It points the way and gives us ample instruction in regard to both food and drink, good for the body and also detrimental. Alcohol is a valuable cleansing agent for wounds and abrasions. In order to receive a fulness of joy, we must strive to be clean and pure, both in mind and in body. 1 A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—, 2 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—. Often, the other parts of D&C 89 are not specifically addressed, or are only superficially addressed. Any reasonable reader would understand that to be the pla… Mormon, Word of Wisdom, Doctrine and Covenants 89, meat, punctuation, comma. We will learn by this faithful observance that the promises of the Lord are fulfilled.” (Improvement Era, Feb. 1956, pp. 78–79.). Keeping the Word of Wisdom is a part of that worthiness. Prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 88:77–80, 118, 122–127; the historical accounts given in this lesson; and Doctrine and Covenants 89. Doctrine and Covenants 89:5–7 122 Jesus promised great blessings to those who obey the Word of Wisdom. “Drink brings cruelty into the home; it walks arm in arm with poverty; its companions are disease and plague; it puts chastity to flight; and it knows neither honesty nor fair dealing; it is a total stranger to truth; it drowns conscience; it is the bodyguard of evil; it curses all who touch it. “All grain is good” and is ordained to be the “staff of life.” (verses 14, 16). Generally most Latter-day Saints have also read the full text of D&C 89. Doctrine and Covenants Lesson #22 "The Word of Wisdom: 'A Principle with Promise'" The revelation named the Word of Wisdom was given in 1833 in Kirtland, Ohio. A. J. Schaffer points out that there is a higher premature birthrate among children whose mothers smoke than among nonsmokers, and that the mortality rate of these premature births was higher among offspring of smokers than of nonsmokers. Self-control is developed. 7 And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. Obedience to the Word of Wisdom, keeping the “temple of God” undefiled (1 Corinthians 3:16), invites the Holy Ghost to help us resist the temptations of the world. The Word of Wisdom Doctrine and Covenants Section 89 Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833. But there is a far more important kind of knowledge with which Latter-day Saints are also concerned. Obedience to these basic tenets of the Word of Wisdom is expected of every Church member, and is requisite for entering an Latter-day Saint temples and serving in leadership positions. 17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain. Obedience is the condition on which all blessings are predicated (see D&C 130:20–21). There is a good deal of evidence, according to A. R. Lindesmith and A. I. Strauss, that in general, nonsmokers are more prone to be ‘steady and dependable, hard workers, with stable marriages,’ and that they have statistically less difficulty with marriage than do smokers. President George Albert Smith pointed to a literal fulfillment of the promise of great treasures of knowledge: “I refer you to the February, 1944, number of The Improvement Era wherein was published a graph showing the relative position of the states of the Union as to the number of scientists born in those states in proportion to population. Individuals who struggle with addictions may not succeed in quitting all at once but can be helped by family, health professionals, medication, fasting, prayer, and priesthood blessings. What is 1830? Privacy Policy and Disclaimer. 3 Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints. Provo, Utah 84604, Contact Jane Birch Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. Some of the temporal benefits resulting from obedience to the Word of Wisdom are better health and vitality, strength, and endurance (see Brigham Young’s promise in Journal of Discourses, 12:156); greater strength to avoid such physical sins as unchastity (see Grant, Gospel Standards, p. 55); a savings in money not spent on harmful substances (see Grant, Gospel Standards, pp. 50–52); and greater resistance to many of the diseases that attack the body. An official statement by the Church’s leaders reads: “With reference to cola drinks, the Church has never officially taken a position on this matter, but the leaders of the Church have advised, and we do now specifically advise, against the use of any drink containing harmful habit-forming drugs under circumstances that would result in acquiring the habit. Word of Wisdom Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Their minds will also be healthier, and they will receive wisdom and treasures of knowledge. This is not the intent, but any grain or fruit is out of season no matter what part of the year it may be, if it is unfit for use. To men some of these commandments may be temporal, but they are spiritual to the Lord because they all have a bearing on the spiritual or eternal welfare of mankind.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:383.) Section 89. . If we live the Word of Wisdom, we keep ourselves pure before the Lord, who can then bestow all His blessings both in this world and in the world to come. Although the Word of Wisdom was received on 27 February 1833, its acceptance by individual members of the Church was gradual. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Clearly, meat is permitted [see D&C 42:18]. One Latter-day Saint physician noted the effects of tobacco on the body: “Time and time again the medical and psychological sciences have brought forth evidence which points toward the destructive nature of the cigarette. 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