In the Season Thereof

This phrase in the D&C has intrigued me the past few years "And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man— Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof," (D&C 89:10-11).

We have had a lot of upheaval in our family's health - both extended and close. My wife's family is suffering with celiac disease in general and fibromyalgia in one member. I went through a summer of eating the same thing constantly or suffering for it. My brother dealt with eosinophilic esophagitis (which meant he didn't eat at all for a time). My sister has diabetes as well as my grandparents and my son suffers from Asperger's.

What this all has in common is food. We may not recognize it, but our society (in America) no longer eats the foods we once did. We've genetically manipulated and modified crops like corn and tomatoes to suit our whims and bleached all the nutrients out of flour to make it white and fluffy (that's why we have to have "enriched white flour"). Does it worry anyone else that despite the natural and organic food campaigns we are not getting any better? Despite reducing meal sizes at fast food restaurants and showing people the damaging affects of excessive caloric and sugar intakes almost a third of America is very overweight?

I remember a commandment given not too long ago which said, "We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard" (Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 171; or Ensign, May 1976, 124). Again, what does it mean? He was talking about family preparedness then, right?

The world is changing and not often for the better. We try to believe that mankind is heading in better directions, but what if we are wrong? The scriptures talk of how horrible things will become in the last days - prophets still forewarn us of the coming events. I think we forget the first part of the section called the Word of Wisdom:

"A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—

To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—

Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.

Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: 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 89:1-4).

Look at those last two verses. It says it is "adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints" and that it is "in consequence of evils and designs...in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days." Often we attach it to the next verse (five) which talks of drugs. Truly, those are a perfect example of conspiring men (like the tobacco companies). However, backtrack. These four verses are not an introduction to verse five alone! Read the end of verse four - it is for the entire section!

What has happened to our food? It is laced with sugar (not at all necessary and definitely linked to multiple health concerns) and "enriched bleached flour" which is a monstrosity of human engineering. Why would you destroy the natural nutrients in a grain only to replace them with lesser outside sources? 

What about the tomato which has become so hybridized and genetically modified that even its nutrient content is significantly altered from decades ago? Or corn which has been cross-bread and manipulated to produce ethanol and corn syrup? Anyone notice how most popular breakfast cereals are now made with corn?

 When we muck about with nature we end up with Africanized Honey Bees and killer viruses. Think of the crazy explosion of health problems that not only were never heard of, but more than likely never existed until the last century (which strangely coincide with the changes of diet of an industrialized nation). 

Suddenly the remark to grow our own gardens and eat in the season thereof makes a lot of sense. Fruits and vegetables are meant to be eaten as God made them. Things are not meant to be genetically altered to last longer or be grown in test-tubes, instead of soil, for year-round harvesting. We are not only messing with nature, but we are messing with our own health. Every time we alter foods to enhance one property or another we sacrifice something in return. 

At some point we have to return to the things God gave us or we will destroy ourselves with our creations. As smart as we think we are, we aren't smart enough to play God. He set up the world and all the nutrients and benefits of the plants and animals in it. Our modifications will only bring about more suffering down the line. Once I have a yard, I am planting a garden.

Unscientific Science

So tonight I went to my first "doterra" class. I was already converted, but tonight was really neat and I have been thinking a lot the past week about the doterra oils and other medicinal substances and practices that science discredits (which doesn't mean much to me since science discredits itself all the time). See, modern "western" science doesn't accept things like my N.A.E.T. treatments from the past few years or these oils. It places energy meridians and chakras up to superstition and regards any change as a placebo affect.


Well, I am not a scientist. But I understand the scientific method - experiment and observe - and got to try it out first hand. First was with our bout of illness from a few weeks ago. We'd been going through the worst cold our family had ever seen. My wife and kids had each had it and my son was getting it again. Stephanie finally called her friend and made her bring her oils and put them on the kids and us. They all recovered within a few days with frequent use and I stubbornly avoided more contact and had to deal with a sinus infection for the next week.

Next, Stephanie was scanned (bio-scanner) and it showed one oil specifically that she needed. We got that oil and the affect was incredible. She calls it her "crack" because it makes her so happy. I was loosening up at this point, but still a bit sceptical for my own needs. Then I caught the vision.

Last weekend I took a trip to Arizona to see my brother go through the Mesa Temple for his endowments. While the experience was awesome, I had to stay in homes that housed dogs. Pet hair has always keeled me over. I get wheezy and runny nosed the first hours and even with drugs my symptoms persist for a day followed by a week of asthma issues. All I had that weekend was a little bottle of Breathe (a blend of oils) and used it consistently. It didn't completely remove the symptoms, but it made a huge difference and I never had to get an inhaler.

After the two day trip I got home and used a diluted vial of Balance (diluted for the kids, another blend) and the symptoms stopped by the next day. For this whole week I should have been coughing and slowed down by my lack of oxygen. Actually, I was running late the past two days and had to run a good deal to get to work on time. Still no asthma and no relapse. Yeah, I'm convinced.

The allergy treatments with N.A.E.T. were a blessing and a miracle. They fixed issues I didn't even know I had, but saw the impact they had given me for years once they were lifted. These oils are very similar. I get that people will doubt and reason them away, but I am tired of relying on "modern" medicine and its magic pills. Pills often don't work exactly right or build up tolerances, plus many times they only function as a mask for the issues. The oils are not a bandage (as they said tonight). They simply provide the nutrients our bodies lack - thus giving the body a chance to heal itself.

What I was thinking from all these things was how much we are missing when we bind ourselves into a medicinal hole, especially with western medicine. There is so much more out there to help us. I don't think we should completely abandon the sciences and their fruits. Surgeries and drugs and even over the counter medications have their places and help many people. It is when we rely solely on them that we are blinded to truth that may exist elsewhere.

How many other amazing health things are out there? Just doing a brief search on Wikipedia (obviously not the most accurate source out there) revealed this self-proclaimed, incomplete list: naturopathy, chiropractic medicine, herbalism, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, meditation, yoga, biofeedback, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, and nutritional-based therapies. I don't know how many work or not, but I am more than open to the idea that they might and I know that at least a few do.

God doesn't place all his eggs in one basket. He spread his truth and light over all the earth in different ways. Medicine, real medicine (whatever kind that actually works) is an inspiration from God and blesses lives. False healers (whether people or compounds) bind us down and yoke us to addictions and practices that keep us where we are and force our dependence upon them. I believe that many truths of medicine from all over the world could be blended into one great whole and hope to incorporate truth from wherever it may come.