Debunking the 'Drama of the Comma' and Why Meat “All the Time, Sparingly” Makes No Sense

What if the entire way we read the Word of Wisdom about eating meat came down to… one comma?

In this episode of Eat Meat Sparingly, Ali Essig takes you deep into the so-called “Drama of the Comma”—a hotly debated punctuation mark that some use to justify eating meat regularly. Ali breaks down where this comma came from, how it changed the meaning of Doctrine & Covenants 89, and why the “all the time, sparingly” argument doesn’t hold up.

You’ll also hear:

• Why “sparingly” and “all the time” are a paradox.

• What Hyrum Smith (Joseph’s brother) actually taught about eating meat.

• The deeper symbolism of grain as the staff of life—and how it points directly to Christ as the Bread of Life.

• Why keto and carnivore diets might bring short-term results, but don’t align with the long-term wisdom in scripture or nutrition science.

• How justification and cognitive dissonance creep in when our diets don’t match our beliefs.

Whether you’ve wrestled with how to interpret the Word of Wisdom or just want to understand the connection between scripture, health, and modern diet fads—this episode will leave you thinking differently about what God really meant when He said to eat meat “sparingly.”

00:00 Introduction and Upcoming Event

00:50 The Drama of the Comma: Misconceptions About Eating Meat

02:02 Analyzing Bruce Porter's Perspective

05:50 Nutritional Insights: Protein Sources

12:00 Hiram Smith's Interpretation

15:29 The Role of Grain in the Word of Wisdom

25:10 Long-term Health Implications of Diet Choices

28:54 Conclusion and Call to Action