“Nothing need die, that I might live!”

By: Tom Rodgers

I grew up on dairy and poultry farms managed or owned by my father in the Bountiful, Utah area. I thought I ate a healthy diet, which included meat, eggs and milk. I obeyed the Word of Wisdom as I understood it, but contrary to the promise, my health was failing.

In February of 1990 I was 49 years old. Here I am with my wife Betty (left) and daughter Cindy (center) just days before serious cancer detection, surgery and treatment work began. Far exceeding 250 pounds (I stopped getting on the scales out of embarrassment and denial) and no longer feeling like I was the invincible, unstoppable, independent entrepreneur and functional man I had labored to be for decades.

As my own boss in my some-times animal husbandry and all-the-time mechanical repair business, I was never short on exercise. My work was always physically demanding and strenuous. I could “throw” a cow, “drop” a cantankerous horse, pull wire or break thread on the largest rusty pipe or bolt without difficulty. I did unfortunately believe, as I had been thoroughly taught, that I needed to sufficiently consume, for the “good” of my health, teeth and bones, the products of my own dairy and animal husbandry industry. I had no shortage of milk, eggs or meat. I should have been as healthy as my old horse Frisky – but it was not so!

One day as I was working on a washing machine, I leaned over it and bumped into a little mass in my chest that gave me a sharp pain. I thought, “Wow what is going on here?”

I went to the hospital. After several tests, I learned that I had tumors in my chest and abdomen. I had one very large tumor in my upper back with tentacles reaching into my chest cavity and brain. Additionally, a black mass was found on my shoulder about the size of a pencil eraser. It turned out to be stage 4 malignant melanoma.

The doctors at the VA hospital did the best they could to save my life. I underwent four cancer surgeries, each lasting three hours or more. I woke up during one of the operations while they were scraping the cancer off my rib bones. They had to increase my anesthesia. I also suffered multiple TIAs or mini-strokes during and after these surgeries. My life declined and its limits became no larger than the hospital ward or my own imprisoning bedroom. All else in my life’s dreams and efforts collapsed, vanished or were taken away.

Four months later in June of 1990 a third stroke took my sight and left me with little speech and motor function. My left side was fully impaired. Two and a half years of endless headache, pain and perpetual nausea were now in process! I was overwhelmed and depressed with my dysfunction as additional cancer cleanup surgeries and treatment continued! My world no longer fully visible, workable and for the most part communicable, nor rational, crumbled about me. Unannounced to me, a team of psychiatrists were quietly adding to my cabinet full of prescriptions. Their tiny pills further disconnected me from logic and life.

Seven months later in January of 1991, my heart was tired, damaged and wanting to stop. Suffering a heart attack, though still alive, I was sped again out of my bedroom back to my old familiar emergency bed in the VA hospital. The evaluations revealed a malfunctioning heart valve. My life was returned as before, back to my bedroom, but with some more pills to take of course.

Six months later in June of 1991, my wife drove me over to her sister’s house for a visit. While I was in the house, I heard a German Shepherd growling at my wife and daughter in the backyard. I was terrified. I made my way out the back door with my impaired sight, and put my hand out thinking I could calm this dog down, but she bit me.

The next day was Sunday and my family was at church. My body was slowly going into septicemia or shock. My breathing and heart rate were slowing down, and I panicked. I knew I only had a small window of time to get to the hospital. I got in the car and drove myself, nearly sightless, to the VA emergency room. I accidentally parked the car in the entrance to the building, but I made it.

Though the doctors heroically worked on me, my heart and lungs did stop for a short time. In those moments between life and death, I passed from the emergency room into a garden or large park. I was brought to a grand picnic table, which I believe represented the Table of the Lord. There were many people gathered around it. I recognized Joseph Smith, Emma Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor from their portraits. Jesus Christ stood on the right side of me and my grandfather, Eli B. Rodgers, who served in the Salt Lake Temple Presidency, was on the left. As I looked at this great table, I looked for milk and honey and other familiar foods, but saw only foods of the garden. A question began to form in my mind, “Where were the animal foods?” At first it was like I was not there to them, but as that question began to form in my mind, all of them, like a choir in unison, stopped and said, “We do not partake of those things here.” Instantly I understood that the issue was the taking of life. I understood that my cancers, heart disease and strokes were a consequence of my willingness to take the life of a creature (or animal).

As everybody went back to what they were doing, Emma Smith maintained eye contact with me. I sensed that she wanted to tell me something. She was a beautiful lady with long black hair and porcelain skin. Still standing between Jesus Christ and my grandfather Eli, I had a lengthy conversation with Emma. She was very concerned about the deterioration of the health of children on earth. I also learned that because Emma had lost her first three children at birth, she urged Joseph to inquire as to the reason, and he received the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom.

As we concluded our communication, the scene at the garden dissolved and suddenly I found myself at my local ward, looking at my wife, with Jesus Christ and Eli as my escorts. I also had a foster son, biological son and a daughter on missions for the church, all at the same time. I could see each of them as inserts in that view. My family desperately needed me. I plead with my Lord, “I cannot stay here (in the spirit world) they need to know what I now know.” Then Jesus committed with me, “I will help you with your family, if you help me with mine.” I understood and made a promise to never eat animal foods and offend Him again by so doing, and to do everything I could to educate His family to live within this truth.

As I barely awoke from my near death experience, I immediately called for the dietitian of the hospital. My strangely out-of-character words to the hospital dietitian were, “Nothing need die, that I might live!” Sensing her and everyone’s disbelief from this old rancher’s request, and struggling again to speak, I restated, “Nothing is to lose its life, so that I might have mine!” Death’s embrace did work profound change in my way of thinking – never again to be the same! Passing near death I understood nature’s wisdom and my foolish errors. I had to make a compassionate and intelligent change. That wonderful lady of the kitchen facilities understood, and from that day forward she was my “angel” in the hospital kitchen, making sure that my hospital menu was only of gentle foods. Nothing more was to suffer for me or my appetite!

As a former dairyman/rancher this new way of thinking was unusual, uncomfortable, even offensive to many of my friends and family. We were steeped in the time-honored traditions of our fathers, along with our lucrative profits and pride. This photo is from July of 1991, three weeks after my hard escape from death. I had just been released from the hospital again to the care of my fragile and destitute, but dedicated family. Sightless, mobility and speech impaired, I am here being lovingly cared for by my tender-hearted second daughter, Nina. I suffered a fourth stroke in September.

Nine months later I was pass death and looked so much better!  This photo was taken on the April 5, 1992 by a caring friend in the leadership of my faith, as I shared more of my gratitude for heaven’s gift of life with him. This date of April 5, 1992 was once my medically predicted death date! However, here I stand, sweetly living 60 lbs lighter, sight, speech and mobility returning! My blood analysis equal to a 20-year old. My immune system was back and working, a remaining growth under my rib reducing and a third mass in my groin – gone! Arthritis, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, tinnitus, teeth (what I had left) all healing! But the most important healing for me was my returning ability to play and interact again with my family and friends.

September 1992 – not dead yet! Wonderfully alive (179 lbs) and continually getting better, living on those compassionate foods that nature designed and were always meant to sustain human health. Here I am with my beautiful daughter Cindy and wife Betty. Notice the beautiful change in all my family members as they too are reaping the benefits of the compassionate diet.

Please don’t let me mislead you. The road back to health is not easy. It is a difficult struggle with awful adjustments and challenges along the way. The body reacts to any change bad or good with some trauma – like a smoker quitting tobacco. Any behavior, long established, will require courage and sometimes strong family support to change. For me the option of dying was motivation enough to hold true!

In June of 1991, when I had my near death experience, I had a tumor just below my right rib the size of a walnut. After two years on the plant-based diet, I went back to my oncologist for x-rays. The tumor was now the size of a pea! It was proof that I was getting better! However, my doctor attributed it to “spontaneous remission” and took no interest in my healthy diet. Seven years later, the University of Utah wanted to study my case for cancer research, but when they found out I ate only plants, the idea was dropped.

For the next ten years of my life, I traveled all over the western United States, teaching people about the plant-based diet. It was both enjoyable and difficult, but I was up for the task. I made many friends along the way. Here is a picture of me in 1998 with Jay Kordish aka “The Juice Man” and actress Alicia Silverstone.

Many lectures were given at universities such as USC, UCLA, Pepperdine, Cal Poly Tech, UC Davies, University of Riverside, UC San Diego, all the universities in Utah and Nevada, Harvard, Yale and many others. Additional lectures were given at public libraries and gatherings at homes and health food stores. What a happy honor to have friends who are now engaged in caring for the precious temples of the human spirit, who are willing to speak out and courageously act in defense of all the voiceless, helpless and innocent life of creation – including our own priceless children. I am now in my 78^th year and going strong. My doctor gave me nine months to live in 1991, but here I am today – nearly 30 years later!

And when man has learned – and acted in this frame,

then all creation will live – permitting Man the same!

Thomas L. Rodgers (77) lives in Bountiful, Utah with his wife Betty. He continues to educate people about the blessings of the plant-based diet. He also defends the helpless in court with his own limited resources. He can be contacted at thomaslrodgers@gmail.com. Here are some of Tom’s projects and other initiatives he promotes: LDS Veg; LifeSave; Gassing America; Meadows Fire.