MR No. 1134 - In the Mountains of Colorado

(Written in the Colorado mountains, diary entry for September 28, 1873.)


Brother Glover left the camp today to go for supplies. We are getting short of provisions. We got him the best we could for his meals on the way. He was to send Mr. Walling immediately and to get our mail. A young man from Nova Scotia had come in from hunting. He had a quarter of deer. He had traveled 20 miles with this deer upon his back. The remainder of the deer he had left hung up in the woods. He saw six elk but did not try to shoot them as he knew he could not carry them out. He gave us a small piece of the meat, which we made into broth. Willie shot a duck which came in a time of need, for our supplies were rapidly diminishing.--Manuscript 11, 1873.

Ellen G. White Estate Washington, D.C. April 11, 1985 {14MR 353.1}

ONCE WHEN ELLEN WHITE WAS ILL, HER SON, W. C. WHITE, REPORTS THAT SHE WAS ENCOURAGED TO DRINK A LITTLE OYSTER BROTH TO SETTLE HER STOMACH. SHE IS SAID TO HAVE TRIED A SPOONFUL OR TWO, BUT THEN REFUSED THE REST. THERE IS HOWEVER, EVIDENCE THAT AT ONE POINT IN HER LIFE MRS. WHITE MOST LIKELY ATE SOME OYSTERS. IN 1882, WHEN SHE WAS LIVING AT HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA, SHE WROTE A LETTER TO HER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, MARY KELSEY WHITE, IN OAKLAND, IN WHICH SHE MADE THE FOLLOWING REQUEST: "Mary, if you can get me a good box of herrings, fresh ones, please do so. These last ones that Willie got are bitter and old. If you can buy cans, say, half a dozen cans, of good tomatoes, please do so. We shall need them. If you can get a few cans of good oysters, get them." {MR852 2.3}

ELLEN WHITE KEPT IT NO SECRET THAT UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, AS WHEN SHE TRAVELED OR WHEN SHE WAS ENTERTAINED IN HER TRAVELS, SHE ATE SOME MEAT. THE BOOK, COUNSELS ON DIET AND FOODS, PUBLISHED IN 1938, CARRIES HER ACCOUNT OF HER RELATION TO THE USE OF MEAT AFTER THE HEALTH REFORM VISION WAS GIVEN TO HER AS FOLLOWS: "I at once cut meat out of my bill of fare. After that I was at times placed where I was compelled to eat a little meat." THIS IS IN HARMONY WITH HER EARLIER PUBLISHED STATEMENT WHICH APPEARED IN 1890 IN THE BOOK, CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE AND BIBLE HYGIENE, READING, "When I could not obtain the food I needed, I have sometimes eaten a little meat; but I am becoming more and more afraid of it." {MR852 2.4}

BUT BEYOND THIS THERE IS EVIDENCE OF SOME LAXNESS IN THE 1870'S AND 1880'S WHICH ALLOWED A LITTLE MEAT TO APPEAR ON HER TABLE WHEN IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ESSENTIAL. GIVEN THE DIFFICULTIES OF REFRIGERATING AND TRANSPORTING FOOD IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, IT WAS A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM THEN TO GAIN AN ADEQUATE DIET WITHOUT USING FLESH FOODS. IN THE EARLY 1890'S MRS. WHITE EXPRESSED HER DISTASTE FOR MEAT WHILE EN ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA. SHE WROTE: "They have an abundance of food in the meat line, prepared in different ways; but as I do not enjoy a meat diet, it leaves me rather meager fare." {MR852 2.5}

Leviticus 11:9-12

9These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

10And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

Also keep in mind that God used Daniel extensively, and this man ate and drank wine. Or was it not flesh food he ate? Again God is not a God of confusion.
The real health message is to be healthy, so we can go and tell others about Christ's soon return, not "Eat only broccoli so you can go to heaven". We cannot do that if we are always getting sick, which by the way getting sick is not a sin, its a result of sin in the world. Something to think about.
WIll

Daniel 1:8 (King James Version)

8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:12 (King James Version)

12Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

The diet appointed man in the beginning did not include animal food. Not till after the Flood, when every green thing on the earth had been destroyed, did man receive permission to eat flesh. {MH 311.1}

In choosing man's food in Eden, the Lord showed what was the best diet; in the choice made for Israel He taught the same lesson. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and undertook their training, that they might be a people for His own possession. Through them He desired to bless and teach the world. He provided them with the food best adapted for this purpose, not flesh, but manna, "the bread of heaven." It was only because of their discontent and their murmuring for the fleshpots of Egypt that animal food was granted them, and this only for a short time. Its use brought disease and death to thousands. Yet the restriction to a nonflesh diet was never heartily accepted. It continued to be the cause of discontent and murmuring, open or secret, and it was not made permanent. {MH 311.2}

Upon their settlement in Canaan, the Israelites were permitted the use of animal food, but under careful restriction which tended to lessen the evil results. The use of swine's flesh was prohibited, as also of other animals and of birds and fish whose flesh was pronounced unclean. Of the meats permitted, the eating of the fat and the blood was strictly forbidden. {MH 311.3}

Only such animals could be used for food as were in good condition. No creature that was torn, that had died of itself, or from which the blood had not been carefully drained, could be used as food. {MH 312.1}

By departing from the plan divinely appointed for their diet, the Israelites suffered great loss. They desired a flesh diet, and they reaped its results. They did not reach God's ideal of character or fulfill His purpose. The Lord "gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." Psalm 106:15. They valued the earthly above the spiritual, and the sacred pre-eminence which was His purpose for them they did not
attain. {MH 312.2}