Vegetarian and Mormon: A Contradiction?

- 1 May 2008

Photo Courtesy of BYU Vegetarians A member of the BYU Vegetarians group stands at an information booth in the Wilkinson Center. By Emily Hudson Many see being vegetarian and Mormon as a contradiction, but members of the BYU Vegetarians group on campus are out to disprove that idea. The BYU Vegetarians group is a fairly new development at the university. Chandler Hatch, a member of the club, said it was around in 2003, but by the time he returned from his mission it had fizzled out. So it was restarted in 2006. "The goal [of the group] is to provide a way for vegetarians to meet each other and share recipes, to introduce non-vegetarian students to tasty meatless alternatives, and to encourage everyone on campus to consider the benefits of a vegetarian diet," Hatch said. According to the BYU Vegetarians' Google group, their self-declared threefold function is to be a support group and community for BYU vegetarians and those with vegetarian interests including animal ethics, to be a group to inform and educate the BYU campus regarding vegetarian related issues, including animal rights, environment and nutrition/health and to be a representative body for vegetarian interests on campus and in surrounding areas. The group has a monthly potluck where members share vegetarian recipes and eat meatless cuisine. These meetings provide a friendly social environment as well as support for a group of people who are a minority in Utah County. The potlucks usually draw about 20 people from the approximately 200 on the email list, but Chandler Hatch, who has been a member of the club since 2003, said he believes the actual number is far greater. "We think the active potluck attendees represent the tip of the iceberg," Hatch said. "The bulk of BYU's vegetarians are [those] floating beneath the surface, quiet, unassuming and waiting to crash your steak barbecue ocean liner with their soy sausages and black bean burgers." These potlucks are not exclusive events. Hatch said non-vegetarians are welcome to attend and join in the festivities. Aside from creating a sense of belonging for BYU students, Hatch thinks they promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that encourages love for all of God's creations and respect for our bodies. "I think our healthy lifestyles help us radiate more youthful exuberance full of planty goodness and places a cheerful twinkle in our beta-carotene enriched eyes," Hatch said. In spite of radiating this youthful exuberance, Hatch said there are many stereotypes that come with vegetarianism, from assuming all vegetarians are "crazy liberals" to wondering where they get their protein. "Some people are very critical of vegetarianism, which I think is fine as long as they're willing to love us," Hatch said. "The important thing is to love everyone and try to understand each other even when we disagree." There are many different reasons for going vegetarian. Many people are motivated to adopt this lifestyle because of their personal beliefs about animal cruelty, the affect of the meat industry on the environment or doctrinal beliefs. Almost every vegetarian or vegan has his or her own personal reason, but they have the same basic beliefs. "We have many different motivations for being vegetarians, but overall we feel that people who eat a vegetarian diet will be healthier, and communities that adopt vegetarianism will prevent a great deal of environmental degradation," Hatch said. The issue of the environmental impact of the meat industry is multifaceted and complex. Casey DuBose, president of the BYU Vegetarians who revived the club in 2006, mentioned a handful of negative impacts the industry has on the environment. "The animal agriculture industry is the largest single polluter in every category," DuBose said. "It dumps millions of gallons of feces into the water system and into our ground water, it consumes more water than humans and the amount of water used in producing one pound of beef is equivalent to the amount of water you would use showering for one full year." Not to mention, it is the single largest cause of clear cutting and destruction rainforests in the Amazon and it consumes an incredible amount of oil. DuBose turned to Latter-day Saint doctrine to explain his perspective. "We have dominion over the earth and we are supposed to exercise righteous dominion," DuBose said. "The animal agriculture industry creates incredible suffering for the animals, pollutes our earth, sickens its citizens and destroys its valuable resources. Destroying God's gift is not righteous dominion." Those who practice vegetarianism point to a wealth of scriptures, quotes from prophets and quotes from general authorities to show the scriptures don't condemn their lifestyle, but rather condone it. Chris Foster, a part-time professor of psychology at BYU and the faculty advisor of the BYU Vegetarians, recently gave a presentation titled, "Mormonism and Animal Rights-Harmony or Contradiction?" The presentation outlines and discusses various scriptures and quotes from members of the Latter-day Saint church, such as Joseph F. Smith, that deal with common arguments against vegetarianism and with the "logical arguments" against eating meat. Foster said one of the main scriptural arguments he hears comes from Latter-day Saint scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants. According to Doctrine and Covenants section 49: 15, 18-19, a person who forbids people from eating meat is not ordained of God, because "the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air" come from the earth and are ordained for man's use for food and clothing. "If what I'm doing is condemned by that scripture then so are the next two verses which go on to say 'wo be unto that man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need,'" Foster said. Foster's main argument is an appeal to logic and ethics, and he believes the scriptures support him. But Foster said he doesn't believe eating meat is inherently wrong. Rather, he argues, that from an ethical standpoint, eating meat because it tastes good, regardless of the unnecessary pain and environmental repercussions caused by the meat industry, is not a logical argument. "I can understand why it [choosing to become vegetarian] might be a hard choice personally, but as an argument against an ethical problem it doesn't make sense," Foster said. "It's like saying, 'you don't understand, I just really like stealing.'" Foster said the practice of eating meat is gratuitous, because people can live happier, healthier lives just eating plants. "I'm not claiming that the scriptures command vegetarianism or that eating meat is always wrong," Foster said. "But what they do say repeatedly is that we should only eat animals when necessary." But when it comes to eating out in Utah County, people may find obstacles in finding tasty vegetarian treats, though the options are growing. "I do cook a lot of my own food, but that's mostly because I'm poor," said Mallory Eager, an active member of the BYU Vegetarian group. "But BYU has some options, like the veggie sandwich at Subway, or the 5-Layer Burrito at Taco Bell." When it comes to dining off campus, Eager said there are places to go. "There's the Bombay house, which is like veggie heaven, and Guru's," Eager said. "I don't eat out much, but there are some good options out there."