Cheese

by Ellen White

It was decided that at a certain camp meeting, cheese should not be sold to those on the ground; but on coming to the ground, Dr. Kellogg found to his surprise that a large quantity of cheese had been purchased for sale at the grocery. He and some others objected to this, but those in charge of the grocery said that the cheese had been bought with the consent of Brother , and that they could not afford to lose the money invested in it. Upon this, Dr. Kellogg asked the price of the cheese, and bought the whole of it from them. He had traced the matter from cause to effect, and knew that some foods generally thought to be wholesome, were very injurious. But imagine the surprise of those who had studied the question of healthful living, to find their brethren working counter to right principles. Thus it was till the time of the General Conference at Minneapolis. We stood on the field of battle for nearly three years, but at that time decided changes took place among our people, and through the grace of God we gained decided victories. 12MR 342

I have not had, to my knowledge, a particle of pepper in the house for ten years. When Lucinda went up to Mr. Walling's mills, I said to her, "Get me a little pinch of pepper, and I will try to eat some beans." I thought the pepper would perhaps prevent them from causing me to have the colic. But I think so little of what I eat, it never entered my mind that there was any pepper. So much for pepper. I claim that we live very plain and economical. Lucretia, if you did not mean to tempt us in buying cheese, what did you mean? Did you buy that cheese merely because you wanted to gratify the wish of my husband? If so, you could have gratified his taste for fresh, dried black raspberries which you heard him often speaking of desiring. You had them but did not cook them. You heard him often express a wish for this, but you did not gratify it. He could not eat strawberries, but kept wishing for raspberries. If my husband had wanted cheese, he could have bought it, for he was at Black Hawk and Central as often as three times a week. What your motive was, you know and the Lord knows, but we do not. 15MR 246

In regard to cheese, I am now quite sure we have not purchased or placed on our table cheese for years. We never think of making cheese an article of diet, much less of buying it. I tell you, Lucretia, how your buying the cheese at our house looks to us--that you did it to tempt us just as ----- tempted my husband in his feebleness. You said you heard Brother White ask Mr. Walling for a taste of cheese. He had none. You bought a few pounds. You asked him one day if he wanted some cheese. He said "No." You asked me. I said I did not eat it. The cheese lay in the cupboard untouched until Mr. Lasley and Walling came to dinner. It was then placed before them. We took a small bit of cheese, as we do sometimes when it is passed to us. But we do not, understand, buy cheese, or make a practice of eating it. My husband felt when he saw the bit of cheese that was in Walling's wagon that he would like merely a taste of it. 15MR 246

You, my dear brother and sister, can have a much better condition of health than you now enjoy, and can avoid very many ill turns, if you will simply exercise temperance in all things--temperance in labour, temperance in eating and drinking. Hot drinks are debilitating to the stomach. Cheese should never be introduced into the stomach. Fine-flour bread cannot impart to the system the nourishment that you will find in the unbolted wheat bread. The common use of bolted wheat bread cannot keep the system in a healthy condition. You both have inactive livers. The use of fine flour aggravates the difficulties under which you are labouring. 2T 068

We rode out about five miles. The scenery was beautiful. Tramelan abounds in rich pine forest groves. It is mountainous. There is fine pasturage for cattle. Cows seem to be in great abundance here, and in this respect the milk, butter, and cheese must be far superior to that in Basel, where the cattle are mostly tied up in stables, or used as oxen to work the land. . . . [ Tramelan, May 23, 1886 ] 5MR 027

"Then one of the most solemn addresses was given upon temperance. The subject was taken up from the table. 'Here,' said the speaker, 'is the appetite created for love of strong liquor. Appetite and passion are the ruling sins of the age. Appetite, the way it is indulged, influences the stomach and excites the animal propensities. The moral powers are depressed and become the slave to appetite. The use of flesh meats stimulates and inflames; the flesh of dead animals produces disease of almost every type and the afflicted think and talk as though God's providence had something to do with it when the cause of their sufferings was what they placed upon their own tables in butter, in spices, in cheese, in flesh meats and a variety of dishes that are not liquor, which tempt constantly to eat too much.'" --Ms 7, 1874, p. 3. 7MR 347

"For your own personal enjoyment in this world I entreat of you both to be health reformers. Emma, educate your appetite. Banish butter, cheese, flesh meats, and every article that is not the most simple and the best calculated to make a healthy quality of blood."--Letter 47a, 1874, p. 2. 7MR 347

"It seems so hard for some, even for their conscience' sake, to deny themselves the things that do not tend to health. We felt drawn out to speak to some on this subject. I shall not be clear unless I speak decidedly, for the spirit of self-indulgence will increase unless we take a decided stand. I have had grace given me to present decidedly the subject of health reform. Butter, cheese, flesh meats of dead animals, rich cake and poor cookery create disease and will certainly corrupt the blood, bring disease and suffering, and pervert the discernment. I beseech our people, to consider that health reform is essential and that which we place in our stomachs should be the simple nourishment of good, plainly prepared bread and fruits and grains. I shall have a much sharper testimony to bear on this subject. We must deny perverted appetite. I urge upon our people to learn the art of simplicity in eating. When will our people heed the word of the Lord given to caution them?"--Ms 5, 1879, pp. 3, 4. 7MR 348

"We took breakfast in the tent adjoining ours and were made sorry to see butter and cheese upon the table. Both are injurious to health. I understood our people had discarded these things, but they are again using them. Health reform is not carried out among our people as it once was. Some are departing from the health reform. I am sad. . . . 7MR 348

It is impossible for those who give the reins to appetite to attain to Christian perfection. The moral sensibilities of your children cannot be easily aroused, unless you are careful in the selection of their food. Many a mother sets a table that is a snare to her family. Flesh meats, butter, cheese, rich pastry, spiced foods, and condiments are freely partaken of by both old and young. These things do their work in deranging the stomach, exciting the nerves, and enfeebling the intellect. The blood-making organs cannot convert such things into good blood. The grease cooked in the food renders it difficult of digestion. The effect of cheese is deleterious. Fine-flour bread does not impart to the system the nourishment that is to be found in unbolted-wheat bread. Its common use will not keep the system in the best condition. Spices at first irritate the tender coating of the stomach, but finally destroy the natural sensitiveness of this delicate membrane. The blood becomes fevered, the animal propensities are aroused, while the moral and intellectual powers are weakened, and become servants to the baser passions. The mother should study to set a simple yet nutritious diet before her family. [CTBH 46, 47 (1890)] CD 236

Years ago I had a testimony of reproof for the managers in our camp meetings bringing upon the ground and selling to our people cheese and other hurtful things, and presenting candies for sale when I was labouring to instruct the young and old to put the money they had expended for candy in the missionary box and thus teach their children self-denial. [ Letter 25a, 1889 ] CD 329

Cheese should never be introduced into the stomach. [ (1868)2T 68 & (1905)MH 302 ] CD 368

When we commenced the camp meeting in Nora, Illinois, I felt it my duty to make some remarks in reference to their eating. I related the unfortunate experience of some at Marion, and told them I charged it to unnecessary preparations made for the meeting, and also eating the unnecessary preparations while at the meeting. Some brought cheese to the meeting, and ate it; although new, it was altogether too strong for the stomach, and should never be introduced into it. [ Letter 40, 1893 ] CD 369

Our fare is simple and wholesome. We have on our table no butter, no meat, no cheese, no greasy mixtures of food. For some months a young man who was an unbeliever, and who had eaten meat all his life, boarded with us. We made no change in our diet on his account; and while he stayed with us he gained about twenty pounds. The food which we provided for him was far better for him than that to which he had been accustomed. All who sit at my table express themselves as being well satisfied with the food provided. CD 491

Flesh meats, butter, cheese, rich pastry, spiced foods, and condiments are freely partaken of by both old and young. . . . The blood making organs cannot convert such things into good blood.-- . HL 180

If milk is used, it should be thoroughly sterilised; with this precaution, there is less danger of contracting disease from its use. Butter is less harmful when eaten on cold bread than when used in cooking; but, as a rule, it is better to dispense with it altogether. Cheese is still more objectionable; it is wholly unfit for food. MH 302

I do not speak of these as a whole. A few have been true to their principles. Some acknowledged the light, and, for a time, walked in it, but they were not steadfast. Is it possible that Christ's followers are unwilling to restrict their appetites to articles of food which are healthful? Some of those who have had the most light, those standing at the very head of the work, have not been true to the principles of health reform. As we have travelled we have seen men and women injuring their health by an improper diet. We have spoken to them kindly in regard to their duty, but we would be met: I thought you had decided you could not live without meat, butter, and cheese; for if I am rightly informed your people in B. C. eat flesh-meats. Your responsible men in the Office are not reformers. They eat meat, butter, cheese and rich pie and cake. Others will excuse their indulgence of appetite by referring to B. C. Said one, On such a celebration, the Institute tables were not set with food recommended in the Reformer. There was a great variety of food which I have known themselves to condemn, and I have seen your most zealous church members, especially the females, looking over the table greedily for some article of food prepared richer than another. They seem to fear that they shall not obtain the most desirable position to obtain the very best dishes served up. We certainly saw their indulgence of appetite, which in us you condemn. PH011 076

I have a large family which often numbers sixteen. In it there are men who work at the plough and who fell trees. These men have vigorous exercise, but not a particle of flesh of animals is placed upon our table. Meat has not been used by us since the Brighton camp-meeting. It was not my purpose to have it on my table at any time, but urgent pleas were made that such an one was unable to eat this or that, and that his stomach could take care of meat better than it could of anything else; then I was enticed to place it on my table. The use of cheese also began to creep in, because some liked cheese. But I soon controlled that. But when the selfishness of taking the lives of animals, to gratify a perverted appetite, was presented to me by a Catholic woman kneeling at my feet. I felt ashamed and distressed; I saw it in a new light, and I said, "I will no longer patronise the butcher: I will not have the flesh of corpses on my table." PH031 003

To become acquainted with our wonderful organism, the stomach, liver, bowels, heart, bones, muscles, and pores of the skin, and to understand the dependence of one organ upon another, for the healthful action of all, is a study that most mothers have no interest in. The influence of the body upon the mind, and the mind upon the body, she knows nothing of. The mind, which allies finite to the infinite, she does not seem to understand. Every organ of the body was made to be servant to the mind. The mind is the capital of the body. Children are allowed flesh-meats, spices, butter, cheese, pork, rich pastry, and condiments generally. They are allowed to eat irregularly, and to eat between meals, of unhealthful food, which do their work of deranging the stomach, and exciting the nerves to unnatural action, and enfeeble the intellect. Parents do not realise that they are sowing the seeds which will bring forth disease and death. RH JUL.14,1885

When we commenced the camp-meeting in Nora, Ill., I felt it my duty to make some remarks in reference to their eating. I related the unfortunate experience of some at Marion, and told them I charged it to unnecessary preparations made for the meeting, and also eating the unnecessary preparations while at the meeting. Some brought cheese to the meeting, and ate it; although new, it was altogether too strong for the stomach, and should never be introduced into it. Cake was brought into our tent. I ate a small piece, and my stomach refused to retain it; it was spiced with cinnamon. If my stomach would not acknowledge this as food, but rebelled against it, what condition must these be in who partook of this food every day. I stated to our brethren and sisters, something like the following: They must not be sick upon that encampment. If they clothed themselves properly in the chill of morning, and at night, and were particular to vary their clothing according to the changing weather, so as to preserve proper circulation, and should strictly observe regularity in sleeping, and in eating of simple food, and should eat nothing between meals, they need not be sick. They might be well during the meetings, and be able to appreciate, with clear minds, the truth, and might return to their homes refreshed in body and in spirit. I stated that if those who had been engaged in hard labour from day to day should now cease their exercise, and yet eat their average amount of food, their stomachs would be overtaxed. It was the brain power we wished to be especially vigorous at this meeting and in the most healthy condition to hear the truth and to appreciate it, and to retain it, and practice it after their return from the meeting. If the stomach was burdened with too much food, even of a simple character, the brain force would be called to the aid of the digestive organs. There is a benumbed sensation experienced upon the brain. There is an impossibility of keeping the eyes open. The very truths which should be heard, understood and practised by them, they lose entirely through indisposition, or because the brain is almost paralysed in consequence of the amount of food taken into the stomach. RH JUL.19,1870

Tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcohol we must present as sinful indulgences. We cannot place on the same ground, meat, eggs, butter, cheese and such articles placed upon the table. These are not to be borne in front, as the burden of our work. The former--tea, coffee, tobacco, beer, wine, and all spirituous liquors--are not to be taken moderately, but discarded. The poisonous narcotics are not to be treated in the same way as the subject of eggs, butter, and cheese. In the beginning animal food was not designed to be the diet of man. We have every evidence that the flesh of dead animals is dangerous because of disease that is fast becoming universal, because of the curse resting more heavily in consequence of the habits and crimes of man. We are to present the truth. We are to be guarded how to use reason and select those articles of food that will make the very best blood and keep the blood in an unfevered condition.--Manuscript 5, 1881. RH JUN.25,1859

The question whether we shall eat butter, meat, or cheese is not to be presented to any one as a test, but we are to educate and to show the evils of the things that are objectionable. Those who gather up these things and drive them upon others do not know what work they are doing. The Word of God has given tests to His people. The keeping of God's holy law, the Sabbath, is a test, a sign between God and His people throughout their generations forever. Forever this is the burden of the third angel's message--the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. RH JUN.25,1859

Oh my soul, how it has hurt me to have the blocks thrown in the way in regard to myself. They will tell you that Sister White did this, or Sister White did that,--for instance, "Sister White ate cheese, and so we are all at liberty to eat cheese." Who told them that I ate cheese? I never have cheese on my table. There was one time when I was at Minneapolis, one or two times I tasted it, but that is a different thing from making it a diet, entirely a different thing. I have tasted of very bitter herbs on special occasions, but I would not make a diet of them. But there was a special occasion in Minneapolis where I could get nothing else, and there were some small bits of cheese on the table, and my brethren were there, and one of them had told me that if I would eat a little of that it would change my condition, and I did. I took a bit of that cheese, and I do not think I touched it again the second time. SPM 169

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