One question that invariably comes up when one is learning about the Church is that of the Word of Wisdom. In 1833, Joseph Smith received a revelation that coffee, tea, alcohol and other strong drinks are not good for man’s use, and that tobacco was also not healthy. The revelation also contained such advice as to eat meat sparingly except for during the winter or when there was little else to be had, relying instead on grains, fruits, and vegetables. The revelation was at first given as a suggestion, but during Brigham Young’s presidency, it was made a commandment.
What does that mean for Mormons today?
We don’t drink any form of alcohol or smoke. We don’t drink tea or take any form of recreational drugs. In order to be baptized into the church, one must give up these things.
Why?
In the first place, these are substances that are addictive, and part of becoming Godlike is to overcome our addictions. As being like God is our ultimate goal, it only makes sense that we would work on denying ourselves of former addictions.
Second, these substances truly are bad for us. We’ve all seen pictures of people with black lungs from smoking, heard stories about alcoholism and drunk driving, and heard how livers can be destroyed by alcohol. At the time Joseph Smith received this revelation, medicine had not yet discovered the negative effects of these substances on the body, but the Lord knew and He was helping to prepare His people.
Third, many of these substances cause the user to act without thought, losing control of themselves. We believe that we must be in control of our actions so we can make proper choices and be accountable for them.
There are certain gray areas that we must define for ourselves. Caffeine is such a topic. While the Church has made no definite statement against caffeine, it has enough of an altering affect on the mood as to cause some concern, and has been linked to heart disease. I quote from the Priesthood Bulletin of February 1972 (volume 8, number 1), “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.”
We also need to be smart when it comes to reading the phrase, “All things in moderation,” which is contained in the revelation. Right now I’m suffering from the affects of some Ben and Jerry’s, not eaten in moderation.
Some may think that living the Word of Wisdom is too restrictive. However, it’s really a ticket to better health. The Lord wants us to be healthy, and so He outlined a way to help us achieve that goal. I don’t consider it restrictive – I consider it a blessing.
Related Blogs:
The Physical Laws in Spirituality
Finding Energy while Following the Word of Wisdom