March 2015- but my family hasn’t totally joined me. There are times I feel very alone in all of it and then someone will say something or do something that tells me that I’m not alone, that there are others out there who have discovered this truth. I was on a run last week and feeling like I needed to search for others who are on the same path I am on. It’s not a coincidence that I discovered this site and Jane’s book.
Thanks again for sharing!!
Candice
Candice,
You are so not alone! Thank you for sharing your feelings! I appreciate your kind words! If you live in the same area or close to Bountiful feel free to contact me! I’d love to get a group together in this area!
Thanks,
Katie
Katie,
I read your story about a year and a half ago…
I like others have a similar story. Yours was the first I ran into and it meant the world to 19 yr old me. It was an answer to my prayer and a confirmation to me that I had received personal revelation of my own. You see, in high school I began to struggle with my health. I was regularly seeing a doctor for dizzy spells, loss of vision and heart palpitations. It became very obvious one day that the specialist I was referred had no idea what was going on with my body; though my symptoms got worse he never changed his prescription. I began to feel helpless. I knew I needed to prepare for a mission and that there was hardly any hope they would send me like I was.
One day I received my patriarchal blessing. I was to be blessed with good health. When I returned home I ran to my room and began to laugh-sob as hope and doubt overwhelmed me simultaneously. I cried out to my heavenly father expressing my desire to serve and declaring my will to do all that I could, I asked for guidance and answers. I expressed faith in His omnipotence, I asked if He could show me what the doctors never could. I was prompted, ‘There is an answer in the gospel for everything.” I almost felt dumb as I realized I needed to study the word of wisdom…God has given us perfect guidance for every aspect of our lives. He never stopped at spiritual, though other laws are bonded so tightly to eternal spiritual laws. I read it through and my eyes were opened to knowledge I had never seemed to notice, some very pure truths. I then understood that I would need to stop eating meat. I pleaded for help…my family is full of hunters, farmers and conservatives. They are a cute bunch who just love to sit down with a rack of ribs and tell some stories. Not to mention, I had been a carnivore since the day I could chew…it was part of my personality. I finished my prayer and an awful stench filled my room. I cried out to my mom to see if everything was okay. She said “Violet, come down for dinner!” I realized that the stench was a meat she was cooking. My stomach turned. I had no desire to eat it.
I made a promise with my Father that I would follow his guidance. He came through. I worked some days from 4:00am to 11:00 at night(two jobs), to earn money in hopes for a mission call. I never ran out of energy(which was so very new to me.) I also began to function in great health and… I was soon called to serve in the Yakima Washington mission, Spanish speaking.
I am so grateful for your story because it was so hard to do that alone and I prayed to feel validation and I read your story. Thank you for being true to the guidance god gave you. I know He loves us. I know He fulfills his promises.
Violet,
Thank you so much for your kind words and story you shared with me. You have no idea how much I appreciate that and how timely it was to read. I feel just like you said that when we keep our promises, Heavenly Father will come through for us. You’re story is inspiring and I’d love to read more of your story if there’s more and if you feel inclined to share your story with Jane so others can be blessed as you’ve blessed me.
You’ll never know how so grateful I am that you wrote me. I’m so happy for you and your success to be able to reach your desires to serve a mission as well as thrive in good health! That is SO awesome!
Thank you again for inspiring me and helping me have reaffirmation as well as added strength and purpose to continue along my own journey.
Wishing you all the best moving forward with your righteous desires!
Much admiration,
Katie
Violet, I am currently eating the SAD and am planning to return to WFPB. I ate that way for most of a year before falling back into old habits. But I’m writing about my daughter, Lucy, who is currently on a mission in Ecuador. She had trouble with her digestion and illness during her first year of college and again on and off on her mission… particularly when she got parasites. She is too thin now as a result, even after being treated. She will return home in six months and I know she will continue to experience some problems as she returns to school. Stress always causes it, along with the food. She will also be working with fast food all summer and is bringing home a new soda habit from her mission. So I’m rambling but I have felt strongly that she will need and may be prepared for this wfpb lifestyle within the next couple of years. I find your story inspiring and relatable for her. I will put it on her fb page in a place where she will find it when she comes home. Thank you for sharing!!! You will inspire us both. … <3 from a mother's heart.
Stacey Lyman Anderson