My Mormon friend said that she can’t eat certain foods, just like the Pharisees in the Old Testament. My question is, why is there this prohibition? We know the Bible says the Kingdom of God has nothing to do with food and drink. How do you reconcile these two conflicting ideas?
We believe the Bible is the Word of God, His sacred revelation to ancient prophets and apostles.
Hi Elias. Thanks for your question. You're confusing the "hedge" the Pharisees built around the Law of Moses and the Law itself. In fact, it was not the Pharisees who "invented" the dietary regulations that ancient and modern Jews follow. These dietary regulations were revealed to Moses by God, as clearly explained in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself was a strict follower of these core rules, though He didn't approve of the man-made extensions added by the Pharisees and others later.
Although God did subsequently reveal that the specific dietary laws described in the Law of Moses were no longer binding, the idea that He could reveal additional laws later on, according to the needs of His people, is entirely consistent with the Biblical model of ongoing prophetic and apostolic revelation.
That there is a need for dietary restraint in modern times is without question. Studies have shown that Mormons live, on average, ten years longer, in large part because of the new dietary law God has given them. This law, which includes avoiding tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and black tea, was given long before science confirmed the unhealthy effects of many of these substances.
Although God did subsequently reveal that the specific dietary laws described in the Law of Moses were no longer binding, the idea that He could reveal additional laws later on, according to the needs of His people, is entirely consistent with the Biblical model of ongoing prophetic and apostolic revelation.
That there is a need for dietary restraint in modern times is without question. Studies have shown that Mormons live, on average, ten years longer, in large part because of the new dietary law God has given them. This law, which includes avoiding tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and black tea, was given long before science confirmed the unhealthy effects of many of these substances.