160
Counsels on Diet and Foods
food. The gospel must be preached to the poor, and the time has not
yet come to prescribe the strictest diet.
The time will come when we may have to discard some of the
articles of diet we now use, such as milk and cream and eggs; but
my message is that you must not bring yourself to a time of trouble
beforehand, and thus afflict yourself with death. Wait till the Lord
prepares the way before you.
The reforms that are strained to the highest tension might accom-
modate a certain class, who can obtain all they need to take the place
of the things discarded; but this class forms a very small minority of
the people to whom these tests seem unnecessary. There are those
who try to abstain from what is declared to be harmful. They fail to
supply the system with proper nourishment, and as a consequence
become weak and unable to work. Thus health reform is brought to
disrepute. The work we have tried to build up solidly is confused with
strange things that God has not required. The energies of the church
are crippled.
But God will interfere to prevent the results of these too-strenuous
ideas. The gospel is to harmonize the sinful race. It is to bring the rich
and the poor together at the feet of Jesus....
But I wish to say that when the time comes that it is no longer
safe to use milk, cream, butter, and eggs, God will reveal this. No
extremes in health reform are to be advocated. The question of using
milk and butter and eggs will work out its own problem. At present
we have no burden on this line. Let your moderation be known unto
all men.—
Letter 37, 1901
325. Last night I was in my sleep talking with Doctor-----. I said
to him: You must still exercise care in regard to extremes in diet. You
must not go to extremes either in your own case or in regard to the
food provided—
Letter 37, 1904
for the helpers and the patients at
[207]
the sanitarium. The patients pay a good price for their board, and
they should have liberal fare. Some may come to the sanitarium in
a condition demanding stern denial of appetite and the simplest fare,
but as their health improves, they should be liberally supplied with
nourishing food. [
Sanitariums to Avoid Extremes in Diet.—427, 428,
429
]