(removal instructions at end)

Sister,

You asked how I came to this understanding.

I will respond that my change of perspective coincided with a mighty change
of heart experience I had when I changed my diet. I also had a
simultaneous, corollary conversion regarding my attitude toward women.

Back in early '96, three friends, Tom Rodgers, Gwen Winters, and Ed Motola
drove several hours to come visit with my dad, mom, and myself at my
parent's home in Fountain Green.

Their purpose was to explain to us why choosing not to partake of animal
products was a good thing.

Tom Rodgers has had a near death experience, and while on the other side was
taught about the word of wisdom, and sent back with a commission to teach
that to others.

Anyway, they spent nearly 24 hours at our place wrestling with us over this.

It made sense to me that we will not be eating animals in the millennium but
will be talking to them, so why not start now. However, I had a hard time
with how Tom wrests the scriptures to say what he wants them to say.
Finally I had to realize that he's been on the other side and had an amazing
experience, and is just trying to find ways to convey that to others.

The big change happened on the Saturday morning after we had breakfast
together. Tom was talking about the awful way animals are treated in
factory farms. He was also talking about some issues with how women are
treated.

My heart began to break as I thought of how I had participated in this
thoughtlessness and abuse, not having paid it any attention in the past. I
felt truly remorseful.

I wanted to ask if I could say a prayer asking forgiveness, but the
conversation shifted in other directions, and I mourned that I had missed
the opportunity, as my feeling waned. A while later, in another part of the
home, as I was mourning my lack of acting in that moment, my dear friend
Gwen came up to me and asked me what I was thinking at this point.

It told her what was on my mind, and when I explained my disappointment that
I had not acted, when the feeling was there, she replied, "It's still
there."

As she said that, the feeling began to surge again, and even stronger than
before -- the feeling of anguish that I had participated in the thoughtless
unrighteous dominion/exploitation and slaughter of animals, and that I had
denigrated women in my heart. You see, the two went hand in hand for me,
hearkening back to what I had been taught about the fall of Adam. Adam and
Eve had been given "dominion" over the earth, and I had come to interpret
that to mean that the resources of the earth were for us to use however we
wish to make our life more comfortable -- not viewing it as a stewardship as
it was intended. And in the same breath, I looked at women as the weaker
sex ever since Eve gave in to Satan and partook of the forbidden fruit.

Though I knew in my head that man and women were supposed to be equal, I
just did not feel it in my heart. Instead I had the domination attitude
that women were the lesser sex and here to help life easier for man. That
was my core attitude, despite what I had taught my head to the contrary.

So here these feelings came rushing in, and I was to the brink of tears.

Gwen and I went back into the kitchen, and I asked if we could have a prayer
together.

We knelt, and I offered up to the Lord the feelings of my heart, voicing my
sorrow that I had participated in these things and had these attitudes.

As I wept over this, and shared my heart which was broken, and my spirit
being contrite, it was as though I could see the animals thanking me and
accepting my apology; and I could see Emma Smith (the protagonist in my
paradigm about women) forgiving me as well.

Ever since that time, I have chosen not to partake of the flesh of animals.
And even now, tears brim my eyes as I recall these feelings and the change
of heart that came to me that day.

With my reverence for animals came a simultaneous ability to realize their
destiny along with ours.

I mark my download of information or ideas about multiple mortalities and
the upward progression of all intelligence, from Atom to God, to this
experience back in 1996.

An earlier account of my conversion experience along these lines is found at

http://www.greaterthings.com/Essays/whyvegan.htm

It is titled, "Why I became Vegan: A Conviction of the Heart."

I've never been the same since.

I might mention that these alphabetics word-code studies began to open up to
me shortly after this experience.

http://www.greaterthings.com/Word-Number/

And I have found code confirmation of these things in particular (diet,
multiple mortalities, unity of men/women), though I would be hard pressed to
try and convince anyone based on them alone, though someone who already has
the paradigm would appreciate the witness and expansion they provide.

As for women, I now FEEL as well as think that women and men are synergistic
counterparts for one another, and that the ultimate union is between one man
and one women.

My belief in polygamy as a higher doctrine also went away with this change
of heart. Though I certainly believe that it will be a growing experience
for those who enter into it (as any other experience of life, but more so
because of its intensity), I believe it erroneous to teach it as an absolute
prerequisite to exaltation.

Various thoughts and scriptural validations along these lines are indexed at

http://www.greaterthings.com/Topical/Polygamy/

In closing, while I'm speaking about diet, might I just say that there are a
huge variety of wonderful meals that can be prepared without animal products
in them. Also, I might mention that my wife and I are interested in the
live food diet (not cooking/killing the food that comes from the earth).
That transition is one we have yet to make, and for now plan on implementing
it gradually.

Sincerely,

Sterling D. Allan

p.s. My parents were also touched by this visit of Tom, Gwen and Ed, though
their decision to change their diet came a few weeks later and for a
different set of reasons. A sample of my Dad's writing on the subject can
be found at

http://www.allanstime.com/Health/plate.htm

It is titled, "How What's on My Plate Affects Body, Mind and Spirit" by
David W. Allan (former Stake President in Boulder CO for 10 years; currently
teaches LDS Institute class in Moroni,UT).

p.p.s. Tom Rodgers a former dairyman turned vegan crusader, who resides in
Bountiful Utah, is glad to come and talk to people -- even one on one --
about this. Drop him a line if you would like. LifeSaveIn@... (801)
298-9095



----- Original Message -----
From: a sister
To: sterlingda@...
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 12:31 AM
Subject: Greater Things Message Board- RE: The wide gamut from Atom to God


On 11-07-2000 11:31 pm
a sister() posted:

How did you come to all of these conclusions? If this is true, why aren't
many other people getting answers like this - I'm speaking of people who are
humble, who are earnestly seeking for truth - people with a VERY close
relationship to Jesus Christ.. Not "sheeple".

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