Word of Wisdom, Word of Foolishness: Part II

I left off my discussion of the Word of Wisdom in verse 9.



Verses 1 and 2 could actually be described as a colophon, an introduction to a book of the Bible or Book of Mormon in which the author identifies himself and his purpose. Verse 2, "To be sent greeting.." sounds like an attempt to greet the early LDS Church, the way Paul would greet his parishioners and friends in the letters that are now in the New Testament. It sounds somewhat pathetic to me.



Verse 10 tells the Church that "all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature and use of man." In the bottom margin of my copy of the D&C, it states that "herbs" means "plants."



Verse 11: "Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season therof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving."



Basically, Smith is saying that all good plant foods are for the use of man. This makes sense in a kind of modern way. We are always being told by nutritionists, dieticians, the food pyramid, that fruits and vegetables are very good for us. Also, some of us know how to safely use herbals to improve our health. This makes sense!



The only criticism I would have is the phrase "God hath ordained." Does God ordain and unordain substances for us to use? Or is it just a fact that certain things are good for us? Are we so restricted that we have to ask if our Nachos are ordained for our consumption? Is Smith trying to comment on the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law found in the Old Testament? Does he think he is giving his new restrictions for a new order? Are these restrictions and recommendations really that powerful?

Then we are told we use these plants "in the season thereof." Does this mean that no matter how well you preserved your potatoes that you can't eat them outside of potato season. Now that it has been three months since harvest you can no longer eat any preserved, dried element of those potatoes? I find this ridiculous!

And then there is the idea you should use these things with "prudence and thanksgiving." The word "temperance" appears in my footnotes. Sure, if you have been dosing yourself with the refined product of the sugar cane in excess you may feel strange. But the "thanksgiving" part is making me wonder. Do I always have to eat in "thanksgiving." If I don't feel thankful to I have to starve? Again, I find this ridiculous! I don't think so at all!

I have go to say that at this point, I don't want to explain this anymore! I am getting really annoyed and disgusted. You can find this stuff at lds.org if you want to continue reading. Or perhaps you have obtained copies of LDS scripture. This is horrible. I refuse to go on.

It seems like I used to believe in Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. And I don't believe in it anymore! I have really, really had it! I used to be so brainwashed that I didn't notice all the idiocies and inconsistencies in these writings. But now, after reading some literature about what happens to a person who is brainwashed or abused, I am starting get a sense that I just don't respect all of these things that I used to believe.

I have figured out that Joseph Smith was inserting weird ideas into his translation of the Book of Mormon. Basically, I find the Book of Mormon to be a book worth reading and pondering, but he messed with the manuscript afterward. He added and deleted things. And then he went on to receive the Doctrine and Covenants? I don't think he earned half of those revelations. I think some of them are actually from Satan they are so bad.

The simple fact of the matter is that just because I like some of the literature the LDS Church prints does not mean that I like all of it.

I have been thinking I have to condemn or defend every word I have believed at one point or another. But I don't have to do either one. And I think that any readers out there, at this time, have got the point that I want to convey.

I do not want to be imprisoned by this literature anymore. I might read it, or use it, or criticize it again in the future, but I don't have to be imprisoned by it.

There is a lot I have to learn on the road to becoming a full person. I have just decided that all I need to do is to keep down that road and do whatever is necessary in each section of that long highway. I'll be fine. It is okay to relax and realize that I feel hostile to some things that were pushed on me, to the point that all I need to do is know for myself about certain things.

And as I add entries to this blog, I can write about anything I feel comfortable covering.

There are many dimensions to the life and belief systems of one person.