Veganism and the Gospel

I've been debating whether or not to post this article. This was something that I wrote for a magazine writing class last fall. I've been debating because I'm afraid it might rub off as too "in-your-face" or too pushy. Please keep in mind that my intention when I wrote this was merely to inform how my veganism fits in with the doctrine of my church, not necessarily a persuasive article. Nonetheless, if you read it, I hope you like it. If it seems a little familiar, I based it off a previous post about animals and the gospel. After writing that article, I decided that I wanted to go more in depth with the topic and do some research, so here's the result. 

Deciding to become vegetarian and eventually vegan was not easy. I had only met a few other vegetarians throughout my life, one of whom was a girlfriend of my brother's. I was little at the time, but I remember my bewildered family wondered what to give her for dinner. Growing up, I was sheltered when it came to other ways of eating and I never questioned what I ate on a daily basis.

But as I learned more about how animals are treated in this world, I couldn't go back to living that way again. Knowing I had to change my habits was an uncomfortable feeling. I couldn't keep going down the same path, because it would cause inner turmoil. At first, I went the route of vegetarian by cutting meat out of my diet. After a few months, I decided to become vegan, making the transition to remove all animal products from my daily meals. This transition was stressful because I felt disloyal and that I would somehow be alienated from my family and friends. Growing up in rural Idaho, veganism rubbed off on me as being taboo.

This was probably because my family's traditions are deeply rooted around animals. My mother grew up on a dairy farm and my father raises beef cattle. It is custom in my family to hunt and fish and most of our vacations are centered around fishing. Because I was raised this way, meat was a staple food in my house. It was something readily available.

While I was making this change and told people about my lifestyle choice, one argument I constantly heard was, "The purpose of animals are for us to use, Candice." I have always questioned this statement. I do not believe a certain animal was created only to give us their meat or milk. Yet, I had always learned that we had dominion over the animals and they were here for us "to use" because it supposedly says so in the scriptures. So if I don’t believe animals were only created for me to use, does that not make me a Christian? This question was eating away at me, so I started searching.

It was in my online searches for someone—anyone—who thought like I did that I found Christopher Foster, a philosophy instructor at BYU. Foster, a vegetarian, has compiled a PowerPoint lecture titled "Mormonism and Animal Rights—Harmony or Contradiction?" He has presented this at various locations across Utah, including Salt Lake Community College and Brigham Young University. His lecture is packed with quotations and scriptures stressing the need to end useless killing of animals. Foster believes we should "only eat them if we have need." He also states that it is against the basic ethical principle to cause suffering when the benefits do not outweigh the misery caused.  "The suffering caused by factory farming (where the vast majority of American meat comes from) is so extreme that the need required in order to balance that out must also be extreme—it would have to be necessary for our lives," says Foster.

The Word of Wisdom seems to agree with this. In Doctrine and Covenants chapter 89, we read in verse 12: "Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly." Verse 13 expands on the word sparingly by stating: "And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine."

Even though the Word of Wisdom states to eat it sparingly in times of winter or famine, do we really need to eat meat at all? Doctrine and Covenants 49:21 states: "And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need." Industrialization has provided many ways for us to obtain different varieties of foods, including a wide array of fruits and vegetables. As Foster points out in his presentation, "Today, we have ample vegetarian food available year round." There are plenty of alternative protein sources, such as beans, nuts, and seeds. We are blessed to have such an abundant food supply, especially in this country. We definitely don't live in a country of famine. 

According to a January 2008 article in The New York Times titled, "Rethinking the Meat Guzzler" by Mark Bittman, Americans, on average, consume nearly double the average of meat than the rest of the world. This is vital when taken into account that, according to the same piece, nearly 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger or malnutrition. The majority of the world’s corn and soy are fed to chickens, pigs and cattle. In her book "Diet for a Small World," Frances Moore Lappe says, "For every 16 pounds of grain and soy fed to beef cattle in the United States we only get 1 pound back in meat on our plates." She then points out, "If we exclude dairy cows, the average ratio of all U.S. livestock is 7 pounds of grain and soy to produce 1 pound of edible food."  A similar number was found on the Environmental Health Perspectives website. A Research Review explains that it takes seven pounds and about 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of feedlot beef. When this feed is given to animals instead of people, it is taking away land, food and water that could have been helped to prevent starvation of these suffering people. For me, these statistics raise serious questions about whether we are optimizing what we have been given to better the lives of our fellow beings. Is our exploitation of these resources really justifiable? Do we really consider the damage we are doing to these creatures?

"Animals are like children in a sense that they are innocent and under our dominion," Foster said. "Everyone knows deep down that kindness to animals is necessary." He believes kindness to animals is spiritually, environmentally and ethically essential. "There are literally billions raised and killed in the most brutal ways for our appetite preferences and their suffering is as real as ours. We are hypocrites for ignoring them and thereby causing their misery," he says. We are clearly not showing compassion for animals by killing them when it isn’t necessary.

Many church leaders have expressed their feelings on this topic, basing their beliefs on the scriptures. One slide in Foster’s presentation includes this quote from Joseph Fielding Smith: "There is no inference in the scriptures that it is the privilege of  men to slay birds or beasts or to catch fish wantonly. The Lord gave life to every creature…Therefore to take the life of these creatures wantonly is a sin before the Lord." It is a fundamental belief in Christianity that God gave man dominion over animals. In Genesis chapter one we read that God created the earth and the creatures upon it, and more specifically in verse 28, we hear: "…God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." But what is the extent of our dominion?

"Adam’s dominion was a charge to see to it that all went well with God’s creatures; it was not a license to exterminate them," Hugh Nibley said in the book "Kindness to Animals and Caring for the Earth" by Richard D. Stratton. This quotation along with others seem to suggest there is righteous and unrighteous dominion that can be practiced over the earth.

One slide on Foster’s presentation discusses unrighteous dominion by using a quote from the February 1912 edition of the Juvenile Instructor. In this citation, Joseph F. Smith points out, "The dominion the Lord gave man over the brute creation has been, to a very large extent, used selfishly, thoughtlessly, cruelly." Foster also adds: "We are utterly indifferent to the suffering we cause to so many beings. This is about as unrighteous as dominion gets."

In my research it was surprising to find that Joseph Smith was an advocate of kindness and respect to animals. Gerald E. Jones includes a story about Joseph Smith in his article "The Gospel and Animals" in the August 1972 edition of the Ensign. During the Zion’s Camp expedition in summer 1834, Joseph Smith tells the story of how they found three rattlesnakes in their tent. Some brethren were about to kill them but Joseph Smith said, "Let them alone—don’t hurt them!" and instructed the brethren to take them across the creek. He also explicitly told them not to kill another creature unless it was absolutely required to prevent them from starving to death.

Another prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, expressed his beliefs on the unnecessary killing of animals in the October 1978 LDS Conference by stating: "And not less with reference to the killing of innocent birds is the wildlife of our country that live upon vermin that are indeed enemies to the farmer and mankind. It is not only wicked to destroy them, it is a shame, in my opinion. I think that this principle should extend not only to the bird life but to the life of all animals."

I had believed this all my life, but never quite made the connection between the 

animals that died and the food I ate. The turning point was one weekend when I went home to visit my parents. I went with my nieces to see the newborn calves in my father’s pasture. One calf, full of curiosity, cautiously came up and stood in front of my nieces and me. He stood there for a few moments, staring and sniffing. My eyes welled up with tears because I knew this calf, innocent and pure, was only born to die.

Although it’s easy to only blame the meat industry for what happens to livestock, it is important to know unnecessary killing and abuse of animals exists in every animal industry. For example, the veal industry is directly tied to the dairy industry. A USDA Fact Sheet entitled "Veal from Farm to Table" states, "Male dairy calves are used in the veal industry. Dairy cows must give birth to continue producing milk, but male dairy calves are of little or no value to the dairy farmer." The calf is taken away from its mother so the cow can be milked. Continuous pregnancies play a heavy role on the health of the cow and if its production levels drop below profit, the cow is slaughtered.

The main reason why milk is consumed is to get the calcium our body needs. However, milk is not the best and only way to get that calcium. According to an article entitled "Calcium and Milk: What’s Best for Your Bones?" published by the Harvard School of Public Health: "Milk is actually one of many sources of calcium—dark leafy green vegetables and some types of legumes are among other sources…" To me, it makes sense to get calcium from plant sources, where the cows get theirs.

The same goes for egg-laying chickens. Little regard is taken for the lives of birds in this industry. A fact sheet on the American Egg Board's website states: "As the hen ages, egg quality declines and, at about 18 to 20 months of age, molting occurs and egg production ceases. While some flocks are sold for slaughter at this point, replacement is costly. A fairly common practice is to place the flock into a controlled molt. " Controlled molting is defined in Wikipedia as the artificial practice of the industry to force chickens to lose feathers and weight. In order to lose weight, feed is taken away for up to two weeks. In addition to this, most chickens are confined to small areas and cages. Since these birds are used as production plants, we should always be mindful of their health and well-being.

We have always been taught that we, as members of the LDS church, need to take care of the beautiful earth we have been given. Stratton's book includes one of my favorite thoughts by Ezra Taft Benson on this subject. Benson says: "Whatever mortal reasons there are to be concerned about [the] environment, there are eternal reasons, too, for us to be thoughtful stewards. President Brigham Young said: 'Not one particle of all that comprises this vast creation of God is our own. Everything we have has been bestowed upon us for our action, to see what we would do with it—whether we would use it for eternal life and exaltation, or for eternal death and degradation.'" Kindness to animals and taking care of our earth are one in the same; damage one and you damage the other.

Going back to the article by Bittman, referring to large animal production plants, states: "These assembly-line meat factories consume enormous amounts of energy, pollute water supplies, generate significant greenhouse gases and require ever-increasing amounts of corn, soy and other grains, a dependency that has led to the destruction of vast swaths of the world's tropical rain forests." Senior UN Food and Agriculture Organization official Henning Steinfeld confirms this in an article entitled "Livestock a Major Threat to Environment" released by the United Nations.  Steinfeld states: "'Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems.'" Harvesting livestock is not the only practice that damages the environment. Overfishing is a serious threat to the ecosystems of the world's oceans.

According to the United Nations article "Overfishing: a threat to marine diversity," one in five people are dependent on fish as their primary source of protein. UN agencies state this is damaging because aquaculture, the stocking and farming of aquatic organisms, is increasing more swiftly than other food producing sectors. "According to a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimate, over 70% of the world's fish species are either fully exploited or depleted," the article states.

On an individual level, we might not harm the environment much by eating animal products. However, collectively, we are doing serious harm. Foster offers a quotation by Brigham

Young that says, "If we maltreat our animals, or each other, the spirit within us, our traditions, and the Bible, all agree in declaring it is wrong."As children of our Heavenly Father, we know it is our sacred stewardship to protect what He has so abundantly blessed us with. We should not be selfish; but I believe we should be grateful for everything that He gives us. I see veganism as a means to be thankful for these blessings and to make sure that others can do the same.

Ovid the poet, in the book "Metamorphoses," once rhymed: "Take not away the life you cannot give, For all things have an equal right to live." I couldn’t agree more.

 

Dearest Readers,

If you are a regular reader and "commenter" of my blog, let me just say that this post is not geared towards you. I consider you all as my friends and I truly value what you say. I appreciate your input and I look forward to hearing from you always. Thanks for letting me tell you my stories and my thoughts and thanks for your support. 

I'm really not sure where to start. Lately, I've heard a few stories of people who have been looking at my blog and...um...how shall we say it, not being so enamored at what I've been posting. Of course, these people do not leave comments but choose to spread their words around in other forms. 

Look. I know what I talk about sometimes might ruffle some feathers. I especially know what people's thoughts and actions usually are when it comes to me discussing my veganism. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I'm sorry. I do not mean or try to attack anyone when I post these, and I keep all your feelings in consideration when I write. I really do.

I know veganism is, to some people, "far out there" or "so extreme." I know it might be a difficult concept to grasp, especially when you've known me for many years, and especially when I come from the background that I do. You might think that I am weird or different now, but I'm really not. What I hope you consider and realize when you think about veganism, is that to me, it is something I hold very dear to my heart.

Boiled down, veganism is very simple. It is taking the same care and consideration we all feel for animals (such as our beloved pets) and applying it to every animal, including those who are forced to produce food for us and those raised to be on our dinner plates. To you, it might seem like I'm being weird in trying to avoid foods that are very common in our diet. To me, this belief is an action on what I've really felt my whole life. My decision to be vegan was not easy, by any means. And frankly, it was these types of reactions that I feared the most. 

But what I hope you understand is that my decision to be vegan is hugely based on my interpretation of the Word of Wisdom and what many scriptures, prophets, and church leaders have said about the treatment of animals and the earth. To me, it is very spiritual and personal. I know that many people make ethical decisions that are largely based on religious beliefs, such as one's stance on abortion. (I hope you don't think I'm combining the two issues here, I'm just trying to make a point.) Me choosing not to eat meat, dairy or eggs is just that--an ethical decision largely based on my religious beliefs and morals. When these beliefs are criticized and mocked, especially behind my back, I can't tell you how much it hurts.

Now I'm really not trying to play the victim here, I take responsibility for the fact that I have a blog. I'm posting these thoughts and feelings for people to read and I would like for you to read them. I know that in a way, I'm making myself a target. That's something that I accept before I publish my piece. What I ask is that if you should disagree or want to talk about something, that you post a comment, send an email, or give me a call (most of you probably have my number). I realize that the internet isn't always the best place to work things out, but it is certainly better than what has been filtered through four different people. 

To most people, veganism would probably be considered a political topic. And it is, in a way. That's probably why people can feel uncomfortable about it. What I attempt is to try to remain as neutral as possible when discussing things, because no one wants to read something that will make them mad. 

That brings me to the topic of my "politics" label. I really am not claiming to know anything about politics, and frankly, I don't care half of the time. I really don't feel like I have to defend those posts because they are what they are. If you think that I am, in some way or another, obsessed with a man on my politics page, then you are mistaken. Even so, what would be wrong with having pride in our president?

I guess what I'm asking is that if you read my blog, please be respectful. I like to talk about and discuss issues on here and I don't expect everyone to agree with me. If you don't, talk to me instead of everyone else about it. After all, I am the one with these thoughts and ideas. If you think what I write about is too weird or upsets you too much, maybe it might be best if you didn't read my blog. It doesn't do you or I any good if you read these things and hold grudges. 

All the best, 

Candice

What are Mormons?

Well, I think most of you who read my blog already know fairly well. :) But in light of all the negative criticism that our church has received, I would like to post this video. The world has a tendency to really get you down, and criticism and hatred of our church can get to our cores. I know it does to mine. It really hurts. 

Tonight I came across this video of a Harvard student from Blackfoot, Idaho (woohoo, Idaho pride!) and I thought I would share it. This is Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose with Rachel Esplin answering some questions about our religion. It gave me goosebumps, and I hope it'll do that to you, too. :) 

I found this on cjane's blog. 

Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

NOTE: Watch for some Cheap Vegan Meals coming this week! 

For Your Spare Time...

In my research for one of my magazine articles, I came across the book titled Kindness to Animals and Caring for the Earth by Richard D. Stratton.* Of course, I was immediately intrigued, checked out the website and found out that it is an LDS book! I emailed the author and inquired if I could ask him a few questions for my article. He replied and told me that his Alma Mater is USU, that he works for the Forest Service (who knew we would have a few things in common?), and that he would send me a copy of the book. I was elated. 

I received my book today and WOW. It is amazing. There are so many quotes and stories from prophets that I had never heard before. I haven't finished it yet, but I would definitely recommend reading this book. It gives a whole new light on what it means to be sacred stewards of what our Heavenly Father has given us. (By the way, I love the picture on the cover.)

Here are a few sample quotes:

"The simple answer is that animals do have spirits and that through the redemption made by our Savior they will come forth in the resurrection to enjoy the blessing of immortal life." (IE 40:16, Jan. 1958) --Joseph Fielding Smith

"It is terribly important that we preserve and improve the great natural resources with which the God of heaven has so richly blessed us, that we may not follow the experience of some other nations that have come and gone because of the mismanagement of their natural and God-given resources." (TETB, p. 645) --Ezra Taft Benson

"We should by every means in our power impress upon the rising generation the value of life, and how dreadful a sin it is to take life. The lives of animals even should be held far more sacred than they are. Young people should be taught to be very merciful to the brute creation and not to take life wantonly for sport. The practice of hunting and killing game merely for spot should be frowned upon and not encouraged among us. God has created the fowls and the beasts for man's convenience and comfort, and for his consumption at proper times and under proper circumstances; but he does not justify men in wantonly killing those creatures which He has made and with which He has supplied the earth." (JI 31:218-219, April 1, 1896)

--George Q. Cannon

"Satan, spitefully determined to destroy everything that God has commanded to live and muliply, began his earthly career by making war on the birds and fishes and systematically destroying the animals and trees. This, we are told, was because he was envious of the beautiful rapport that existed between Adam and the animals." (NE, p. 52, Jan-Feb. 1981) --Hugh Nibley

I am so impressed with how much research Richard D. Stratton did to get all these quotes and anecdotes and so thankful that I came across this book. It is such a testimony builder to hear words from LDS Church leaders on a subject that I care so much about, but doesn't get very much attention in our church. 

Thanks so much, Richard. 

* Richard has a website, but at the time of this posting, was not working for some reason. I posted the link at the top of the post to Google Book Search instead. 

If you care to buy the book, you can find it on Amazon. 

The Gospel and Animals

For this post, I'm going to delve a little deeper than the usual fluff that comprises my blog. I'm doing this for two reasons mostly; one, to practice my writing (I'm doing a lot of it this semester), and two, it is something I want to share.

Deciding to become vegetarian and eventually vegan was not easy. I had only met a few other people in my life who were vegetarian, and one of them was a girlfriend of my brother. I was little at the time, but I remember how my family was bewildered, and how they had no idea what to give her for dinner. Growing up, I was pretty sheltered when it came to other ways of eating, and I hardly ever questioned the food that I ate on a daily basis.

As I learned more and more about how animals are treated in this world, there was no way I could go back to eating that way again. It was almost an uncomfortable feeling; knowing what I knew and knowing that I had to do something about it. I couldn't keep going down the same path, because I knew it would only cause inner turmoil. I gradually dropped hints to my family here and there that I wasn't going to eat meat anymore. Telling your family that you don't want to eat meat, dairy, or eggs is pretty stressful, especially if it is an integral part of your life growing up.

As I told people here and there about it, one argument that was constantly thrown in my face was something to the effect of, "That's why animals are here, Candice. That is the purpose of (insert chosen animal here)."

Is it though? I would think about it everyday. If I was going to be a vegan and animals were supposedly here for us to use and for our benefit, does that mean I am not a Christian? Being vegan felt so right to me, that in my mind, there was no way it could be wrong. What did Heavenly Father mean when he gave us dominion over them? 

It was then that I came across some articles and quotes on lds.org that made me feel so much better, and in many ways, were answers to my prayers. One of my favorite articles is titled "The Gospel and Animals" by Gerald E. Jones.

Joseph F. Smith once said, "I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds unless he NEEDS them for food...I am a firm believer in the simple words of one of the poets: 'Take not away the life you cannot give, for all things have an equal right to live'." 

Then add to that another quote by Joseph F. Smith, "The unnecessary destruction of life begets a spirit of destruction which grows within the soul. It lives by what it feeds upon and robs man of the love that he should have for the works of God. It hardens the heart of man. The unnecessary destruction of life is a distinct spiritual loss to the human family. Men cannot worship the Creator and look with careless indifference upon his creation. The love of all life helps man to the enjoyment of a better life. ...Love of nature is akin to the love of God, the two are inseparable." Unnecessary destruction of life is killing and using an animal when something else could have easily be substituted in its place. 

The point at which I knew I couldn't turn back was my realization that all animals are the same. Every animal has a soul. The baby calf out in my father's field was no different than my cat resting in my house. Basically, the calf deserved the same treatment and respect that my precious cat did, because he was created by my Heavenly Father.  

Hyrum Smith once said, "God knows what course to pursue to restore mankind to pristine excellency and primitive vigour, and health; and He has appointed the Word of Wisdom as one of the engines to bring about this thing, to remove the beastly appetites and... promote peace between him and the brute creation...let them be sparing of the life of animals, it is pleasing saith the Lord that flesh be used only in times of winter, or of famine."

So why am I vegan if it says "only in times of winter, or of famine"? As I see it, we are so blessed with an overabundance of food, that we have many varieties of things to eat. There are many meat replacements that are easily available to us year round, such as beans, tofu, tempeh, and nuts. We can easily go to the grocery store and buy all that is available to us, all the time. I can understand eating meat if it was the winter, about 100 years ago, and storage ran out. I see meat as something only to eat to prevent us from starving to death.

It is hard to be vegetarian and not consider the welfare of animals in the dairy and egg industries. Without going into too much detail, many of these animals are sorely neglected and most end up dying because their production levels drop and the owner cannot afford to keep them. Dairy and eggs are completely unnecessary, and for the most part are unhealthy foods. I think it is important to think of the welfare of animals that are considered production plants just so we can eat what they produce. 

In simple biology, we also learn that cows get their calcium from the grass they eat. By drinking milk or eating their cheese, we only receive approximately one-tenth of that calcium. It is much easier to get calcium from the plentiful greens around us (e.g. kale, spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, etc).

Of course, one has to take into account all the environmental effects of eating a diet full of animal products. An article on the website fao.org titled "Livestock a major threat to environment", states that "According to a new report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation." 

This is something that we can easily remedy by having the willingness to change our diet, even by a little. By choosing not to eat meat, dairy, or eggs, I believe that I am doing my part in respecting my Heavenly Father's creations that he has blessed me with. Going back to the article "The Gospel and Animals", Gerald E. Jones closes by saying, "The prophets have been consistent in reminding men of their duty to the animal world. As the Lord told Noah, '… the blood of every beast will I require at your hands.' (JST, Gen. 9:11.) It is our sacred stewardship to care for the earth and all the creatures on it."

I couldn't agree more.