The "Word
of Wisdom" is the common name of a section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book considered by
many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to consist of revelations from God. It is also the name of a health
code based on this scripture, practiced most strictly by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS
Church) and Mormon fundamentalists, and to a lesser extent, some
other Latter Day Saint denominations. In the LDS Church,
compliance with the Word of Wisdom is currently a prerequisite for baptism, service
in full-time
missionary work, attendance at church schools, and entry into the church's temples;
however, violation of the code is not considered to be grounds for excommunication or
other disciplinary
action.
The text
discourages "strong drink" and wine (in some cases this
includes sacramental wine which has been replaced with
sacramental water in some sects), the non-medicinal use of tobacco, "hot
drinks", and meat used more
than "sparingly". The scripture also recommends the consumption of
herbs, fruits, and grains, as well as grain-based "mild drinks". As
practiced by the LDS Church, there is no firm restriction relating to meat consumption, but
all alcoholic
beverages are forbidden, including beer. The LDS Church
interprets "hot drinks" to mean coffee and tea.
According to Joseph Smith, the
founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, the Word of Wisdom was
received in 1833 as a revelation from God. After Smith's death, Brigham Youngstated
that the revelation was given in response to problems encountered while
conducting meetings in the Smith family home:
When they assembled
together in this room after breakfast, the first they did was to light their
pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit
all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew
of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet [Joseph Smith] entered
the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of
tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so
filthy a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the
Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the revelation
known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiry.
The Word of Wisdom
was first published as a stand-alone broadsheet in December 1833. In 1835, it
was included as section 89 in the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Word of Wisdom
revelation
The revelation
contains four parts:
1.
an introduction;
2.
a list of
substances that should not be ingested, including wine, strong drink, tobacco and
"hot drinks";
3.
a list of foods
that should be used, some with certain limitations; and
4.
a divine promise to
those who follow the guidelines.
Introduction
The introduction
and explanation as presented by Smith is:
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— 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— Given
for a principle with a promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the
weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints. 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—
Prohibitions
Among the
substances which the revelation indicates should not be ingested, the first is
"wine or strong drink", which the revelation says should not be
drunk. (An exception is allowed for the use of "pure wine of your own
make" as part of the sacrament ordinance, though the LDS Church today uses
water in place of wine.) The revelation also advises against the consumption of
tobacco and "hot drinks".
The Word of Wisdom
revelation also suggests proper uses for some prohibited substances. While
"strong drinks" are not to be ingested, they are appropriate when
used "for the washing of your bodies"; likewise, while human
ingestion of tobacco is forbidden, tobacco is said to be "an herb for
bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill."
Prescriptions
The list of foods
and substances which the revelation encourages includes "wholesome herbs
[and] every fruit in the season thereof" and "that which
yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground." It also
prescribes the use of "all grain", which is described as "the
staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field." Barley and
other grains are
recommended for use in making "mild drinks".
The "beasts of
the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on
the earth" may be used as food "sparingly" and "with
thanksgiving".
The revelation
states that it is pleasing to God if these recommendations are not used,
"only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine" and times of
"excess of hunger".
Divine promise
The Word of Wisdom
states that it comprises a "principle with promise". The promise
given to those who followed the advice of the word of wisdom is as follows:
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 shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. 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.
Application by Joseph
Smith
Originally, abiding
by the recommendations and prohibitions of the Word of Wisdom was not
considered mandatory: it explicitly declares itself to be "not by
commandment or constraint". In February 1834, however, Joseph Smith
proposed a resolution before the high council of the church that stated, "No
official member in this Church is worthy to hold an office after having the
word of wisdom properly taught him; and he, the official member, neglecting to
comply with and obey it." This resolution was accepted unanimously by
the council.
In 1842, Smith's
brother Hyrum,
who was the Assistant President of the Church and its presiding
patriarch, provided an interpretation of the Word of Wisdom's
proscription of "hot drinks":
And again "hot
drinks are not for the body, or belly;" there are many who wonder what
this can mean; whether it refers to tea, or coffee, or not. I say it does refer
to tea, and coffee.
According to a book
written by LDS missionary and hymnographer Joel H. Johnson in
1881, Joseph Smith shared Hyrum's interpretation:
I understand that
some of the people are excusing themselves in using tea and coffee, because the
Lord only said "hot drinks" in the revelation of the Word of Wisdom
.... Tea and coffee ... are what the Lord meant when He said "hot
drinks".
The charge of
"not observing the Word of Wisdom" was one of five leveled
against David
Whitmer on April 13, 1838, which led to his excommunication. Nevertheless,
contemporary records indicate that Joseph Smith was not, himself, a strict
observer. Smith is recorded at various times as drinking
tea, beer, and wine. There is a report he also smoked tobacco:
according to Amasa
Lyman, a member of the First Presidency under
Smith, Smith once finished preaching a sermon on the Word of Wisdom and
immediately afterward rode through the streets smoking a cigar. According
to Lyman, this was just one of many instances in which Smith "tried the
faith of the Saints ... by his peculiarities." (One modern commentator has
suggested that this may have been done by Smith to ensure that his followers'
faith was based on the Latter Day Saint religion and not on Smith's personality
or leadership.)
On August 19,
1835, Almon
W. Babbitt was brought before the church's high council on three charges. On the charge of
"not keeping the Word of Wisdom", Babbitt stated "that he had
taken the liberty to break the Word of Wisdom, from the example of President
Joseph Smith, Jun., and others, but acknowledged that it was wrong."
In 1838, Smith was
operating a hotel/tavern in Far
West, Missouri. In June 1838, the high council of Far West felt
compelled to remind Smith's family that there was a ban on the sale and
consumption of "ardent spirits in the place".
Interpretation by
leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Emphasized by Brigham
Young
After Smith's
death, several factions emerged from the Latter Day Saint movement. The largest
of these groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS
Church), was led by Brigham
Young. At a general conference of the church held on
September 9, 1851, Young called on the attendees to "leave off the use
of" items mentioned in the Word of Wisdom:
The
Patriarch [John Smith] again rose to speak on the Word of
Wisdom, and urging on the brethren to leave off using tobacco, &c.
President Young
rose to put the motion and called on all the sisters who will leave off the use
of tea, coffee, &c., to manifest it by raising the right hand; seconded and
carried.
And then put the
following motion; calling on all the boys [sic] who were under ninety years of age
who would covenant to leave off the use of tobacco, whisky, and all things
mentioned in the Word of Wisdom, to manifest it in the same manner, which was
carried unanimously."
The Patriarch then
said, may the Lord bless you and help you to keep all your covenants. Amen.
President
Young amongst other things said he knew the goodness of the people, and the
Lord bears with our weakness; we must serve the Lord, and those who go with me
will keep the Word of Wisdom, and if the High Priests, the Seventies, the
Elders, and others will not serve the Lord, we will sever them from the Church.
I will draw the line, and know who is for the Lord and who is not, and those
who will not keep the Word of Wisdom, I will cut off from the Church; I throw
out a challenge to all men and women.
Though Young
encouraged Mormons to follow the Word of Wisdom code, the church was tolerant
of those who did not follow it. In 1860, he counseled those chewing tobacco in
church meetings to at least be discreet and not excessive, but did not charge
users with sin. By 1870, however, he ended the practice of chewing and
spitting tobacco in the Salt
Lake Tabernacle.
Young also
recognized a separation between using tobacco (which was discouraged), and selling
it to non-Mormons as a business (which was encouraged). He also owned and
maintained a bar in
Salt Lake City for the sale of alcoholic beverages to non-Mormon travelers, on
the theory that it was better for LDS Church authorities to run such
establishments than for outsiders.
Meat
The Word of Wisdom
states that "flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air ... are to
be used sparingly", and that "it is pleasing unto [God] that they
should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine." Unlike
the injunctions against tobacco, alcohol, and hot drinks, however, compliance
with this injunction has never been made mandatory.
Many LDS Church
leaders have expressed their views on the subject of meat. In 1868, church president Brigham Young counseled,
"Flesh should be used sparingly, in famine and in cold." In
1868, apostle George
Q. Cannon said, "We are told that flesh of any kind is not
suitable to man in the summer time, and ought to be eaten sparingly in the
winter." From 1897 to 1901, apostle and then church president Lorenzo Snow repeatedly
emphasized the importance of eating meat sparingly, teaching that church
members should refrain from eating meat except in case of dire necessity, and
that this should be seen in light of Smith's teaching that animals have
spirits. In 1895, Snow stated, "Unless famine or extreme cold is upon
us we should refrain from the use of meat." Apostle George Teasdale taught
the same thing, and held that eating pork was a more serious breach of the
Word of Wisdom than drinking tea or coffee. When Joseph F. Smith succeeded
Snow as president of the church in 1901, he preached regularly against the
"unnecessary destruction of life", and emphasized kindness to animals
and the important stewardship humans have toward them .
Despite these
statements, restricting meat consumption was not made an explicit requirement
for worthiness in the LDS Church as the standards for obedience to the Word of
Wisdom were made increasingly central to LDS Church doctrine and practice in
the early 20th century. The increased emphasis on the Word of Wisdom took
place during the presidency of Heber J. Grant, a long-time
enthusiastic promoter of the Word of Wisdom. Although Grant did not make
restricting meat consumption an explicit part of the standard, he continued to
interpret it as part of the counsel in the Word of Wisdom. In the 1937 General
Conference, at 80 years old, Grant said he worked long hours "without
fatigue and without feeling the least injury". He attributed his excellent
health, in part, to eating very little meat.
Since Grant's
presidency, the emphasis on limiting the consumption of meat has lessened, but
there have been some church leaders who have taught on the subject. In a 1948
LDS general conference address, apostle Joseph F. Merrill emphasized
the importance of not eating meat as "freely as many Americans are
doing". In 1950, apostle and plant scientist John A. Widtsoe wrote,
in relation to meat consumption, "they who wish to be well and gain the
promised reward stated in the Word of Wisdom must obey all of the law, not just
part of it as suits their whim or their appetite, or their notion of its
meaning." As recently as 2012, official church spokesperson Michael Otterson stated
"the church has also encouraged limiting meat consumption in favor of
grains, fruits and vegetables.| To this day, the LDS Church's hymnal includes
a hymn with the following lyrics:
That the children
may live long / And be beautiful and strong, / Tea and coffee and tobacco they
despise, / Drink no liquor, and they eat / But a very little meat; / They are
seeking to be great and good and wise.
A student manual
published by the church has suggested that the suggestion that the consumption
of meat be limited to wintertime may to some degree be a historical relic of
the time in which the "Word of Wisdom" was delivered by Smith:
This verse has
caused some to ask if meat should be eaten in the summer. Meat has more
calories than fruits and vegetables, which some individuals may need fewer of
in summer than winter. Also, before fruits and vegetables could be preserved,
people often did not have enough other food to eat in winter. Spoiled meat can
be fatal if eaten, and in former times meat spoiled more readily in summer than
winter. Modern methods of refrigeration now make it possible to preserve meat
in any season. The key word with respect to the use of meat is sparingly.
Beer
The Word of Wisdom
states in part,
16.
All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that
which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
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.
The revelation
suggests that barley-based mild drinks (such as beer) may be permissible. As recently as
1901, apostles Brigham
Young, Jr. and John Henry Smith argued
that the revelation did not prohibit beer. However, LDS Church leaders now
teach that consumption of any form of alcohol, including beer, violates the
Word of Wisdom.
Refined grain
products
In a pamphlet
written in 1930 called The Word of Wisdom, apostle John A. Widtsoe taught
that refined flour was contrary to the Word of Wisdom. The church,
however, has never prohibited the use of refined flour.
Standards of
adherence
Adherence to the
proscriptions of the Word of Wisdom was not made a requirement for entry into
LDS Church temples until
1902. However, even then, church president Joseph F. Smith encouraged stake presidents to
be liberal with old men who used tobacco and old ladies who drank tea. Of
those who violated the revelation, it was mainly habitual drunkards that were
excluded from the temple. Around the turn of the century, the
proscriptions of the Word of Wisdom were not strictly adhered to by such
notable church leaders. Anthon H. Lund, a
First Counselor in the First Presidency, drank beer and wine; apostle Matthias
F. Cowley drank beer and wine; Charles
W. Penrose, who also served as a First Counselor in the First
Presidency, drank wine; Relief Society general
president Emmeline
B. Wells drank coffee; and church president George
Albert Smith drank brandy for
medicinal purposes. In 1921, church president Heber J. Grant made
adherence to the proscriptions of the Word of Wisdom an absolute requirement
for entering the temple.
Today, adherence to
the proscriptions of the Word of Wisdom is required for baptism and for
entry into temples of the LDS Church. BYU
historian Thomas
G. Alexander points out that while the original Word of Wisdom
as a "principle with promise" was given by revelation, there is no
evidence that any church leader has claimed a separate new revelation, or even
a spiritual confirmation, of changing the Word of Wisdom from "a principle
with promise" to a commandment.
Official modern
interpretation
The church's
official statement on the interpretation of the Word of Wisdom is short: it
reaffirms the long-standing meaning of "hot drinks" and extends the
substances covered by prohibition:
The
only official interpretation of "hot drinks" (D&C 89:9) in the
Word of Wisdom is the statement made by early Church leaders that the term
"hot drinks" means tea and coffee.
Members
should not use any substance that contains illegal drugs. Nor should members
use harmful or habit-forming substances except under the care of a competent
physician.
Although avoiding
the prohibitions of the Word of Wisdom is a requirement for admission to LDS
Church temples, violation of the Word of Wisdom no longer
results in church
discipline, as it once did; the church instructs its leaders
that church discipline "should not be [used] to discipline or threaten
members who do not comply with the Word of Wisdom."
LDS Church leaders
have counseled church members that they should not have personal
interpretations of, or become extreme in their observance of the Word of
Wisdom. One church leader specifically warned that adding additional
unauthorized requirements, emphasizing it with excess zeal, or making it a
"gospel hobby" is a sign of spiritual immaturity and sometimes
apostasy.
Popular application
Alcohol
The prohibition of
"wine or strong drink" is widely interpreted as a blanket prohibition
of all alcoholic
beverages, regardless of the level of alcoholic content of the drink.
Hot drinks
Generally, members
of the church view the prohibition on "hot drinks" as covering coffee and tea, whether or not
the drinks are hot. There is generally thought to be no prohibition
against herbal
tea; hot
chocolate; coffee substitutes such
as Postum; or malt drinks such as Ovaltine or Milo. Other
members choose to prohibit themselves from drinking any beverage that
contains caffeine.
Cola and other
caffeinated beverages
A longstanding
issue among members of the church is whether it is permissible to ingest drinks
containing caffeine that
are not coffee or tea. In 1918, Frederick J. Pack, a
Latter-day Saint professor at the University
of Utah, published an article in an official church magazine in
which he reasoned that because Coca-Cola contained caffeine, which is
also present in tea and coffee, Latter-day Saints should abstain from Coca-Cola
in the same way that they abstain from the Word of Wisdom "hot
drinks". Since Pack's article, many Latter-day Saints have come to
believe that the reason tea and coffee are proscribed is the presence of
caffeine in the drinks. However, the church has never stated that this is the
reason for the prohibition:
The church does not
have an official position on the consumption of caffeinated beverages, apart
from the general statement that the Word of Wisdom does not specifically
mention it. In 2012, in response to a report on Mormonism on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams, which claimed
that LDS faithful were prohibited from drinking caffeine, the church wrote:
Despite what was
reported, the Church revelation spelling out health practices (Doctrine and
Covenants 89) does not mention the use of caffeine. The Church’s health
guidelines prohibits alcoholic drinks, smoking or chewing of tobacco, and
"hot drinks"—taught by Church leaders to refer specifically to tea
and coffee.
In the past, a
number of church leaders have discouraged the use of such products. For
example, in 1922, church president Heber J. Grant counseled
the Latter-day Saints:
I am not going to
give any command, but I will ask it as a personal, individual favor to me, to
let coca-cola [sic] alone.
There are plenty of other things you can get at the soda fountains without
drinking that which is injurious. The Lord does not want you to use any drug
that creates an appetite for itself.
Two years after
making this statement, Grant met with a representative of The Coca-Cola Company to discuss the church's
position on Coca-Cola; at the conclusion of their second meeting, Grant stated
that he was "sure I have not the slightest desire to recommend that the
people leave Coca-Cola alone if th[e] amount [of caffeine in Coca-Cola] is
absolutely harmless, which they claim it is." Grant never again spoke
out against the use of cola drinks.
Approximately fifty
years later, the church issued an official statement which stated:
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. Any beverage that
contains ingredients harmful to the body should be avoided.
Because of such
statements, some adherents believe that caffeine is officially prohibited under
the Word of Wisdom. In the mid-1950's, the director of the food services
for Brigham Young University, a college owned by the LDS
Church, decided not to sell caffeine on campus. This changed in September 2017
when the current director of BYU Dining Services announced that caffeinated
beverages would be sold on campus. Wright said this was the result of a change
in customer preferences. Official church publications have occasionally
published articles by medical practitioners that warn of the health risks of
consuming caffeine. However, in November 2010, the Salt Lake Tribune noted
that in the 2010 church Handbook, which sets out the
official position of the church on health and social issues, no position on
drinking Coca-Cola or caffeinated drinks is included. The Salt Lake
Tribune concluded that the church "takes no official position on
caffeine".
Other areas
Speculation also
exists concerning the use of alcohol as
a cooking ingredient or the use of decaffeinated coffee
or tea. The LDS Church has taken no official stance on either.
Health studies
regarding Latter-day Saints
A 14-year selective
study conducted by UCLA epidemiologist James
E. Enstrom tracked the health of 10,000 moderately active LDS Church members
in California and
ended in 1987. Of these non-smoking, monogamous non-drinkers,
Enstrom concluded from the study "that LDS Church members who follow
religious mandates barring smoking and drinking have one of the lowest death
rates from cancer and cardiovascular diseases—about half that of the general
population. ... Moreover, the healthiest LDS Church members enjoy a life
expectancy eight to eleven years longer than that of the general white
population in the United States." The standardized mortality ratios (SMRs)
for whites in the general population is defined as 100. For males in the study,
the SMRs "are 47 for all cancers, 52 for cardiovascular diseases, and 47
for all causes; the SMRs for females are 72 for all cancers, 64 for
cardiovascular diseases, and 66 for all causes." For LDS high priests who exercised, had proper sleep,
and never smoked cigarettes, the mortality rate was less. The results were
largely duplicated in a separate study of an LDS-like subgroup of white
non-smoking churchgoers in Alameda County, California.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_Wisdom
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