letter from Joseph Fielding Smith, 1966

A letter from Joseph Fielding Smith, written on Church letter head, dated December 30, 1966 to a woman in El Paso, TX. This sister had asked him a question about a statement made by Brigham Young that small children should not eat meat. This is his response:


Dear Sister,

This is my answer to you in relation to President Young’s statement that mothers should not feed their small children meat. Yes! Small children do not need the flesh of animals. May I add also that adults would be better if they would refrain from too much eating of meat. As far as I am concerned the eating of meat should be very sparingly. In fact I will be contented if the Millennium was to be ushered in next week. When it is, we will learn that the eating of meat is not good for us. Why do we feel that we do not have a square meal unless it is based largely on meat? let the dumb animals live. They  enjoy life as well as we do.

In the beginning the Lord granted to man the use of the flesh of certain animals. See Genesis 9:1-6, but with so many fruits of the soil and from the trees of the earth, why cannot man be content? Naturally in times of famine the flesh of animals was perhaps a necessity, but in my judgment when the Millennium reaches us, we will live above the need of killing dumb innocent animals and eating them. If wse will take this stand in my judgment we may live longer.

Very sincerely,

Joseph Fielding Smith  
Joseph Fielding Smith December 30, 1966

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