Three months ago, I featured the story of my beautiful sister, Parie Drechsel. Today, I’m happy to feature her daughter (and my sweet niece), Sophie!
By: Sophie Drechsel
After my Aunt Jane came to visit our house, my mom read her book, and then our family started eating a plant-based diet. Now, we don’t eat any meat or dairy, and we don’t use very much oil. We also don’t eat any eggs.
I felt fine about changing our food. Before this, we didn’t have meat very often. For a second thing, I hate cheese and eggs. So it was fine with me. I don’t like even the smell of cheese!
Before changing our diet, I didn’t like cupcakes, but I did like candy like suckers. Now my mom makes treats like baked apples and bananas with cinnamon and maple syrup.
I like the foods my mom makes. I like mushrooms, rice and beans, and grapes and vegetables.
One time when I was shopping with a friend and her mother, we went to a noodle place. They had lots and lots of meat, but I told them I don’t eat things with meat. My friend asked me, “How can you get all the stuff you need?” I told her I get it from fruits and vegetables.
I think it is sad that people eat animals because sometimes they’ll just kill a baby animal, and they don’t get to live their life.
I like to eat this way because it can help others to eat this way. That will help them so they don’t get sick. And it will help more animals to live.
Sophie Drechsel is 8 years old and lives in Columbus, Indiana. She loves to read, play piano, dance, and make crafts.
I am very proud of my beautiful niece! She has a good and kind heart. I love you, Sophie!
I love it! A whole lifetime of eating healthy, what a great future. I wish I had been as wise.
Sophie, you a beautiful. Thank you for sharing your story.
You are a very brave and articulate girl. Your skin absolutely glows; some research shows that we plant eaters have better skin color and texture than meat eaters. All girls want to look pretty, and it seems plants are the best way to achieve that goal. It’s true; plants taste much better than heavy animal meals. The thought of killing and eating animals makes me sad as well as a bit disgusted. Mostly, though I like how I feel now without eating animals and oil. Stick with your ideals all through your life, and you’ll be much healthier and happier. Thank you for sharing your story.
My Very Dear Granddaughter Sophie,
I was surprised and very excited to read that which you wrote about the way you eat, which was just published by your dear Aunt Jane! I particularly appreciated reading this sentence of yours:
“One time when I was shopping with a friend and her mother, we went to a noodle place. They had lots and lots of meat, but I told them I don’t eat things with meat. My friend asked me, “How can you get all the stuff you need?” I told her I get it from fruits and vegetables.”
What you told your friend and her mother shows that you know that our Dear Lord has told us in His very special 89th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants which you and your family, refer to as the “Word of Wisdom” along with this Grandpa of yours, in which we, who each who are Heavenly Father’s children, are told how we should eat!
I’m very pleased about how you and your parents and your siblings along with a second brother who will be entering into life in several months, have let the Word of Wisdom make you very wise and thus very healthy! You have learned that the Lord doesn’t say that the Staff of Life is meat as most people we each know seem to believe, but instead, you really know that in that Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, our Heavenly Father instead tells us in verse Fourteen, that “Grains are the Staff of Life” for both animals and we, the children of our Heavenly Father! You most likely eat lots of bread and other things that contain grain.
This Grandfather of yours who just turned eighty three years of age on the Thirteenth of this month, eats a number of different grains at both breakfast and at supper and eats mostly corn on the cob at lunch; and then along with exercising very energetically six days a week, I haven’t been sick at all in any way the past three years, including no headaches at all, I expect to live a number of years past the age of one hundred and hopefully my life will extend into the Millennium which begins at the time our Lord Jesus Christ will return to Earth to be among us! I look forward to living then much closer to each of my children and their children, which you are one! I love you and each member of your dear family so very very much!
Your Grandpa, Neil Birch
Sophie,my name is Aaron,I was born and raised in the church along with my large family of ten(well,my father joined later,thats another story).My mother passed away 4 years ago and I loved her cooking too,but we never practiced the word of wisdom in the way you do,I wished we had because I know she would of lived well beyond the 74 years she was with us.Your story is giving me the courage to start,I really never enjoyed the thought of eating animals but I think it’s time to try eating right
Thanks for your story
Oh,. Sophie, what a lovely testimony you have expressed to all of us here today. Just like your name, Sophie, which means “wise” in Greek, you are showing great wisdom at your young age. Your family is right in their joy in your decision to follow the Lord’s counsel in your way of eating. I agree with Carol who said, “I love it! A whole lifetime of eating healthy, what a great future. I wish I had been as wise.” I hope you continue to follow the Lord’s counsel to you and o each of us as you grow into a young woman and beyond. Thank you, Jane, for publishing your sweet niece’s story and testimony.