Section 89 of the
Doctrine and Covenants discusses some of the things we should and
shouldn't take into our bodies. Of course, the Lord did not warn us
about all food and drink, but he did give us enough information to help
us see the picture he is giving us, thus enabling us to wisely use our
own desecration on things not mentioned. That Section of the Doctrine
and Covenants, known as the Word of Wisdom, contains the Lord's guidance about things meant for the "body and belly".
Given as a Warning
Before
we discuss in detail the things we should and shouldn't take into our
bodies, let us understand why the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom.
Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation— (D&C 89:4)
The
Lord didn't say he was giving us a dietary guide of good nutritional
health. He said that in the "last days" people would have "evils and
designs" in their hearts and that he was giving us this revelation as a warning
that people would conspire to both change our food and drink and change
our use of food and drink. Traditionally, Latter-day Saints have
interpreted the Word of Wisdom as a nutritional guide (I use that
interpretation in this series of posts). We must remember that the Word
of Wisdom was given as a warning, and our interpretation of the Word of
Wisdom as a nutritional guide must be tempered by the fact that there
may be other foods and drinks that weren't mentioned in the revelation
that have high nutritional value and still others that may be harmful to
us. If we heed this warning from the Lord, we will be guided in making
our decisions about food and drink.
Details of the Warning
Now
that we understand that the Word of Wisdom is a warning, let us look at
the revelation in more detail. The Word of Wisdom mentions some of the
things we should take into our bodies: All grains, especially wheat. All
fruits in their season (a general term to denote both fruits and
vegetables as we think of those things). Meat is to be used in
moderation and is especially useful during times when food is scarce or
the weather is cold.
When the
Word of Wisdom was given in 1833, it was not given as a commandment but
was given as a statement declaring the will of God concerning our our
temporal salvation, that is, our bodies and minds.
To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—
At
a later time, prophets of the church did make it a commandment. Today,
in order to receive the full blessings of membership in the church, one
must live the Word of Wisdom by abstaining from the consumption of
alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee. Section 89 does not mention tea or
coffee but refers to "hot drinks", a phrase that was in common use in
1833. That phrase is interpreted by the General Authorities to mean
tea and coffee.
Some people
ask about the use of soft drinks that contain caffeine. Section 89 does
not mention caffeine, so we don't know if caffeine is the reason hot
drinks are forbidden. In addition, Section 89 does not mention soft
drinks. The lack of mention of caffeine and soft drinks in the Word of
Wisdom means that we are free to make our own decisions about those
things. Section 89 does not give a list of all things that are harmful
to our bodies. It gives examples
of things that are harmful, and we, as Saints, are expected to make
intelligent and wise decisions about other things that might be
consumed. I am glad the church does not use Section 89 as a list of all
things that are harmful to us. First, it would be impossible to have a
list of all harmful objects, since new chemicals are being invented or
discovered that potentially could be harmful to us. A list of all
things would always be in a state of expansion and would thus be
difficult to be enforced as church law. Second, by expecting a list of
all things, it is likely we would become like the Pharisees of old,
following the letter of the law and ignoring the spirit of the law.
The Word of
Wisdom does not mention harmful and/or addictive drugs. The church
counsels us to not use such drugs, except as prescribed by competent
physicians. Some members consider harmful/addictive drugs as part of
the Word of Wisdom, while other members consider them as a separate law
of the Lord.
Some people
take a narrow approach to religion, that religion concerns our
relationship with deity. They think it strange that a religion is
concerned with our physical health. I agree with them that it is
different for a religion to be concerned with our physical health. To
us, our religion is not just a system of theology and belief. Our
religion is a way of life and concerns our belief in faith and prayer,
the health of our bodies, our mind as we study and learn, and our
relationships with each other.
Blessings Received
I would like
to finish this post about the Word of Wisdom on a positive note by
listing the blessings that will come to those who heed God's warning
and obey him in the care of their bodies
And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. (D&C 89:18-21)
Evil Designs of Men
As an example, a recent report shows that tobacco industry officials manipulated data about the dangers of additives to tobacco.
A new UCSF analysis of tobacco industry documents shows that Philip Morris USA manipulated data on the effects of additives in cigarettes, including menthol, obscuring actual toxicity levels and increasing the risk of heart, cancer and other diseases for smokers.
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