Mormon Food Practices

Mormon food practices encompass the religious beliefs, heritage, and culture of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The commands from the prophet Joseph Smith—to be self-reliant, to abstain from imbibing harmful substances, and to store food in case of disaster—all inform LDS attitudes toward food both in religious and everyday life. This entry offers a brief overview of LDS religious history and then segues into how scripture and heritage play into what and how LDS members eat. It concludes with a summary of trends in Mormon cooking today and how they relate to food practices in the United States at large.