President
Brigham Young explained that part of the reason for humanity's
increased longevity would be a more prudent diet, eating less
and slower, and getting more rest. Perhaps now it is time
to actually begin to follow his advice, which has been largely
ignored.
"This
is the duty of the human family ... to improve our minds and
bodies by observing the laws of life, so that the longevity
of the human family may begin to return. By and by, according
to the Scriptures, the days of a man shall be like the days
of a tree. But in those days people will not eat and drink
as they do now ...
"You
get up in the morning and have your cup of tea, your fried
ham, your cold beef and mince pies, and everything you can
possibly cram into the stomach, until you surfeit the system
and lay the foundation for disease and earthly death.
"
... if they desire long life and good health, they must, after
sufficient exertion, allow the body to rest before it is entirely
exhausted. When exhausted, some argue that they need stimulants
... to goad on the lagging powers to greater exertions. But
instead of these kind of stimulants they should ... rest.
Work less, wear less, eat less, and we shall be a great deal
wiser, healthier, and wealthier people than by taking the
course we now do. It is difficult to find anything more healthy
to drink than good cold water...
"
... they will begin to live out their days, not only a hundred
years, but, by and by, hundreds of years on the earth. Do
you think they will stuff themselves then with tea and coffee,
and ... beef, pork, mutton, sweet meats, and pastry, morning,
noon and night? No; you will find they will live as our first
parents did, on fruits and on a little simple food, and they
will never overload the stomach."
"A
thorough reformation is needed in regard to our eating and
drinking ... If the people were willing to receive the true
knowledge from heaven in regard to their diet they would cease
eating swine's flesh.... But we can eat fish, ... eggs ..
[and] fruit of every variety ... Fish is as healthy a food
as we can eat, if we except vegetables and fruit, and with
them will become a very wholesome diet.
"The
Americans, as a nation, are killing themselves with their
vices and high living. As much as a man ought to eat in half
an hour they swallow in three minutes, gulping down their
food like the canine quadruped under the table...."
"If
the days of man are to begin to return, we must cease all
extravagant living. When men live to the age of a tree, their
food will be fruit.... live upon vegetables, etc., not many
generations will pass away before the days of man will again
return. But it will take generations to eradicate entirely
the influences of deleterious substances." (Discourses
of Brigham Young, pp. 186-190)
"How
the Brain Creates the Mind." "Philosophers,
neuroscientists and laypeople have long wondered how the conscious
mind comes to be. A more complete understanding of the workings
of the brain ought to lead to an eventual solution,"
claims Scientific American. These words betray the
complete ignorance of mainstream science of the preexistence
of the human spirit and mind. It may be rewritten in fifty
years to read "How the Mind creates the Brain."
There is mounting scientific evidence from the current great
outpouring of descriptions of "near death" experiences
that the spirit does indeed live on after death, complete
with mind and memory. Moreover, there is mounting evidence
that it lived before birth, as witnessed by a growing body
of testimonies of those who have seen the spirits of their
yet-to-be-born children.
"Is
There Life Elsewhere in the Universe?" The article
with this title begins, "The answer is: nobody knows."
This presumptuous "nobody knows" phrase is a commonly
used by experts in various scholarly disciplines, and it is
invariably wrong. There is always Someone who knows. In this
case, the Lord has long since answered this question in the
affirmative:
"That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds
are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten
sons and daughters unto God." (D.&C. 76:24)
Artificial
Intelligence. The last article claims that robot brains
may "start rivaling human intelligence." This statement
exposes a common flaw in scientific thinking, that man is
nothing more than a machine. But some scientists have pointed
out this major flaw, such as Roger Penrose in The Emperor's
New Mind. As the title so brilliantly implies, he wonders
why apparently no one has noticed that computers don't really
have a mind at all.
But someone
has noticed. Again, our prophets have pointed out over a century
ago that, far from rivaling our intelligence as the article
predicts, "they possess no intelligence." President
John Taylor declared:
"None of these things possess intelligence, nor the principles
of life within themselves, neither can they impart, nor perpetuate
it to others; they are merely machines, to be acted upon by
man, and without man they cease to exist; when one is worn
out, or broken, another must be made at the same toil and
labour; possessing not the principles of life, they cannot
impart their likeness; whereas man, beasts, fish, fowl, and
all the animate works of God can. Man's works in comparison
with God's, are like comparing a child's wooden horse to the
beautiful creature God has made, or rather his penny whistle
to the music of heaven, or the larger boy's billiards to the
motions of the planetary system. They possess no intelligence,
no powers, no reflection, no agency." (The Government
of God, ch. 9)
Thus,
our prophets have prophesied most of these advances well over
a century before scientists have discovered them. It is truly
a blessing to have living prophets to lead us who are so far
ahead of their time. Their words will pass the test of time,
because truth will ultimately prevail in science as well as
in religion.
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