Saturday, August 13, 2011

General Authorities Statements on Vaccines, Part 2


President Harold B. Lee (and many other prophets and apostles) taught that the standard of doctrine is found in the scriptures: “If anyone, regardless of his position in the Church, were to advance a doctrine that is not substantiated by the standard Church works, meaning the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, you may know that his statement is merely his private opinion. The only one authorized to bring forth any new doctrine is the President of the Church, who, when he does, will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by the body of the Church. And if any man speak a doctrine which contradicts what is in the standard Church works, you may know by that same token that it is false and you are not bound to accept it as truth.” (1)

We have received no official Church proclamation mandating that we vaccinate our children and ourselves. This idea is not put forth in the scriptures. And IN MY OPINION, there are several scriptures which could be construed as teaching against this practice:
  • Exodus 20:13- “Thou shalt not kill.” Many vaccines contain viruses that were cultured in the lung cells of aborted babies. Vaccines have also caused many deaths.
  • Doctrine and Covenants 49:21- And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need.” Animal cells, embryos, and other animal derived ingredients are found in vaccines, a use which is for the most part unnecessary.
  • Doctrine and Covenants 89:21- “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.” This is the section on the Word of Wisdom. The Lord tells us here that if we abstain from harmful substances and eat a wholesome diet of mostly plant foods that we will avoid disease.
  • Doctrine and Covenants 89:10- “And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man”, Doctrine and Covenants 42:43- “And whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy”, Alma 46:40- “And there were some who died with fevers, which at some seasons of the year were very frequent in the land—but not so much so with fevers, because of the excellent qualities of the many plants and roots which God had prepared to remove the cause of diseases, to which men were subject by the nature of the climate”. The Lord has created useful plants for treating diseases and intends for us to use them. These have been available to all of His children throughout time. How awful would it be to think that God only gave the chance for a healthy life to  His children born in the last 50-60 years?
  • Genesis 3:17- “Cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.” The Lord intended there to be discomfort and sorrow in this life and He intended it to be for a purpose, “for our sake”. Diseases such as measles and chickenpox grant lifelong immunity to the sick person after one instance of infection, and in this way certain illnesses can actually strengthen the immune system. If we were never sick, we would also never be able to appreciate the blessing of good health.
  • Isaiah 55:8-9- “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Our Heavenly Father has created the viruses and bacteria that cause disease, He must have had a purpose in doing so. These viruses and bacteria are part of a natural order that God has created and even though our way would be to do away with them entirely, this is not how He has created our world. Vaccination violates the natural ways of disease that God has created by bypassing normal routes for infection and injecting live and killed viruses and toxoids into the bloodstream.
  • 1 Corinithians 3:16-17- 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. Our bodies are temples that our Heavenly Father has given us and are to be treated as such. Injecting our bodies with animal tissue, live and inactivated viruses, and harmful chemicals and metals defiles the body, in my opinion.
  • Doctrine and Covenants 89:4, 21- Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation... 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.” The Lord has told us that in the Last Days there will be people in positions of authority who will keep information from us that could have a serious impact on our health. So, He gave us the Word of Wisdom to tell us what we need to do to avoid disease.

Sources
1. FAIR article on statements by Church leaders http://en.fairmormon.org/Church_doctrine/Statements_by_Church_leaders#Standard_of_doctrine_in_the_Church

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