Does “sparingly” ban a meat-heavy plate? Read the revelation itself—clear prohibitions, foods called good, and a principle with promise—before you let a diet war decide your discipleship.
Some Latter-day Saints hear “carnivore” or “keto” and flinch. Others hear “Word of Wisdom” and assume every low-carb plate is rebellion. Both reactions skip the text. Doctrine and Covenants 89 is a revelation about stewardship of the body. It names some things as not good. It calls other things good. It says meat is ordained for man—and that it should be used sparingly. It also says the counsel was given “not by commandment or constraint,” but as “a principle with promise.” That combination matters.
This post is not medical advice, and it is not a claim that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorses carnivore or keto. Church materials still emphasize fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat used sparingly, and they are clear about alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea (Gospel Topics: Word of Wisdom). What I am arguing is narrower and more honest: for some Saints facing modern refined carbs and metabolic trouble, a meat-forward or very low-carb pattern can sit inside the intent of D&C 89—stewardship, thanksgiving, no waste, and seeking the Spirit—without rewriting the revelation into a meat commandment.
What D&C 89 actually says
Start with the words. The revelation opens by telling you how to read it:
To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days— Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.
Doctrine and Covenants 89:2–3
That frame is not a shrug. It is a warning against turning every clause into a club. The Lord then warns of “evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days” (D&C 89:4), and He gives counsel that mixes hard “not good” lines with “ordained for the use of man” language. If your argument about diet never returns to that chapter, you are arguing preferences, not the Word of Wisdom.
The clear lines: alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea
Before anyone weaponizes “sparingly,” remember what the revelation does not leave fuzzy. Wine and strong drink are not good for the belly. Tobacco is not for the body or the belly. Hot drinks are not for the body or belly:
And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill. And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
Doctrine and Covenants 89:7–9
Modern prophets have taught that “hot drinks” means tea and coffee (Gospel Topics: Word of Wisdom). Those lines are the ones that show up in temple-recommend interviews. A steak dinner is not coffee. Butter is not tobacco. If we flatten every dietary debate into the same bucket as alcohol and coffee, we stop reading the revelation and start reading a culture war.
What “sparingly” meant in 1833
Here is the meat counsel, word for word:
Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
Doctrine and Covenants 89:12–13
Two things can be true at once. First, the Lord ordained flesh for man, with thanksgiving. Second, He said use it sparingly, and that He is pleased when it is reserved for winter, cold, or famine. That is not “eat as much meat as you want.” It is also not “meat is unclean.”
So what did “sparingly” look like in 1833? Latter-day Saints lived in a world without mechanical refrigeration as we know it. When you slaughtered a large animal, you faced a practical stewardship problem: use it, preserve it as best you could, share it, or watch it spoil. Waste was not a lifestyle brand. It was a failure of care for God’s creatures and your neighbor. In that setting, “sparingly” reads naturally as wise use—kill what you need, eat what you kill, do not treat living animals as endless leftovers.
Today refrigeration, freezing, and modern supply chains change the logistics. They do not cancel the virtue underneath: gratitude, no gluttony, no waste, and attention to what actually strengthens your body. A higher-meat pattern that still practices thanksgiving and restraint is not automatically a violation of stewardship. A meat-heavy pattern that is careless, wasteful, or proud about “owning” the Word of Wisdom still misses the point.
What “sparingly” is not
“Sparingly” is not a license to sneer at Saints who eat meat. It is not a vegan creed smuggled into Kirtland. And it is not proof that carnivore is commanded. It is counsel about proportion and purpose. If your reading of verse 12 never notices that the Lord ordained flesh for man, you are only reading half a sentence.
Grains, herbs, and “prudence”
The same revelation praises plants and grain:
And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man— Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
Doctrine and Covenants 89:10–11
All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
Doctrine and Covenants 89:14
Grain is called the staff of life. Fruit and herbs are ordained, in season, with prudence and thanksgiving. That is why Church teaching still holds up fruits, vegetables, and grains as good (Gospel Topics). Anyone claiming D&C 89 secretly bans bread is not defending the text.
But notice the pairing: “with prudence and thanksgiving.” Prudence is not a blank check to eat whatever a factory can refine. Thanksgiving is not a dare to keep eating what wrecks your body. If a particular modern grain product—ultra-processed, stripped, sugared—hurts you, prudence may mean eating less of that product, or choosing other foods the revelation also calls good. Avoiding a supermarket pastry is not the same as rejecting “all grain.”
Modern food and modern bodies
Joseph Smith’s world was not a modern grocery aisle. Many Saints today live with patterns of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance that clinicians commonly associate with excess refined carbohydrate and sugar—not with “potatoes from the garden in season.” I am not citing a trial here, and I am not diagnosing you. I am naming a widespread pastoral reality: some faithful members feel stuck between a plate that “looks Word of Wisdom” on Instagram and a body that will not heal on refined starch and sweet drinks.
Carnivore (essentially animal foods) and ketogenic eating (very low carbohydrate, higher fat) are modern diet strategies people use to cut those refined carbs. Some report better energy, clearer thinking, or improved lab markers under medical care. Others do poorly on them. That variance is exactly why D&C 89’s “principle with promise” language matters more than internet absolutes.
Also be careful with nostalgia. It is easy to say “plants were different in 1833.” Breeding, shipping, and processing have changed a lot of what sits in a produce bin or a bread bag. That observation can be fair as a general point. It becomes dishonest when it turns into a fake study citation or a claim that every modern vegetable is poison. Keep the humility: modern food is often more processed; your body is a stewardship trust; ask what actually helps you “run and not be weary.”
A principle with promise
The promises are the point of the counsel:
And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.
Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21
Health, wisdom, strength, protection. Those are not gym slogans. They are covenant language tied to obedience and remembrance. Paul gives the same dignity to the body:
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (KJV)
If your body is a temple, then feeding it is worshipful work, not a personality contest. For some Saints, that means a plate heavy on vegetables and whole grains. For some, under counsel from competent clinicians and personal revelation, it may mean fewer refined carbs and more animal foods for a season. The test is not which influencer you quote. The test is whether you are walking in the clear commandments, seeking the Spirit, and treating the body as holy. (On why Latter-day Saints expect God to keep speaking, see The Canon Was Never Meant to Close and Sola Scriptura: 8 Problems With “Bible Only”.)
Personal revelation and temple standards
Personal revelation does not erase temple standards. Alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea remain clear. No private “feeling” overturns those lines for Church membership questions. Within the remaining space—how you build a plate from foods the Lord called good—Saints are not clones.
Living prophets still teach the Word of Wisdom as a blessing and a commandment for our day, with emphasis on the substances to avoid and on wholesome food used wisely (Gospel Topics). That teaching sits alongside the original “principle with promise” wording. Both matter. You do not get to invent a carnivore commandment. You also do not get to pretend D&C 89 never ordained flesh or never said “prudence.”
If you want a deeper dive on why continuing revelation is not a threat to scripture, read Sola Scriptura: Which Verse Teaches It? and “God-Breathed”: What 2 Timothy 3:16 Says. The same God who spoke in Kirtland can help you apply Kirtland’s counsel in a world of seed oils, soda, and drive-throughs—without pretending 1833 had a freezer aisle.
Fair pushback, answered fairly
“You’re ignoring grains as the staff of life.” No. Verse 14 says that. A person avoiding modern refined flour is not automatically rejecting grain as a category. And a person eating wheat with prudence and thanksgiving is not a weaker Saint. Both can be trying to keep the sayings.
“Sparingly means almost never.” The verse also says flesh is ordained for man with thanksgiving. “Almost never” is one possible reading of verses 12–13; it is not the only faithful reading when winter, cold, famine, and stewardship are in view—or when a person’s medical need is real. Still, “sparingly” means something. Boasting about excess is not the spirit of the verse.
“The Church endorses keto now.” I have not said that. Official summaries still list fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat sparingly. This post argues for room under personal revelation and prudence, not for rewriting the handbook.
“Health claims prove your diet is the gospel.” No diet is the gospel. Jesus Christ is. If better blood sugar helps you serve, pray, and parent, thank God. If your diet becomes your identity, repent of the idol and keep the clear commandments.
The bottom line
Carnivore and keto are not commanded. They are also not automatically banned by a careful reading of D&C 89. The revelation forbids some things outright, praises plant foods and grain, ordains meat with thanksgiving, asks for sparingly use, and offers a principle with promise. Modern Saints still keep the clear lines on alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea. Within that covenant frame, some members will find that a lower-carb, higher-meat pattern helps them steward a body that struggled on refined carbs. Others will thrive on the garden plate the revelation also blesses.
Read the chapter. Keep the commandments. Ask the Lord. Then stop policing every plate that is not yours. For related topics, see Word of Wisdom, Word of Wisdom history, living prophets, and continuing revelation on galatians18.app.
Key takeaways
- D&C 89 is “not by commandment or constraint,” but “a principle with promise”—and it still names clear “not good” lines.
- Alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea remain the bright lines taught by modern prophets and tied to temple worthiness.
- Flesh is ordained for man with thanksgiving and is to be used sparingly; that is stewardship language, not a vegan creed and not a carnivore command.
- Grain is the “staff of life,” and herbs/fruit are to be used with prudence—prudence may include avoiding modern refined products that harm you.
- Some Saints use lower-carb or meat-forward patterns under personal revelation and medical care; that is not the Church endorsing a diet brand.
Follow @TraviXai on X for daily answers to critics, and dig deeper into any topic at galatians18.app.
Sources
- Doctrine and Covenants 89 (churchofjesuschrist.org). Key verses quoted: 2–3, 4, 7–9, 10–11, 12–13, 14, 18–21.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (KJV, churchofjesuschrist.org).
- Gospel Topics: “Word of Wisdom” (churchofjesuschrist.org). Official summary of foods called good, substances identified as harmful, and the teaching that “hot drinks” refers to tea and coffee.
- Historical note on pre-refrigeration meat use: general 19th-century household constraint (slaughter implied prompt use or preservation). No clinical trial is cited in this article; modern metabolic observations are described in general pastoral terms only.
- Topics for further study: Word of Wisdom, Word of Wisdom history, living prophets, continuing revelation, temple worship at galatians18.app.
- Featured image and in-post graphic: original graphics by thebookofmormon.ai (painterly backgrounds with no photographs or likenesses of real people).
- Scripture quotations from the Holy Bible (KJV) and the Doctrine and Covenants via churchofjesuschrist.org.
Follow @TraviXai and explore more at https://galatians18.app.
