Mormons and their Health Laws!

Many Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints complain about the Mormon health law. (When critics talk about health laws they mean those things which we are commanded to take into or not to take into our bodies.)  They claim that since the LDS church has a health law we must be under the Law of Moses. 

But what do the scriptures say about God and His giving of health laws?

First off, God has always been concerned with the health of mankind.  This predates the Law of Moses.  He sometimes gives health laws without explaining the benefits of the law. Let us begin…. at the beginning.  In Gen 1:29 God tells Adam and Eve "I have given you every herb bearing seed,...and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed;  to you it shall be for meat." Here God clearly laid out what they should eat:  "every herb bearing seed" and "the fruit of a tree yielding seed." But in the next chapter God puts a Health Law restriction. He tells Adam in Gen 2:17 " But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Surely this was a health law of God’s which had nothing to do with the Law of Moses.

The thing about health laws given from God is that they are always changing. I know that the Critic will say that God never changes, but can they really believe he doesn't change his laws? An example of a health law that God changed is found in Gen 9:3-4, here the Lord tells Noah and those saved by the flood what they could and could not eat. "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the live thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." (Gen 9:3-4) Notice the Lord had given them "every moving thing" as food the only restriction was not to eat of the blood!

God then gives a health law known as the Law of Moses which changes again the diet of God’s people. Deut 14:2-3 "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing." The Lord then follows this with what things the people should and should not eat! What is extremely important is why the Lord decided to give them this health law.  They were a "holy people unto the Lord" and "the Lord hath chosen (them) to be a peculiar people unto himself." And so has God's people been every time he has given them a health law.

Let’s look at the changes made in the New Testament era. In Acts 10: 9-16 Peter, the head of the Church after Christ's death and ascension, is given a vision of unclean animals (according to the Law of Moses). In verse 13-15 it says "And there came a voice to him, rise Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." In Eph 5:18 Paul teaches "be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." Many other health laws were given to the people of God which help them to become, as Peter said, "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people." (1 Pet 2:9)

Just like God’s people in every age have been given a health law so have his people in this day and age received a health law from the Lord. This law is found in a modern day revelation known as the Doctrines and Covenants found in section 89. The Lord tells us why we would need a health law today:  "In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation." (D&C 89:4)

Some of the highlights of the “word of wisdom” include, “as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good,” (D&C 89:5) “”tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly,” (D&C 89:8) “Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving,” (D&C 89:11) “all grain is ordained for the use of man,”(D&C89:14)  and “flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I , the Lord have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving.” (D&C 89:12) These are the instructions God gave to his people as early as 1833.  Who, in this generation, could disagree with the Lord’s “word of wisdom?” And maybe the bigger question to ask is:   why would you want to?

Married for Time and All Eternity?

One of the things that Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints love to belittle is our belief in Marriage! This is because the LDS people believe that marriage is not just “until death do you part,” but for time and all eternity!

The critics’ main argument comes from Matt 22:28-30 which tells the story of the Sadducees (which say that there is no resurrection: Matt 22:23) trying to trap Christ. In verse 28 Christ is asked if a woman is married and widowed seven times "in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven?”  Verse 29-30, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the Resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."  

The Mormon people also believe Matt 22:28-30, (see D&C132:15-17) but we view it in relation with the rest of the scriptures.

Look at how God sanctioned marriages in the scriptures! We know that "marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will Judge." ( Hebrews 13:4) This verse shows that marriage is not only honorable but must be performed before engaging in sexual acts. God will judge those who have sex outside of marriage! In 1 Tim 4:1-3 we are informed that forbidding to marry is a doctrine of devils!

But did God have in mind to make marriages eternal?

In Eccl. 3:14 we learn "whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it." And if God gives men his power, and they marry a couple for time and eternity, it would also last forever! Matt 16:19 Christ tells Peter and the other apostles "and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." So, if the apostles bind a marriage for time and eternity Jesus promises that it will be in effect in heaven.

For the gainsayer who still refuses to believe that an eternal marriage could happen, let us look at an example of an eternal marriage in the pages of the Bible!

Gen 2:18 occurs before the fall of man, so death has not entered upon the earth. Look at what the Lord said of Adam, who at this point was an eternal being, "and the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make an help meet for him." So even as an eternal being God saw a need for man and woman to be together as "man and his wife"(Gen 2:25). For those who would say that this was not meant to be a marriage like you and I know today they should read Gen 1:28 "God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

In Mark 10:6-7, 9 Jesus, speaking of Adam and Eve, said "from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; ... What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."  So if God did not mean for marriage to last eternally, then why did he marry together (Adam & Eve) two eternal people?

We as an LDS people know that Marriage does not have to be for time only but it can last forever, for the scriptures so testify. See 1 Cor 11:11 "neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord." Or 1 Pet 3:7 "likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife....being heirs together of the grace of life." This principle of Eternal Marriage is true and it is only taught in the Mormon Church. If our critics don't want to be married forever that is fine by us! But for the LDS people it can be said ….“they lived happily ever after!”