Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)

Lt 208, 1905

Hare, Brother and Sister [G. A.]

“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California

July 20, 1905

Portions of this letter are published in TDG 210.

Dear Brother and Sister G. A. Hare,—

I left Washington so hastily that I hardly realized that I was really in the car and on my way home. During my journey I wrote many pages. My mind was clear and my trust in God firm. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 1

It has been clearly opened before me that Sister Hare need not be an invalid. The idea that she should have a meat diet is a mistake. She should follow the advice given to the one whose appetite craves intoxicating liquor and discard flesh meat entirely. Her food should be as free as possible from butter. She should control the desire for objectionable articles of diet. After giving up these things, her appetite may fail for a time, but she will not die. After a little while she will learn that she can live on a diet free from a particle of flesh meat. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 2

If she keeps on cherishing the delusion that she must have flesh meat, it will certainly cost her her life. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 3

My sister, it will be worth a trial to find out in regard to this matter. I have been through the experience, and I know what it means. In many respects you need cleansing, purifying, sanctifying. Seek the Lord with heart and mind and soul. Climb the ladder of progress. You need to live on altogether different lines from those on which you have been living. You need to take a firm stand in favor of the principles of health reform. As you are now, you are unfitting yourself by your own course of action for the work God has given you. Your life will be a failure unless you make a decided change. You should share your husband’s burdens. You can do this nobly if you will place yourself in right relation to the principles of health reform. While you continue to cherish your present habits, there is no chance of your recovery to health. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 4

You are creating a condition of things in your system that will spoil your usefulness. Unless you change, you will fall a victim to your unsanctified imagination. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 5

Do not let your inclinations control you. Discard from your diet flesh meat and every other unwholesome article. Sign a pledge that you will entirely discard the use of flesh meat. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 6

The quality of your blood is determined by the food. Let flesh meat alone; for it is injuring your health, exerting a damaging influence upon the life current. Pledge yourselves to a six-months’ trial. You need the nourishment that may be obtained from plain, simple food. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 7

I have had an experience in these things, and it is in view of the light given me by God that I say, Let flesh meat alone. Its use gives unnatural speed of action to the heart, which often takes the form of palpitation. When I used flesh meat, I had frequent fainting fits, and it became more and more difficult to revive me. When light was given me regarding this, I at once stopped using flesh meat. I had never enjoyed bread as an article of diet, but I was resolved to follow the instruction given. I discarded butter and lived chiefly on bread and fruit. I did not relish my food, but I did not go back; for the light given me was that animal food is a cause of disease. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 8

The laws of health are to be obeyed. It is important that the digestive organs shall not be overtaxed. There are many who keep the stomach continually at work. It has not opportunity to recruit its strength, and the result must be digestive disorders. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 9

There should be no eating between meals; and at least five hours should be allowed to elapse between the meals. Indigestion is the result of food taken into the stomach before the digestive organs have had time to dispose of the foregoing meal. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 10

In regard to these things, you are off the track, and you have to suffer the consequence of your violation of nature’s laws. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 11

Three meals are sufficient, and two meals are better than three. For the past thirty years I have eaten only two meals a day. The dullness from which people suffer is often caused by overeating and by eating at irregular periods. Dyspepsia brings despondency, and one suffering from this disease, though he may profess to be a Christian, acts in an unchristlike manner. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 12

Some claim that the inclination to eat is sufficient guide. But one may get into the habit of eating several times a day, yet this would not be best. Such a habit would produce disease, because the digestive organs would be overtaxed. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 13

Practice health reform, and refuse to be turned aside from the right path. Do not faint away, but make your will power bring your appetite into subjection to a true purpose. You need not die; you can live. Have faith in God, brace up. If you could be on a farm, and live much out of doors, it would be good for you. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 14

Sister Hare, I address you as a Christian, asking you to discard the use of flesh meat, not by degrees, but at once, with faith in God and a firm, determined purpose to do right. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 15

How can you teach your patients to discard meat when you use it yourselves? 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 16

God gave Adam charge of the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it; and of the trees and herbs bearing seed, He said, “They shall be for meat.” [Genesis 1:29.] 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 17

Afterward the eating of flesh meat was permitted as one of the consequences of the fall. Before the flood, no provision was made for the use of animal food. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 18

I write this for your benefit. If you use flesh meat, how can you, as physicians, warn your patients against its injurious effects? 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 19

Sister Hare, when you use flesh meat as an article of diet, you run the risk of indulging appetite at the expense of brain, nerve, and muscle. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 20

Show yourself a temperate woman and intelligent on the subject of health reform. Try going without flesh meat for six months, and see if a change for the better does not take place. I ask you to do this at once. Let your imagination be sanctified. Let your mind and conscience be awakened, your whole being aroused. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 21

Guard yourself against giving yourself too much sympathy. Be heroic. Be determined to overcome perverted appetite. You must both be sanctified, body, soul, and spirit, and then you can do a good work. Do not let appetite become your master. If there is anyone who ought to reason from cause to effect, it is the physician. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 22

Take hold of this matter religiously. I have done it and can recommend the experiment to others. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 23

When human beings bring their physical powers into obedience to right principles, the Lord will do His part in their behalf; but He will not work a miracle to save you from the consequence of indulging perverted appetite. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 24

Treat yourself as one whom Christ has bought with His own blood. I write the words that were spoken to you by One who has authority. Your life is to be an example of right doing to the members of your family and to those with whom you associate from day to day in your work. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 25

The Lord calls upon you and your husband to communicate the truth. Your future well-being depends upon the course you follow. Sow the seeds of truth beside all waters. Advance in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You both need to be converted. Please read the first chapter of Second Peter. Remember that in order to gain the victory over evil, you must live on the plan of addition. Take a square, decided stand for the right. Watch unto prayer. Read every verse. I am instructed to call the attention of you both to this chapter. Brother and Sister Hare, neither of you has a correct religious experience, and the Lord has given me a message for you both. You need a genuine Christian experience. When the converting power of God comes upon you, you will both have much greater assurance and far more happiness. You need this experience in your home life. You need it in your work of training your children. Hold up the requirements of the Bible before your conscience, and seek the Lord for strength with which to obey them. Do not rest till you have obtained the faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Unify in your service to God. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 26

Your eternal welfare depends on the course you pursue. Seek the Lord for His purifying grace. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 27

This life is to be a fitting up for the future immortal life, the life that measures with the life of God. If we secure this life, we must on this earth lay hold of eternal realities. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 28

The mighty power of God alone can enable you to overcome. I am bidden to call upon you to awake to your duty. If in this life you neglect to perfect a Christian character, you will lose life eternal. Set your minds on the conversion that you both need, and labor earnestly for the conversion of your children. 20LtMs, Lt 208, 1905, par. 29