The Epicurean or the Gospel

Part of the training of the Gospel is to take us away from our feelings.  Instead of acting on feelings, like a child, we grow up and act on principles and rules.  We learn to use our brains instead of our hearts, to think instead of feel.

When we’re immature we act based on how we feel.  If we're hungry we need to eat.  If we're tired we need to sleep.  We don't feel like working so we get lazy.  We feel sexual so we seek a partner.  If we feel like eating chocolate, we eat it.  The ideal for the Epicurean is "I do what I want."  But whatever their age, these are still children chained to their feelings.  Their actions are based on how they feel not on what they think so even when they think something is right they can't do it if they don't feel like it.  Because of this, they need to find ways to make themselves feel differently so they can do what they want.  They want to be thin, but they feel like eating so they take drugs or have surgery to stop them.  They want to quit smoking so they do all sorts of things to change how they feel about cigarettes.  These measures don’t work in the long run.

The Word of Wisdom is part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it takes us out of this hedonist world and helps us to grow up and have independence, courage, strength, and health.  We aren't chained to vices that keep us dependent and cause us to slide down the slippery-slope of feelings.  Our feelings become subject to our brains, not the other way around.  This 180-degree turn is essential and basic for all who desire to be free.

Independence

Coffee, tea, and other pick-me-ups have been around for centuries.  They contain substances that make people feel more awake so they can "get through the day."  Those who must act on feelings who feel tired must either go to bed, or find a way to feel more energy.  This, though, is a deception.  People only briefly feel more energetic; one study showed that an apple gave more energy and worked longer than a cup of coffee.  Over time of using stimulants, people become more and more lethargic.  The number one reason for consulting a doctor is fatigue.

The Gospel, on the other hand, takes us out of this merry-go-round of feelings and helps us to act based on our desires.  We are given principles that dictate what we do.  Rules help us to accomplish what we want, not just what we feel like doing.  We go to bed early, and get up early so we have energy and mental clarity.  We eat good food in moderation.  We aren't driven like a dumb-ass by our feelings.  We don't need a pick-me-up drink to be able to function.  We use our brains instead.

Courage

When people feel anxiety, fear, or are overstimulated they can drink alcohol to feel better.  This is to trick themselves into doing things their feelings wouldn't normally let them do.  If they can calm the nerves they could speak in public, ask a girl out, feel strong, or sleep.  Alcohol is multi-purpose and thus has been the drug of choice for all societies from the beginning of time.  The primary benefit of alcohol is to ward off fear, and all of its attendant negativity.  It works.  I received an email recently that explains:

A real woman is a man's best friend. She will never stand him up and never let him down...

She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him after a bad day...
She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do; to live without fear and forget regret...  

She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to his most intimate desires... 

She will make sure he always feels as though he's the most handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident, sexy, seductive and invincible guy around...

No! Wait... I'm sorry... I'm thinking of beer...  It's beer that does all that...

Never mind the above message...

If you notice all the things beer does for a man is to make him feel differently than he is inside.  He is really insecure, scared, and lacks confidence.  The alcohol takes away those feelings so he can pretend to be "confident, sexy, seductive and invincible."  But it's still make-believe.  When the effect wears off, he will be back to reality -- loneliness and insecurity.

The Gospel, on the other hand, removes us from the counterfeit world of alcohol, and makes us deal with our real feelings.  By doing hard things, things we don't feel like doing, and not doing things we do feel like doing we are empowered with real courage and confidence.  Self-esteem comes from doing things we didn't think we could do.  We actually gain courage as we overcome our insecurities, not just cover them up.  This is the way of the Lord.

Strength

We often think of illegal drugs as bad, and FDA-approved drugs as good.  However, in the larger sense, they are all in the same category.  Drugs that don’t prevent or cure disease are chemical substances that make us feel differently and prevent us from acting on principle, using instead our feelings.  If I have a headache and I don't want to deal with the cause of the headache, I can take a drug to feel better.  This allows me to continue acting on my feelings, I don't have to act on principle.  I can avoid dealing with the real reason I get the headache, and put off growing up.  The stated purpose of drugs is to relieve the symptoms of whatever ails us, as is written on the bottle: "for temporary relief of the symptoms of..."  This helps is to avoid dealing with the cause of our illnesses.

The Gospel, on the other hand, makes us strong.  We don't use drugs to mask the symptoms, instead we find the root cause and deal with it.  This makes us strong and healthy. 

Health

The greatest problems in health today are caused by food.  Those who are stuck in childhood eat what they feel like eating instead of what’s good for them.  They eat for taste instead of nutrition.  Since food can be made to taste good that isn't nutritious people get more and more unhealthy.  There are four things that taste good:

1) fat

2) salt

3) sugar

4) umame, or savory (MSG)

Restaurants and all prepared foods use these four, or combinations of them to make their food taste good.  Whatever other ingredients they use is secondary.  Taste is king.  If you go to a restaurant you will not find healthy food because people only go to restaurants if the food tastes good; if it doesn't taste good they won't go back.  Thus, healthy restaurant food is an anomaly; we can't expect to be healthy while eating prepared foods.

Those who eat for taste get all the diseases of modern life: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, gout, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and so forth.  These were, in olden times, considered "the diseases of kings," because only kings could afford to eat for taste -- and feast daily.  Now, everyone is in a continual feast of good taste, or the "feast of fools."

The Gospel, on the other hand, teaches us the concept of "feast and famine."  We feast periodically, and we fast frequently.  There is no single thing better for your health than fasting.  Fasting is universally beneficial for body and spirit.  This requires that we subject our feelings to our brains; we can choose not to eat even though we are hungry.  Thus, fasting is also an excellent starting point for those who wish to grow in other ways.  I’m amazed at how many of those who seek my help have never in their lives gone one day without eating.  That’s why they need my help.

Moreover, the Word of Wisdom is based on "moderation” and "wholesome."  Foods are to be eaten "in the season thereof."  Meat is to be eaten “sparingly.”  Gluttony, taste, and desire aren't recommended.  We learn that the fruit of the Tree of Life is bitter, while that of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is sweet.  The first brings life, while the second brings death.  The Gospel has rules that limit what, when, and how much we eat.  Thus, we remain healthy and free from disease.  As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Health is the greatest wealth.”

Control

God gives rules to help us to grow up, leave behind our selfish desires and use our brains instead.  Control is freedom so rules make us free and give us power.  By following the rules we are no longer chained by our feelings.  The Gospel teachings prevent us from covering-up our immaturity and weaknesses with chemicals that only bind us down to continual usage, but never really work.  It is reality versus fantasy.  We leave behind the fantasy world of feelings and move into reality.  Putting aside feelings helps us to gain mental power where we can decide what we do at every moment.  This brings "use your head" to reality, along with true freedom, health, strength, courage and independence.