Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)

Lt 214, 1904

Hare, G. A.

Washington, D. C.

August 1904

Previously unpublished. +^Note

Dr. G. A. Hare

My Brother,—

At times in the past your life has not been of a character to glorify God. You have made grave mistakes and have given occasion for others to say that which has hurt your reputation as a Christian. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 1

You and your wife have been lax in regard to the principles of health reform. You have said that your wife thinks she could not live if she did not eat meat, and you I fear take it for granted that she must have it. I have met cases before where it was said that the blood was turning to water, and where physicians have said that meat must be made the principle article of diet. But my message to such has been, Let meat alone, and the health will change for the better. Accustom yourselves to a fruit and vegetable diet, and receive the message that the Lord has given to His people on health reform. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 2

The sickness of your wife is a sickness caused in part by her diet. The use of flesh meats is largely responsible for her ill health. If she would take up the work God has appointed her to do, if she would be truly converted and adopt a healthful diet, subsisting on simple foods for one year, she would find her health improving. By the exercise of faith and prayer, she would have strength to overcome her desire for that which is injuring her. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 3

As a physician it is your duty to understand the evils of a flesh-meat diet; as Christians it is your privilege to bring your desires and appetites under the purifying, refining influence of the Spirit of God. Those who make their diet of fruits and grains and vegetables are much more susceptible to religious influences than are those who indulge their desires for flesh meat. I have no recommendation to give in the line of eating the flesh of dead animals. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 4

I am instructed to say to you that your indulgence in meat-eating is educating your children to form wrong habits of living, and it is inconsistent with the principles for the promulgation of which our sanitariums are established. In our sanitariums an example of meat-eating should not be given by those who stand as the representatives of health-reform principles. Fruit and grains, if carefully prepared, will be found to be more palatable than meat. Our health institutions are to be an educating power in the world, teaching men and women to discard those habits and practices which tend to keep them in sickness and wrongdoing. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 5

I plead for our sanitariums to be located away from the cities, where the children and youth can learn to cultivate the soil and to develop naturally. In the country they can develop healthful bodies and clear minds by the exercise to be found in out-of-door work. This is in harmony with the instruction that has been given me. We should endeavor to establish our institutions where there is plenty of land to be cultivated. The patients should have plenty of outdoor employment and recreation. Give them opportunity to exercise their muscles by caring for flowers and fruit and vegetables. There is healing for disease in out-of-door life. The Lord will act His part in providing sunshine and showers; let men and women be taught to do their part in cultivating the soil. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 6

Fruits and grains and vegetables are the very best kinds of food for your wife and family. It is quite a common thing in these days for animal flesh to be diseased. Fish also is coming to be largely diseased. Flesh eating will prove injurious, but a healthful diet will build up physical and mental strength and make men strong and more intelligent for the work He intends them to do in the world. As intelligent human beings God expects us to place ourselves in right relation to life; we can only secure the best dispositions and inclinations by leaving alone those things which we know to be injurious to physical, mental, and spiritual life. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 7

Not long ago a sister came to our sanitarium in Wahroonga, Australia, who had not learned to overcome her desire for flesh meat. Her husband was a physician, and it was hoped that when she was in a place where she could have an abundance of fresh fruit and the best kind of food, she would lose her taste for meat. But unless meat was provided, she imagined she was sick and faint and would at times sink off into unconsciousness. A letter was written to me asking counsel. The case of this woman was revealed to me, and I was shown that she was allowing her desires to control her physical system for evil. I wrote to the physicians that it would be better [for] this woman healthwise if she would leave meat alone entirely; for the use of meat tended to animalize her nature and to make her disposition changeable and excitable. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 8

I had myself long before this discarded the use of meat and had firmly resolved that I would not again make this an article of my diet. There was a time when I thought, as many others have thought, that meat was essential for my life. I suffered from fainting spells, which at times were very severe. But the light of health reform was given me, and I was shown the dangers of meat eating. The effect of meat upon the system is to stimulate, but the period of stimulation is always followed by feelings of depression and lassitude. I was counseled by One who never makes a mistake to avoid the use of this stimulus. I was also instructed that rich pastries and sweetened breads were not best for the health of the human stomach. The rich desserts sometimes brought on the table near the close of the meal are detrimental to health. They can be dispensed with, and thus time and money and health be saved. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 9

Brother and Sister Hare, the Lord wants you to sanctify yourselves, body, soul, and spirit, for your own good, for the good of your children, and for the good of the sanitarium. The Lord has not left you. But He would have you come into right relation to Himself and to thoroughly cleanse your souls from everything that would defile. You need the experience of a thorough work of grace on the heart before you can truly reveal the value of health reform. “I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” [Romans 12:1.] It is required of you that you bring the principles of health reform into your life practice. This means everything to you. You will have severe battles to fight with your inclinations and your old habits; but this conversion must take place in your lives before you can be prepared for the perfect indwelling of the Spirit of God. This is your hope of success in perfecting a Christian character. Your mind must be cleansed, your soul refined. Then you will be prepared to help your children to be what God desires they shall be. True conversion will prove a great blessing to Brother and Sister Hare. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 10

For forty years I have taken only two meals a day, because I have believed it best for me to do this. I realize that I must eat simple, easily digested foods. No cheese or butter comes on my table, but we are careful to provide good, palatable, and nourishing food. We cannot expect the stomach to be in a healthy condition if we are careless in regard to our eating. We should treat it wisely. We have no right to put into it at one meal a heterogeneous mass of food without regard to the disagreement that may be caused thereby. God has given us thinking powers to reason about these matters, and we are guilty before God if we do not study from cause to effect. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 11

If we do not have respect for the organs of our bodies, our health will testify to the abuse. I say to you, Take care of your digestive organs. Your will must control your desires. By the exercise of the will power in the matter of mastication you can bring your food into a proper state for stomach digestion before it leaves the mouth. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 12

The organs of our body should be regarded as sacred machinery, which must not be neglected or overworked. Eat simply of a few things at one meal. I follow this practice, and I find that in two meals a day I can fully satisfy my needs. Our table is never set for the third meal; yet if any of my workers desire an evening meal, they are at liberty to take it. Flesh meat we exclude from our table altogether. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 13

We have a continual warfare to maintain against our individual habits and practices; but it is possible for us to come off more than conquerors in our battle with self. We will do much to aid in the work of overcoming if we will heed the following simple rules: 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 14

Eat simply and slowly. Encourage a cheerful spirit, and let your conversation be pleasant and uplifting. Let the words of your mouth express gratitude to the Father above. Let the spirit of faultfinding and complaining be put away, and encourage a spirit of peace and lovingkindness. Enjoy the good gifts of God; ask His blessing on the food you eat, and leave the table, not with a loaded stomach, but with a grateful heart for the blessings received. 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 15

If we will exercise good, sound, common sense in the matter of diet, the one who prepares our food will not be made a slave to our desires. O that we might see the working [of] the subduing power of grace upon human hearts. I ask you that you will let the grace of Christ prepare you, body, soul, and spirit, for the companionship of holy beings in the kingdom of heaven. This fitting up must be a daily work, a daily fighting against earthly desires, a daily conquering of human tendencies. Will you be a conqueror? 19LtMs, Lt 214, 1904, par. 16