Annie's Birth Story

Annie Lynn Woodward was born January 22, 2016 at 2:37 AM in our Pepto-Bismol pink bathroom, and believe me, that was not intentional.

I had my technical first contraction around 7:30 PM as I was finishing up a breastfeeding class 30 minutes from home. My thought was, “This had better be labor,” since I was 9 days over due and had been having false labors for the past month. However, I didn’t want to get my hopes up since I’d been to the midwife that morning and was told that, since I was only 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced, they would not be stripping my membranes, and made plans to talk about being induced in 4 days. Also, we had company at home (David’s mom) and company that would be stopping by later that night (our neighbor) and I did not want people around while I was in labor. I’m the labor-naked-in-your-kitchen-while-eating-cereal-and-rocking-your-hips kind of person. Not the type of thing you want to be doing with company over.

I got home and continued to have light contractions sporadically, but I didn’t want to tell David because I didn’t want to feel pressure to be in labor since there had been at least half a dozen false labors. However, David caught on when I grabbed a bowl of granola and periodically rocked back and forth for a minute. Our neighbor came over and helped David give me a blessing and then we all went to bed around 10:00 PM.  By this point contractions were coming fairly often and had built to be moderate and my mind was going like crazy as I tried to figure out if this was labor or not. I finally went and listened to my hypnobirthing relaxation tracks to help me go to sleep (for those not familiar with hypnobirthing think of those apps that talk you through relaxing to fall asleep or meditate). I was able to sleep some, but kept being woken up by either a stronger contraction or at the end of a track. By 11 or 11:30 PM I was getting frustrated with not being able to sleep so I went and filled up the tub. David was really sweet and got up to bring me a candle so I could have dim lighting in the bathroom, and then brought me a throw up bucket and a 32 ounce jug of water (this is true romance, people).  

I labored in the tub for a while and had a few stronger contractions, but they were still sporadic and after about an hour, as the water was getting cold, I thought, “This is ridiculous, my contractions are 10-15 minutes apart and they aren’t even that strong. It is silly to be in the tub at this point because you’ve got a whole night of labor ahead of you and need to get your sleep.” So around 12:30 AM I hopped back into bed to warm up and try and rest, thinking I’d probably have the baby around 6:00 AM if the midwives were correct in their estimate that the “faster” in the statement “second babies come faster” meant 6-8 hours of labor. I still wasn’t convinced that it would be that fast since my first labor was 16 hours long after contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and my contractions were still 10-15 minutes apart.

After trying to sleep for a little while, while periodically having to jump out of bed to sway my hips through a stronger contraction, I finally felt my contractions were close enough together that I wanted to time them to see if it was time to head out. We needed to be to the hospital 4 hours before delivery for IV antibiotics, but I also didn’t want to drive to the hospital too early and be sent home. I told David I needed him to time contractions around 1 AM and soon thereafter they became much stronger. Instead of a contraction that would peak in intensity and then slowly decrease until it was completely gone, in a wave, I had a contraction that would ebb and flow and ebb and flow some 5 or 6 times before it completely diminished (David told me these contractions lasting about 5-6 minutes with 90 seconds in between).  Up until this point I had labored on my own and not needed David’s help to relax, but now I needed him to do light touch massage to help me completely relax through each contraction as leaned over the bed/dresser/counter and swayed my hips fervently through each contraction. I started having hot flashes and being pretty tired in-between contractions. 

David, the best labor companion in the world, would quickly come do light touch massage every time I called out, “David” or “help” because at this point it was too much effort to talk, and then after each contraction he would try and quickly put on an article of clothing or two before darting back to help me. After getting himself dressed he started working on getting me clothes. On with the yoga pants. On with the sweat shirt. Too hot. Off with the sweat shirt, on with a tank top. Wrong one. Go get the more comfortable one. By this point I had to pee (remember the 32 oz of water and the whole being 41 weeks pregnant?).

As I tried to take time to pee between contractions I did notice a possible gushing sensation and wondered if my water had broke. During this time I also had the feeling I might need to do number two as well. I really didn’t think anything of it since I did that oh, 4 times or so during labor with Ella. However, I had also been experiencing some constipation issues due to IBS and pregnancy and things were taking a while.  At one point I did actually think, “I’d better check and make sure this is actually a bowel movement.” It was guys. No doubt about it. However, after a few contractions I still hadn’t finished my business and laboring while doing my business was getting kind of difficult. I wanted to be standing and rocking during contractions, but then obviously sitting on the toilet in between and the constant up down, up down was getting tiring and uncomfortable and I was eager to get to the hospital before labor got more uncomfortable because driving while in labor is the worst and I wanted to get it out of the way ASAP.

My amazing husband offered to glove up and help move things along since I appeared to be in a predicament. I agreed that that was a good idea and he headed down stairs to get rubber gloves to help with the job. While he was downstairs I thought, “I feel like this poop is getting bigger, not smaller…I’d better check again.” There was a head. Totally crowned, partially out; we are totally ready to have this baby right now.

When David comes back I tell him, “Bad news, you need to call an ambulance.” So he grabs my phone, unlocks the front door, and heads back to the bathroom. This is the best part: my phone has an app that records all of my phone calls.  Hear are some highlights from that conversation (my thoughts are in parentheses).

David calmly gives our address and phone number and then the dispatcher asks what our emergency was. David replies, “My wife is having a baby,” to which the dispatcher replies “oohh.”

Dispatcher: How old is she.

David: 27

Dispatcher: And she is awake? (Duh, I’m having a baby, why do think he called? Because I was pregnant and grunting in my sleep?)

David: She’s awake.

Dispatcher: And is she breathing? (No, I’m holding my breath)

David: And is she completely alert? (I rolled my eyes in annoyance at these idiotic questions and wished that she would just send help and shut up)

After asking a few more questions she asked, “Can you see or feel any part of the baby now.” I thought this was a really dumb question also (why else would we be calling?), but I was surprised and annoyed that David bent over to check and said in an exasperated voice, “a head.” The best part is when she asked if we could see it or feel it David response was, “I can hear it, I can see it.” It had been a long week and it was 2:30 in the morning. Haha

David asked me if I wanted to get in the tub, but I did not want to move. In hind site, if this ever happens to you, let me just say get in the tub. I don’t mean water birth, I mean contain that mess.

The dispatcher then asked if I was having contractions to which David responded, “oh yeah” and she responded, “Ok, hold on I’m going to tell you what to do next.”  She then proceeded to instruct him on pushing on the baby’s head “gently, but firmly” so I didn’t tear. I was getting really annoyed with her unhelpful tips and asked if paramedics were coming. She said they were and David requested told her the front door was unlocked and asked that they please come in quietly so they didn’t wake Ella. You can tell that she thought we were crazy, and told us that she didn’t know if they would have sirens or not. We in turn thought she was crazy for not understanding that we just didn’t want people pounding on our door at 2:30 AM.

At this point you can hear me breath out loudly during a contraction (which were 90 seconds apart and I’d had 2-3 since calling 911).  She then asks if I’m still having contractions (duh, what do you think I’m doing right now woman?!?) and tells David to have me push really hard to get the head out (DON’T TELL ME TO PUSH!) and at this point the contraction has really built and David and I could both tell this baby was coming now and I audibly say, “Oh no” (I was worried about delivering without paramedics there because I hemorrhaged with Ella).  More deep breathing, David saying “deep breath, deep breath, your doing fine, deep breath (all while our spring hinged door bangs into David’s boot making it sound like we were beating something ) and then bam, Annie is born and announcing her arrival to the world.

David threaded her back to me through my legs and I sat on the toilet as we all tried to get situated in our bathroom the size of a postage stamp with a door that kept closing on poor David. The poor dispatcher is trying to get us to listen to her and we are completely ignoring her. At that point my mother-in-law pops her head in and David says, “Good morning, mother,” just as the paramedics knock on the door. They clamp the cord, have David cut it, check Annie in the living room while I walk to a gurney in my entry way and off we go in an ambulance to LDS hospital (after a picture or course) with Annie trying to nurse the whole way. I did have a second degree tear externally and a minor first degree tear internally and a bugger of a hemorrhoid (darn that mistaking a baby for a bowel movement pushing), but no hemorrhaging and no complications with Annie.

While I was pregnant with Ella a woman I visit taught accidentally had her baby at home in the bathroom and I remembered thinking, “How on earth do you accidentally have your baby in the bathroom.” Don’t judge people, do not judge. I wish I could say lesson learned, but I’m sure I will judge people in the future. However, I now know the answer to that question.

1)   Second labors aren’t necessarily like first labors. I was thinking I still had at least 4 hours of labor left because my contractions weren’t predictable or even 2-3 minutes apart and they were very minor. I only had to really focus through them at the end which at that point it was too late to make it to the hospital anyway (I am so glad I stopped to go to the bathroom. I would take a home birth over a car birth any day).

2)   There is a lot of stuff going on down there. Its hard to differentiate sensations, especially if you have been told repeatedly, “Don’t come into the hospital until your contractions are 3-4 minutes apart,” (that was way too late in this case because they went from 10 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart in less time than it would have taken us to drive to the hospital).

So now you know why people accidentally have babies in bathroom and you don’t have to make the mistake of judging them for it. But if you ever do find yourself in that predicament, don’t forget to unlock the front door and hop in the tub.

Word of Wisdom: The Hearts of Conspiring Men

 Most people think of the tobacco, drug, and alcohol industry when they hear “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."   However, after becoming a dietitian I looked at this verse a little differently.

I do not think that drugs and alcohol are the only “evils and designs” referenced here. I believe this verse is warning of a far more subtle danger; the dangers that exist in the food, health, and diet industry. I’m not speaking of food additives or lack of good nutrition so prevalent in the standard American diet, as problematic as they can be. No, that would still be far too obvious for the Adversary.

After speaking with countless people about their nutrition concerns and beliefs I’ve come to believe that the “evils and designs” of the last day were designed by Satan and are part of his most stealth and subtle tactics.  Alcohol and drug addictions are too obvious for such a cunning devil and only so many fall into that trap. Lets be honest, everyone knows its bad, but some do it anyway. Where is the deception in that? But what about nutrition and diet?  I think you would agree that everyone eats and most people have some concern about eating healthy. It seems completely harmless, even beneficial to be concerned about healthy, right? In that lies the secret of Satan’s plan.

The diet and nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and each year millions of diet conscious people buy into the books, supplements, products, foods, and programs designed to help you and your family be healthy. Many obsess over their diet all in the name of health, depriving themselves of all “unhealthy” foods, agonizing when they slip up. This becomes a viscous, though subtle cycle, which consumes people on the inside.  In fact, I don’t believe most people even realize how much they obsess about food. Others become so overwhelmed by this craze they give up all together and don’t worry about health at all.

During my time as a dietetic student and now as a registered dietitian I am constantly getting asked questions or told opinions about food. It doesn’t mater where I go be it a homeless shelter in Provo serving meals or the doctor’s office for a physical, every day I get at least one question or comment on nutrition. Being asked questions doesn’t bother me. What concerns me is the type of questions I’m being asked. Questions about fad diets, quick fixes, good and bad foods, and dangerous nutrition practices. Questions that often indicate a person has unhealthy attitudes about diet and nutrition.

Most people do not recognize the damage this cycle of trying to “eat healthy” and then “slipping up” causes.  It is so subtle and simple and, quite frankly, universal. There are very few people I have met who do not talk about food in terms of “good” and “bad.” Most everyone does which makes it seem acceptable, normal, even desirable. However, this destructive cycle is anything but healthy, which is why it called for scriptural warning.

This cycle distracts many Latter-day Saints from the greater things of life. Rather than focusing on Christ, women agonize over their weight. Rather than waking up early to study the scriptures, saints devote that morning time to exercise.  Rather than studying the gospel, saints devote their time to studying health and diet.  Rather than focusing and healing and improving through the Atonement, saints hold themselves in contempt over diet woes.

You may think this seems extreme or a little ridiculous. You are probably asking yourself, “How could trying to be healthy be falling for a trap set by the Adversary?” Let me tell you, as a health and nutrition professional, today’s attitudes and ideas about food are often anything but healthy. They are extreme and excessive to the point they are subtly taking over people’s lives in ways they don’t even recognize and taking their focus away from where the Lord would have it.  I would submit to you that this is the evil design that  “exist in the hearts of conspiring men” which warranted the laying out of a Word of Wisdom for the Saints over 150 years ago.  

Tad R. Callister said that “Like a skilled magician, Satan’s every move is to divert our attention and dilute our focus from the primary objective at hand...in hopes we will turn exclusively to doctrines of secondary and far lesser import” (The Infinite Atonement). I think unhealthy obsessions over diet and health are one of the secondary doctrines he is referring to. Does this mean you should stop exercising or learning about nutrition. No, absolutely not. But I do think they need to be kept in their proper place and be used as a tool to help your spirit rather than detract from its growth.

So why did I study the Word of Wisdom as part of my scripture study and why did I feel compelled to write it down? Because, as a dietitian, people come to me for answers about nutrition and not all answers come from scientific journals. Health and nutrition is a temporal law which impacts our spirits and prophets have told us (even as recent as October General Conference) that it is important. However, both extremes, either ignoring health and diet or overly obsessing about healthy and diet, are dangerous to the body and the spirit. I feel compelled to share what I have learned to help people navigate the conflicting information in the world today about diet and nutrition, and to help bring them back to the essential basics of the Word of Wisdom. I love to answer people’s questions when they really want an answer and I love the challenge of nutrition as it relates to disease. But more often than not the answer to good health and nutrition is extremely simple, but produces powerful results, and involves simply following the Word of Wisdom.

Word of Wisdom-The Don'ts and Sugar and Meat

** If you want to get to the cool stuff skip to the section of vs 10 on.

So I know this is skipping over a couple verses, but it is on my mind right now so I’m going to write it down. This is the part of my studying that was most awesome to me; the part where the science of my career collided with scripture study and blew my mind at how perfectly God plans things.

vs 5-7 God tells us not to drink alcohol. I’m not going to go too much into this because this is one part of the Word of Wisdom that I feel is pretty self explanatory at this time. We all know alcohol has some major negative consequences. Sure, there were those studies about how wine helps prevent heart disease, but for the most part everything in the scientific community points to alcohol in major moderation if not at all. But God through his prophets has told us not to drink any alcohol, so we don’t. Not even a little. Is God’s reason for this that alcohol is poison to the body? Partialy, but I think even more so, especially in this day and age, the reason for such strict abstinence from alcohol is as a benefit for our spirit. In a day and age where binge drinking is considered a normal part of the college experience and alcoholism is so rampantly destructive I  think God knew alcohol and the images portrayed by that industry were something the saints of God needed to stay far away from. I could write a whole page on this, but I’ll stop here. **Isn’t it so neat that the Word of Wisdom mentions strong drinks for washing the body? I don’t know if they knew about alcohols disinfectant properties in the 1830s, but none the less I think this is so neat.

vs 8-9 “Tobacco is not for the belly or for man”.  Once again, we all know tobacco is harmful to our bodies. However, did you know that tobacco is extremely high in vitamin K, a vitamin essential for clotting? And applying it to bruises helps bring vitamin K to that exact spot to help with clotting?

Hot drinks, which have been defined as tea and coffee by prophets, are not for the body or the belly. Some interesting things to note nutritionally about tea and coffee is that they contain substances that bind to minerals and prevent them form being absorbed.  They are also known for being addictive. 

vs 10-11 “All wholesome herbs hath God ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man”.  Okay guys, God wants you to eat your veggies and whole grains (and fruit to, but most of us don’t have a problem with that). Seriously. I could probably write 10 pages on this subject alone, but I’ll try and keep this short. Our bodies have a complex relationship with bacteria, trillions of bacteria, that live in and on us. This relationship is definitely symbiotic. We feed the bacteria and they in turn do astounding this for us.  The majority of these bacteria live in our intestines (almost enough to fill a quart sized jar).  They eat the remnants of our food that we don’t digest and absorb. Sounds simple, but what is so mind-blowingly incredible is what they do for us.

They impact our immunes system, helping it keep not only keep germs at bay but also keeping our immune system at bay, helping prevent against autoimmune diseases and allergies. The good bacteria also help keep bad bacteria in check, preventing them from causing harmful infections and diarrhea. They produce short chain fatty acids which helps feed the cells of our colon, keeping it healthy. They help keep inflammation in check which has a whole host of benefits in and of its self. They are even starting to see evidence that having good intestinal bacteria helps keep our weight in check. 

All these amazing bacteria ask of us is that we feed them. And not any old non-digested particles of food will do. They need fiber. Lots of fiber. Most Americans get an average of 14 grams of fiber a day. That is just less than half of what most Americans need.  HALF. FIFTY PERCENT. How would you be feeling if you got 50% of the food you need? Not only are we not feeding the good bacteria, but the standard western diet is high in something that bad bacteria thrive on: Sugar.

For the record I do not advocate giving up sugar or think it is of the devil. I like sugar. However, it does feed bacteria that harm us. Most commonly known to us are the bacteria that live in our mouths and create cavities. They thrive on sugar and starches. There are other bacteria in your intestines that also thrive on sugar, and when they get over fed we feel the negative effects of having our intestinal flora (as those bacteria are often called) out of balance. Why am I not against sugar? Once again, I could write at least 5 pages on that subject, but to keep it simple let me just say this.

Molecularly the sugar that gets a bad wrap (white sugar) is the same as all other sugars when you brake them down into their simplest form. Breaking things down to their simplest form is what our body does when it is digesting things, therefore, molecularly all sugar and starches are the same. What is different is what comes with the sugars/starches (they are the same thing guys, one is in a short chain and the other is in a long chain, but they are made of the same things)? This difference between sugary foods (feeds the bad bacteria) and whole grains (feeds the good bacteria) is FIBER. So do I eat sugar sparingly? Yes, and when I do I try and make sure I eat extra fiber or extra probiotics (good bacteria). But I do eat it because “ the good things which come of the earth…in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart…for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and enliven the soul” (D&C 59:17-19). A little sugar now and then definitely gladdens the heart and enlivens the soul, but don’t go crazy. And eat your vegetables and whole grains.

vs 12-13  “It is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.” This is a touchy subject, I know. I’ll try not to step on toes. But, I do think it is very interesting to learn that eating lots of meat is associated with an increased risk of cancer and IBD.  I know many people who say “Well, I don’t eat meat at every meal” or “Its not like I have a 10 oz stake for dinner every night” or “I just use a little bit of meat with dinner every night” and feel that they are eating meat sparingly. These are all good things to do, but my personal opinion is that sparingly indicates eating meat even less than that.

Once again, going to the 1828 dictionary sparingly is defined as “not abundantly, frugally, abstinently, seldom, not frequently, cautiously and tenderly” (italics added for emphasis). The revelation states that it should “not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.” Does that mean vegan or 100% vegetarian? No. D&C 49: 18 says that “whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God.” However, in our western culture today meat is abundant. It is the main food meals are usually built around. I am going to submit to you that we should eat far less meat. I personally only make meals with meat at home 1-3 times a month. I’m working on making it even less. I don’t refuse to eat meat if I am at someone’s house, and I don’t advertise myself as “vegetarian” (the Screwtape Letters had some interesting insights into people who follow special “simple” diets) but I think if you sat down and considered how many chickens and cows you are eating yearly you might see the wisdom in eating fewer of them. Interesting modern day side note: Today’s meats are often contaminated with antibiotics which can kill the bacteria in your intestines.

Well, Ella's nap time is over so that is all I have time to share from my study of the Word of Wisdom today. Please don’t be offended that I told you to eat your veggies, that I’m okay with eating sugar, and that I suggested eating less meat.

Word of Wisdom-The Commandment and the Principle

 

The Word of Wisdom was originally given “greeting; not by commandment or constraint” (D&C 89:2). Later the Word of Wisdom became a requirement to receive a temple recommend. That change took about 88 years. What transpired during that time that changed the way the Word of Wisdom was viewed and practiced? Why was this acceptable to the Lord? 

As was mentioned previously, being sent greeting suggests that the Lord was excitedly sharing with the saints this principle which was necessary for temporal (and therefore spiritual) salvation. He clearly stated at that time that he was not commanding or forcing the saints to follow the revelation. Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve suggested that because the saints in the early days of the church were in difficult environment, the Lord did not command them to follow the Word of Wisdom. He stated, “In those frontier settlements food was usually plentiful but seldom of the best variety. Meat predominated; grains were usually available; vegetables and fruits were scarce. For stimulation, resort was often made to home-brewed alcoholic beverages, though there was little or no drunkenness; to tobacco, mostly for chewing; and to tea and coffee. These substances were commonly and freely used when available” (The Lord’s People Blessed by Temporal Law, Roy W. Doxey).

In addition, the United States at that time was a heavy drinking nation. Consuming alcohol was extremely common world wide in the 1830s, but especially so in America. Originally it was used because clean drinking water was not readily available. Later, after the American Revolution, grain farmers began making their grain into whiskey because it was easier to ship and sell than the actual grains. This resulted in Americans of all ages everywhere drinking hard liquor daily. By 1830 American consumption of distilled spirits was around seven gallons a year per person, which is the highest alcohol consumption has ever been in American history (Church History Library, Revelations in Context, Word of Wisdom). Because of this issue the American Temperance Society was organized in 1826 and temperance societies spread across the United States. In 1833 even Kirtland had its own temperance society (Church History Library, Revelations in Context, Word of Wisdom). Alcohol consumption was being recognized as an issue in the United States, which may have also contributed to Joseph Smith asking what the will of the Lord was on this matter, though ultimately it was tobacco use that prompted revelation.

Because the saints were living in a time when alcohol was so common it is likely that it would have been difficult for many of them to give it up immediately, whether because of circumstance or addiction. In 1913 Joseph F. Smith explained that, “The reason undoubtedly why the Word of Wisdom was given—as not by ‘commandment or constraint’ was that at that time, at least, if it had been given as a commandment it would have brought every man, addicted to the use of these noxious things, under condemnation; so the Lord was merciful and gave them a chance to overcome before he brought them under the law” (The Lord’s People Blessed by Temporal Law, Roy W. Doxey). Clearly the Lord is merciful to his children and desirers to help them succeed in following his commandments.

Despite the Word of Wisdom not being a commandment Brigham Young admonished the saints to follow its teachings. He stated, “Why not govern and control the appetite, that it may be subject to the law of Christ? But how is it? Why, ‘I must have some tobacco, if I am damned for it.’ Or, ‘I must have a cup of tea, if I am damned for it.’ Or, ‘I must have this or that, if I should have to go to hell for it.’ It is like saying to our Heavenly Father, ‘I will not mind you, I will not obey your commandments, but I will have my own way and follow the bent of my own inclinations; my appetite shall be nursed and pampered, though it be at the expense of your displeasure.’ Instead of pursuing this course, listen to that Spirit God has given to all, which teaches the right and how to avoid the wrong, and say to appetite, to disposition, to temper, to the whole man, you must do as I command you; I am an officer, a general in the army of Christ and I will be obeyed” (The Lord’s People Blessed by Temporal Law, Roy W. Doxey italics added for emphasis). While Brigham Young encouraged the saints to follow the Word of Wisdom it was not until Heber J. Grant became prophet that it began to be emphasized to the extent it is today.

President Grant was especially motivated to stress the importance the Word of Wisdom to the saints because he had seen first hand the ramifications of not following its principles. He describes watching a friend give up smoking to serve a mission only to begin again as soon as he returned. Smoking lead to drinking alcohol, which lead to immorality, which lead to excommunication from the church and ultimately an early death. He recalls standing at this friend’s grave and looking “up to heaving and [making] a pledge to my God that liquor and tobacco would have in me an enemy who would fight with all the ability that God would give me until the day of my death” (Teachings of Heber J. Grant, Chapter 21: Observing the Word of Wisdom).

President Grant did just that and preached numerous sermons on the Word of Wisdom, so much so people were reported to complain about it and ask that he please speak of something else. His response was, “No mortal man who is a Latter-day Saint and is keeping the Word of Wisdom is ever sick and tired of hearing it.  When a man leaves a meeting and says…’Can’t they find something else to talk about besides the Word of Wisdom; I am sick and tired of it’-of course he is, because he is full of stuff that the Word of Wisdom tells him to leave alone” (Teachings of Heber J. Grant, Chapter 21: Observing the Word of Wisdom). In 1921 President Grant made it clear that in order to obtain a temple recommend members of the LDS church must follow the Word of Wisdom and by 1933 those guidelines were included in the General Handbook of Instructions for the church (From Principle to Requirement, Thomas G. Alexander).

Because of events that took place while Heber J. Grant was prophet the don’ts of the Word of Wisdom have become a hallmark of Mormons. Following the Word of Wisdom is necessary to obtain a temple recommend, making it a commandment through the voice of one of God’s prophets. However, the do’s of the Word of Wisdom have never prophetically been declared a commandment and remain a principle. Many have tried to elaborate on what the do’s of the Word of Wisdom mean and even past prophets have from time to time emphasized the importance of eating little meat (From Principle to Requirement, Thomas G. Alexander). At one point John A. Widtsoe, an apostle, even wrote a book called The Word of Wisdom which spoke against refined grains and coke-a-cola. However, that book was not an inspired book and President Grant stated that “the actual teachings in the Word of Wisdom would hardly justify the conclusions drawn” (From Principle to Requirement, Thomas G. Alexander).

As I have studied the Word of Wisdom from the perspective of a dietitian I feel that the do’s have remained a principle for a few reasons. First, I feel that God has given us our body as a temple for our spirit and he has also given us our agency. He will not force us to care for that gift and by limiting our agency. However, he will protect his own temple from the effects of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by not allowing those who enter here to partake of them. Hence the commandment part of the Word of Wisdom necessary for a temple recommend and the principle shared in D&C.

Second, I feel that each person’s body has unique needs and therefore a blanket statement cannot be made for what each person should do to keep their own body healthy. For example, individuals have allergies and food intolerances, different access to types and amounts of food, and disease can strike mortal bodies. For example a diabetic cannot eat all the grain they would like, a person with kidney failure cannot not eat large quantities of vegetables without risking heart attack, a person with PKU cannot tolerate all types protein, and a person with intestinal disorders may be limited in the types foods they can eat, etc.

Third, I feel that God has given us stewardship over our body and wants us to develop that stewardship. He has gladly given us the principles we need and told us the promised blessings that will come if we follow those principles. He has left it to us to study it out in our minds and seek answers as to how we need to follow that principle. Part of the beauty of the principle of the Word of Wisdom is it is so simple to take care of our bodies. Unbelievably simple, devoid of diets, super foods, complicated workouts, and rigorous rules. However, the magnitude of following such a simple principle is staggering. The more I have learned about nutrition while studying the Word of Wisdom the more I am in awe of how well orchestrated God’s plan is and the more my testimony grows of small and simple things bringing about great things.

As a dietitian I wish members of the church did a little more “search, ponder and pray” about the Word of Wisdom and really studied it out for themselves (keep in mind my job is to try and help people having some serious negative consequences of not taking care of their body and it gets to you after a while). But then again, that often leads to fringe rules of the Pharisee and the Sadducee variety. But the basic principles that can be applied to everyone are simple and require that we take care of our body for our benefit both physically and spiritually. It is a principle with a promise that was so perfectly written for our day and I challenge you to think about what you can do to benefit from having this knowledge.