Word of Wisdom-The Commandment and the Principle

 

The Word of Wisdom was originally given “greeting; not by commandment or constraint” (D&C 89:2). Later the Word of Wisdom became a requirement to receive a temple recommend. That change took about 88 years. What transpired during that time that changed the way the Word of Wisdom was viewed and practiced? Why was this acceptable to the Lord? 

As was mentioned previously, being sent greeting suggests that the Lord was excitedly sharing with the saints this principle which was necessary for temporal (and therefore spiritual) salvation. He clearly stated at that time that he was not commanding or forcing the saints to follow the revelation. Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve suggested that because the saints in the early days of the church were in difficult environment, the Lord did not command them to follow the Word of Wisdom. He stated, “In those frontier settlements food was usually plentiful but seldom of the best variety. Meat predominated; grains were usually available; vegetables and fruits were scarce. For stimulation, resort was often made to home-brewed alcoholic beverages, though there was little or no drunkenness; to tobacco, mostly for chewing; and to tea and coffee. These substances were commonly and freely used when available” (The Lord’s People Blessed by Temporal Law, Roy W. Doxey).

In addition, the United States at that time was a heavy drinking nation. Consuming alcohol was extremely common world wide in the 1830s, but especially so in America. Originally it was used because clean drinking water was not readily available. Later, after the American Revolution, grain farmers began making their grain into whiskey because it was easier to ship and sell than the actual grains. This resulted in Americans of all ages everywhere drinking hard liquor daily. By 1830 American consumption of distilled spirits was around seven gallons a year per person, which is the highest alcohol consumption has ever been in American history (Church History Library, Revelations in Context, Word of Wisdom). Because of this issue the American Temperance Society was organized in 1826 and temperance societies spread across the United States. In 1833 even Kirtland had its own temperance society (Church History Library, Revelations in Context, Word of Wisdom). Alcohol consumption was being recognized as an issue in the United States, which may have also contributed to Joseph Smith asking what the will of the Lord was on this matter, though ultimately it was tobacco use that prompted revelation.

Because the saints were living in a time when alcohol was so common it is likely that it would have been difficult for many of them to give it up immediately, whether because of circumstance or addiction. In 1913 Joseph F. Smith explained that, “The reason undoubtedly why the Word of Wisdom was given—as not by ‘commandment or constraint’ was that at that time, at least, if it had been given as a commandment it would have brought every man, addicted to the use of these noxious things, under condemnation; so the Lord was merciful and gave them a chance to overcome before he brought them under the law” (The Lord’s People Blessed by Temporal Law, Roy W. Doxey). Clearly the Lord is merciful to his children and desirers to help them succeed in following his commandments.

Despite the Word of Wisdom not being a commandment Brigham Young admonished the saints to follow its teachings. He stated, “Why not govern and control the appetite, that it may be subject to the law of Christ? But how is it? Why, ‘I must have some tobacco, if I am damned for it.’ Or, ‘I must have a cup of tea, if I am damned for it.’ Or, ‘I must have this or that, if I should have to go to hell for it.’ It is like saying to our Heavenly Father, ‘I will not mind you, I will not obey your commandments, but I will have my own way and follow the bent of my own inclinations; my appetite shall be nursed and pampered, though it be at the expense of your displeasure.’ Instead of pursuing this course, listen to that Spirit God has given to all, which teaches the right and how to avoid the wrong, and say to appetite, to disposition, to temper, to the whole man, you must do as I command you; I am an officer, a general in the army of Christ and I will be obeyed” (The Lord’s People Blessed by Temporal Law, Roy W. Doxey italics added for emphasis). While Brigham Young encouraged the saints to follow the Word of Wisdom it was not until Heber J. Grant became prophet that it began to be emphasized to the extent it is today.

President Grant was especially motivated to stress the importance the Word of Wisdom to the saints because he had seen first hand the ramifications of not following its principles. He describes watching a friend give up smoking to serve a mission only to begin again as soon as he returned. Smoking lead to drinking alcohol, which lead to immorality, which lead to excommunication from the church and ultimately an early death. He recalls standing at this friend’s grave and looking “up to heaving and [making] a pledge to my God that liquor and tobacco would have in me an enemy who would fight with all the ability that God would give me until the day of my death” (Teachings of Heber J. Grant, Chapter 21: Observing the Word of Wisdom).

President Grant did just that and preached numerous sermons on the Word of Wisdom, so much so people were reported to complain about it and ask that he please speak of something else. His response was, “No mortal man who is a Latter-day Saint and is keeping the Word of Wisdom is ever sick and tired of hearing it.  When a man leaves a meeting and says…’Can’t they find something else to talk about besides the Word of Wisdom; I am sick and tired of it’-of course he is, because he is full of stuff that the Word of Wisdom tells him to leave alone” (Teachings of Heber J. Grant, Chapter 21: Observing the Word of Wisdom). In 1921 President Grant made it clear that in order to obtain a temple recommend members of the LDS church must follow the Word of Wisdom and by 1933 those guidelines were included in the General Handbook of Instructions for the church (From Principle to Requirement, Thomas G. Alexander).

Because of events that took place while Heber J. Grant was prophet the don’ts of the Word of Wisdom have become a hallmark of Mormons. Following the Word of Wisdom is necessary to obtain a temple recommend, making it a commandment through the voice of one of God’s prophets. However, the do’s of the Word of Wisdom have never prophetically been declared a commandment and remain a principle. Many have tried to elaborate on what the do’s of the Word of Wisdom mean and even past prophets have from time to time emphasized the importance of eating little meat (From Principle to Requirement, Thomas G. Alexander). At one point John A. Widtsoe, an apostle, even wrote a book called The Word of Wisdom which spoke against refined grains and coke-a-cola. However, that book was not an inspired book and President Grant stated that “the actual teachings in the Word of Wisdom would hardly justify the conclusions drawn” (From Principle to Requirement, Thomas G. Alexander).

As I have studied the Word of Wisdom from the perspective of a dietitian I feel that the do’s have remained a principle for a few reasons. First, I feel that God has given us our body as a temple for our spirit and he has also given us our agency. He will not force us to care for that gift and by limiting our agency. However, he will protect his own temple from the effects of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by not allowing those who enter here to partake of them. Hence the commandment part of the Word of Wisdom necessary for a temple recommend and the principle shared in D&C.

Second, I feel that each person’s body has unique needs and therefore a blanket statement cannot be made for what each person should do to keep their own body healthy. For example, individuals have allergies and food intolerances, different access to types and amounts of food, and disease can strike mortal bodies. For example a diabetic cannot eat all the grain they would like, a person with kidney failure cannot not eat large quantities of vegetables without risking heart attack, a person with PKU cannot tolerate all types protein, and a person with intestinal disorders may be limited in the types foods they can eat, etc.

Third, I feel that God has given us stewardship over our body and wants us to develop that stewardship. He has gladly given us the principles we need and told us the promised blessings that will come if we follow those principles. He has left it to us to study it out in our minds and seek answers as to how we need to follow that principle. Part of the beauty of the principle of the Word of Wisdom is it is so simple to take care of our bodies. Unbelievably simple, devoid of diets, super foods, complicated workouts, and rigorous rules. However, the magnitude of following such a simple principle is staggering. The more I have learned about nutrition while studying the Word of Wisdom the more I am in awe of how well orchestrated God’s plan is and the more my testimony grows of small and simple things bringing about great things.

As a dietitian I wish members of the church did a little more “search, ponder and pray” about the Word of Wisdom and really studied it out for themselves (keep in mind my job is to try and help people having some serious negative consequences of not taking care of their body and it gets to you after a while). But then again, that often leads to fringe rules of the Pharisee and the Sadducee variety. But the basic principles that can be applied to everyone are simple and require that we take care of our body for our benefit both physically and spiritually. It is a principle with a promise that was so perfectly written for our day and I challenge you to think about what you can do to benefit from having this knowledge.

Word of Wisdom-Introduction

            When we talk about the Word of Wisdom we speak primarily of no alcohol, tobacco, tea, or coffee. This makes sense. After all, inquiring about the tobacco use of members of the School of the Prophets in the winter of 1833 is what prompted the revelation (Our Heritage, p 25). Sure, there are those fringe interpretations; that family who won’t drink hot chocolate, the never ending debate on caffeine, or that vegan family who feels they are truly following the Word of Wisdom, but we can all agree on no alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco or drugs. In fact, we are known for that aspect of the Word of Wisdom around the world (BYU has been ranked as the number one stone cold sober school in the Princeton Review since 1997 and I think its safe to say we’ve been unchallenged for the title (Salt Lake Tribune, Aug 4, 2014)).

AHEAD OF ITS TIME

            One of the marvels of the Word of Wisdom has been that it “contained information about health that was not known to the medical or scientific world at the time” (Our Heritage, p 25) but which have since been proven to be correct. As a dietitian, health and nutrition are obviously of interest to me (you don’t go into dietetics for the pay, I can tell you that). Two years ago, after sitting through a Relief Society lesson on the Word of Wisdom which started out with “I don’t want to offend anyone, but…” and turned into a heated discussion ranging from sugar, to drugs, to vegetarianism I started thinking about the Word of Wisdom from a dietetics perspective.

All of a sudden I realized that I had, in my possession, a prophetic document that answered the question every dietitian wants to know: What is the optimal diet for the health of human kind? If you aren’t familiar with the current world of nutrition you might think this question has already been answered. However, if you take a look at the diet industry with its hundreds of diets, then look at all the books random doctors have written on diet, then listen to the difference in recommendations from a dietitian to a nutritionist (not to mention the ever changing health recommendations in general), then for good measure look up some YouTube videos done by Joe Blow down the street you will soon feel the significance of this question. Everyone eats and therefore, EVERYONE has an opinion about diet. More often than not the logic behind recommendations seems to be, “Well, this has worked for me so it must be right,” whether it comes from Joe Blow or your doctor. Dietitians come in toting the banner of “evidence based practice” only to have that evidence change on them every decade or so, leaving the public frustrated and mistrusting. Needless to say, suddenly realizing that I had the health code, from GOD, the maker of our bodies, was a big deal.

WHY DON’T WE DO THE DO’S?

No tobacco, alcohol, and drugs is a no brainer at this point (well, for most people…) and even coffee is being recognized as an unhealthy habit by many. Tea is really the only thing mentioned that is not generally recognized as unhealthy, or at least something that should be consumed in moderation. But what about the things we should do? What does the Word of Wisdom tell us and how does that line up with what current evidence supports? I have spent the last two years trying to answer that question from the perspective of a dietitian.

The first question that I wanted answered, as a dietitian, was why do Mormons have this awesome health code and not follow it? Sure, it is a temple recommend question, and we all follow the major don’ts of the Word of Wisdom, but what about he do's? To answer this question I wanted to look at the introduction to the Word of Wisdom.

INTRODUCTION TO THE WORD OF WISDOM

The introduction is the first three verses which were “originally written as an inspired introduction and description” by Joseph Smith (D&C 89 section heading).

First verse. The Word of Wisdom was given to benefit three groups of people. 1) The council of high priests 2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and 3) The saints in Zion or the members of the church. Basically I take from it that it’s a good thing that can benefit a lot of people (sorry, no epiphanies from the first verse).

Second verse. Epiphany alert!* I was wondering what on earth it meant “to be sent greeting” (D&C 89:2) so I decided to look up that word in the 1828 dictionary which is available online. Greeting: Addressing with kind wishes or expressions of joy; complimenting; congratulating; saluting. Obviously I’m not God and I don’t want to be putting words in his mouth, but when I read verse two with this definition in mind it changed the meaning of the whole verse significantly. “To be sent [with kind wishes and joy, complimenting and congratulating]; not by commandment or constraint**, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God…” I took this to mean that God was not going to force us to follow this council, but that he was excited to share with us this wisdom and let us do with it as we will; he is not going to force us to take care of our bodies. He is excited that Emma and Joseph took thought to ask when they observed something that did not seem wholesome to them and he is willing, excited even, to share  “the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days” (D&C 89:2).

TEMPORAL VS SPIRITUAL SALVATION

But what is temporal salvation? I thought “that all things unto [Christ] are spiritual, and not at any time [had he] given unto [man] a law which was temporal” (D&C 29:34). Joseph F. Smith explained more about temporal salvation saying, “You must continue to bear in mind that the temporal and spiritual are blended. They are not separate. One cannot be carried on without the other, so long as we are here in mortality” (Principles of Temporal Salvation, Marion G. Romney). This principle was directly related to spiritual confidence by Elder Jörg Klebingat in the 2014 October General Conference. He stated that in order to have spiritual confidence we must take responsibility for our physical well-being. He went on to explain that “Feeding the spirit while neglecting the body, which is a temple, usually leads to spiritual dissonance and lowered self-esteem. If you are out of shape, if you are uncomfortable in your own body and can do something about it, then do it! Elder Russell M. Nelson has taught that we should ‘regard our body as a temple of our very own’ and that we should ‘control our diet and exercise for physical fitness.’ President Boyd K. Packer has taught ‘that our spirit and our body are combined in such a way that our body becomes an instrument of our mind and the foundation of our character.’ Therefore, please use good judgment in what and especially how much you eat, and regularly give your body the exercise it needs and deserves. If you are physically able, decide today to be the master of your own house and begin a regular, long-term exercise program, suited to your abilities, combined with a healthier diet ” (October Conference 2014, italics added for emphasis).

I was so excited when I heard this in Conference! It has really bothered me that latter-day saints eat so terribly. Sure, we don’t do the obvious don’ts of the Word of Wisdom, but fatty, greasy, starchy casseroles with a side of suspended sugar (Jell-O), chocolate held together by sugar, butter and eggs (brownies), all topped off with whipped cream or ice cream are all too common. Vegetables? Not really (canned green beans do NOT count as a vegetable in my book. I’m not even sure I’d count them as a food...). Whole grains? Hardly ever (do oatmeal cookies count?). Fruit? Sure, suspended in Jell-O or whipped cream with marshmallows. Meat sparingly? No one is really sure what that means, but I’m pretty sure (based on the fact that BBQ pulled pork sandwiches seem to be the number one main dish at ward functions) we could do better. Please don’t be offended by my frank analysis of the “standard Mormon diet.” My awareness of it has been heightened lately as I’ve been trying to lose postpartum weight at a time of year with lots of LDS church and family functions. Lets just say I’ve been leaving a lot of dinners hungry. But I digress…

As President Romney and Packer and Elders Klebingat and Nelson have so eloquently stated, what we do to our bodies directly impacts our spiritual well being. We cannot say that just because we don’t do drugs, drink alcohol, or coffee and tea that we are taking care of our body. We cannot say that the above mentioned meal is healthy because we are eating it “in moderation” (Really people! Your health does not lie; I know what direction your “moderation” is swinging). And goodness knows if this keeps on being the “standard Mormon diet” we are going to need to really, earnestly be asking that this food “bless and strengthen our body.” We could all do a little better. And I’m not talking about weight loss; I’m talking about healthy eating.

            For the most part, latter-day saints need to be focusing on what the Word of Wisdom is telling us we should do and stop thinking we’ve got this one in the bag because we get 100% on the don’ts. If we focus on the do’s we have been promised that we will “receive health…and...find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge...[and have] the destroying angel pass by” (D&C 89:18-21). But what does following the Word of Wisdom look like in modern terms? That is what I’ve been trying to answer for myself and have recently found amazing scientific evidence to explain it all in modern terms. It makes my dietitian heart happy. 

            Third verse. The Word of Wisdom is a principle given with a promise. It is made suitable for all saints. Even the weak can follow the principles of the Word of Wisdom and have access to its promised blessings.

It is my hope that by sharing what I have studied Mormons can be known not only for following the don’ts of the Word of Wisdom, but also for being faithful followers of the do’s.

*What I consider an epiphany may not qualify as an epiphany to everyone and that is okay

**For more information on why the Word of Wisdom was initially given not as a commandment but later became a commandment check out this awesome article called "The Lord's People Blessed by Temporal Law"