I need some advice. I’m getting ready to serve a mission, but I’m really worried about food. I’m a vegetarian because I love animals, and I know that Christ doesn’t want us to eat them. I base this view on D&C 89:12-13. But I don’t know what my attitude should be around other members, especially when I’m a missionary. Thanks for your advice.
One Response to “I want to be a missionary, but I’m a vegetarian. What should I do?”
Samuel Santana
2015-08-09 10:23:16
Missionaries: An Introduction.
Hi sister. I'm happy you plan to serve a mission! The church needs dedicated missionaries to help spread the gospel throughout the world. I wouldn't trade my two years of full-time missionary service for anything. It provided me with a strong spiritual base on which to build my religious life. I hope you find the same blessings in missionary service!
Vegetarianism is compatible with Mormon doctrine. If done carefully, it can be a very healthy lifestyle. My own grandma is a Mormon vegetarian. If a member of the Church makes the personal choice to avoid eating meat, that is a perfectly respectable decision.
However, it is simply not true that the church teaches that its members should be vegetarian. That is obviously not something that you, as a missionary, should teach as doctrine. The scriptures do teach that we should eat meat sparingly, but they don't teach that God has commanded us to avoid meat altogether. In fact, it's quite clear from the scriptures that Jesus Christ himself occasionally ate meat. One of the most prominent miracles of his mortal ministry involved eating fish and loaves of bread, for example.
As a missionary, you should simply explain beforehand to the members who offer you lunch that you prefer not to eat meat. Don't suggest that vegetarianism is a commandment, but rather describe it as a personal preference. In my experience, it's not so hard to avoid certain kinds of food as a missionary. I served my mission in a city on the coast, with lots of fishing, but I don't like the taste of fish. I was able to avoid it pretty easily.
I hope this answer helps. Best of luck on your mission! What a very exciting time in your life.
Vegetarianism is compatible with Mormon doctrine. If done carefully, it can be a very healthy lifestyle. My own grandma is a Mormon vegetarian. If a member of the Church makes the personal choice to avoid eating meat, that is a perfectly respectable decision.
However, it is simply not true that the church teaches that its members should be vegetarian. That is obviously not something that you, as a missionary, should teach as doctrine. The scriptures do teach that we should eat meat sparingly, but they don't teach that God has commanded us to avoid meat altogether. In fact, it's quite clear from the scriptures that Jesus Christ himself occasionally ate meat. One of the most prominent miracles of his mortal ministry involved eating fish and loaves of bread, for example.
As a missionary, you should simply explain beforehand to the members who offer you lunch that you prefer not to eat meat. Don't suggest that vegetarianism is a commandment, but rather describe it as a personal preference. In my experience, it's not so hard to avoid certain kinds of food as a missionary. I served my mission in a city on the coast, with lots of fishing, but I don't like the taste of fish. I was able to avoid it pretty easily.
I hope this answer helps. Best of luck on your mission! What a very exciting time in your life.