Why My Being Mormon Matters

I'm not going to dive into the doctrine of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in this entry or in other posts here, but I do want to explain the relationship between this experiment and my religion. Most people who know us Mormons know we abstain from using tobacco and alcohol containing products as well as drinks such as tea and coffee, but did you know we have a whole list of things we should be consuming too? It's called the Word of Wisdom and it is found in a book of scripture called the Doctrine and Covenants. The Word of Wisdom is, in a nutshell, the code of health we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, have been given and are instructed to follow with a promise that by doing so we can increase our health and enjoyment throughout life. We believe these words to be commandments, just as we believe anything we are instructed to do or not do by our current prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, is a commandment. It is from the Word of Wisdom where we were first instructed not to consume or use the products I mentioned earlier and I think most Mormons have a good handle on that, but it's the things we should be doing that I fear many members of our church just don't have a full understanding of, me being among them. In particular we are instructed to "eat meat sparingly" and yet the truck my husband drove as a teenager and young adult had only one bumper sticker which read simply, "Eat Meat", and that seemed more than acceptable among other church members. I think I have misunderstood this and other guidelines in the Word of Wisdom. I remember once hearing a friend speak in church, he was 19, he said that he followed the commandment to eat meat sparingly by always making sure his hamburgers had lettuce and tomato on them too, not just meat and cheese. I'm not so sure that's what it means, but then again I think we all have to find out for ourselves what it means. So, this is my attempt to figure it out. What does the Word of Wisdom mean for me? I'm sure to find an answer. One other reason that my religion is playing such an important role in this experiment is because it is easiest for me to stick to something if I am 100% committed to it, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Every good thing I've done, any note-worthy accomplishments, were completed only because I was fully invested in them. I gather most people are the same way. I know that if I make this more than simply a way to lose weight, I'll have more success with it. Being Mormon is a large part of who I am because I allow it to be and this experiment wouldn't matter if I didn't let my religion play some role in it.

If you'd like to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it's members, or the Word of Wisdom, please visit www.Mormon.org.