Joseph Smith and Herbal Medicine by John Heinerman

I have been asked to give my opinion of a book.

Joseph Smith and Herbal Medicine
by John Heinerman

I have read this book and found it to be interesting. Following are some of my thoughts about it.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints it was interesting to see the authors beliefs about statements made by and about Joseph Smith regarding herbs.

My first reaction was that this man (the author) tends to fall into the same trap that many LDS people fall into when they are excited about a particular subject. They try to compare what they are so excited about, with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They then make the leap of saying that since there are many similarities (in their view) then this thing they have discovered must be true, like the gospel is true.

Mr. Heinerman makes this analogy, and concludes that therefore, herbalism (as taught by Samuel Thomson) must be the only true form of medicine. This is just plain silly. Thomson was not and is not a prophet of God.

He then goes on to use quotes from third parties and definitions from dictionaries to prove that the prophet, Joseph Smith, felt the same way that he does about it.

There are of course other definitions of herbs that would not be so much to the author's liking. So, of course, he didn't mention them.

I very much enjoyed the history contained in the book (I've always been fascinated with history). However, I noted that most of the points the author is trying to make are made by people who were not leaders of the church, and more importantly were not prophets. The actual quotes of prophets are few and far between, and commentary before and after the quotes assumes things that are not contained in the quotes.

I personally do like the use of herbs in certain contexts, and usually think of herbalism as much preferable to most modern drugs. However, herbs are very much like drugs, and must be used with great caution and knowledge and skill.

In my opionion, a much better understanding of the mentions of herbs found in the scriptures, and particularly "The Word of Wisdom", is to use vegetables as food, and let good food be your medicine. Many herbalists would agree that that is true.

In my studies I have also found that many herbalists of the day have followed a mistaken path, much like the mistaken path that the medical profession has fallen into. They process and extract substances from herbs to make medicines.

I would encourage those who are interested in learning to use herbs as medicines, to study adaptogens. Adaptogens are herbs that help to balance the systems of the body. This is very important, because all health in the human body is all about balance.

Let me give you an example to help you to understand what I'm talking about.

Golden seal is an herb that will cause a rise in white blood cell count. It is not an adaptogen.
Echinacea is an herb that will cause a rise in white blood cell count if your body needs it, but can cause a decrease in white blood cell count if your body needs that. It is an adaptogen.

So, you can see that the great thing about adaptogens is that they are safe, and not just stimulants, or depressants.

It is estimated that only about 1 in 300 herbs is an adaptogen. But there are plenty of them to help to balance every system of the body.

OK, back to the book.

I also thought it a little funny that the author only considered mormons to be "peculiar" on account of their medical thinking. That is very strange to me. And I would also have to ask him, if the gospel is to fill the whole earth, doesn't there have to come a time when we are not thought of as "peculiar"?

The list of herbs at the end of the book can be useful, but again, they must be used very carefully and cautiously. Most of the herbs he lists are not adaptogens, and require great care and skill.

Another little note about using herbs. Even the balance of adaptogens is destroyed if they are processed to much or in wrong ways. Many professional herbalists don't even seem to realize that using alcohol to make tinctures destroys their adaptogenic properties.

In my opinion, whole foods are still the best way to go.

I do love the use of many herbs, like : cinnamon, turmeric, oregano, garlic and cayenne.
I also encourage the use of whole herbs known as vegetables. Eat them fresh and raw, or lightly steamed.

I do agree with the author that most people today rely much too heavily on modern medicine, and not enough on common sense, and belief in what God has told us through his prophets.

However, when the Lord gave "The Word of Wisdom" to the prophet, he was not talking to botanists, or herbalist on their level of understanding. He was talking to people who knew and understood basic agriculture and farming. It was to be understood from that perspective of knowing the basics of feeding and caring for a family through day to day living. Growing crops, and taking care of livestock was what most of the saints knew. "The Word of Wisdom" is about living a healthy lifestyle, not about how to doctor the sick.

Well, there you have my take on the book. Interesting history, but off the mark with it's evangelical herbalism.