Law of the Word of Wisdom
Wednesday October 10, 2007
We strongly believe in keeping our bodies and minds healthy. To help us do so we follow the Word of Wisdom (found in Doctrine and Covenants 89) which is that we will not use or intake tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, or harmful drugs. This law also instructs us on the good foods and substances we should use. In return the Lord promises us the following:"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;Visit the Health and Word of Wisdom category to learn more.
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" (D&C 89:18-21)
(Photo: Public Domain, Agricultural Research Service)
I want you to know that I am amazed at your site. Your doing a wonderful job. I admire you and your insite. I am inspired by you. Thank you
Thank you Sue for your compliments. It’s always great to hear from site visitors and know they have enjoyed the site and found it useful!
I don’t understand where the prohibition of coffee, caffeine, etc. came from. According to the quotes from Joseph Smith, only “hot drinks” is listed. Is there an easy explanation for this?
Thanks.
Ginger,
Thank you for your comment and question. Prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have only stated that “hot drinks” means tea and coffee. Other than that there isn’t an official explanation detailing which exact substances are or aren’t okay. I’ve updated my FAQ article regarding
Herbal Teas with a section at the bottom that clarifies how the Word of Wisdom is a personal commandment which I’d suggest you read.
Dear Mormon Friends:
Greetings-
I am impressed with your zeal for what you believe to be the truth regarding God and His Son, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.
The sad thing is that the Kingdom of God is not one of what one does/does not eat, drink (to drink coffee or not to drink coffee?), etc.,
It is about being declared righteous by God on the basis of the Salvation He Himself has provided, and that is only through the blood shed for us all, on Calvary’s Cross by His Only Begotten Son, Jesus.
If justification (i.e., being declared righteous)could be obtained by abstaining from the drinking of hot/cold liquids that contain caffeine (for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God-Romans 3:23), then why would God allow His Only Begotten Son to be nailed to a cross in full payment our sins?
The truth is that we human beings are so prideful and arrogant that we want to take the credit for our own righteousness. That is why so many work oriented religions like Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness,etc., are attractive to so many of us. That is because essentially we like to “justify” ourselves before God and others. In short, we feeling good about ourselves-even if it means rejecting God’s own Salvation, found ONLY in Jesus Christ.
In closing, I know it is very painful to read these words but,
when you get down to it. Human nature is corrupt and full of self-centeredness. That is why God in His Love for our sin sick world set Jesus to die and pay the price for us all. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Amen!
Dear M. Palmer,
Thank you for sharing your heartfelt testimony with us. While there are differences in many of us in this life, we are able to celebrate and hold fast to the one true God and his son, Jesus Christ, and know that we speak of salvation. Our guidance in this life is meant for our own health, well-being, and cleansing of our bodies for the sake of long life and good service while here on earth. Again, I thank you for taking the time to visit and comment on this site. I feel that Rachel does a great job of explaining things and making our commitments to what we believe clear and concise. Thank you for sharing your beliefs, too.
Respectfully,
A friend in Christ
Thank you Rachel for your entry.
I have to say that obeying the word of wisdom has helped me to keep mybody more healthy.I understand M.Palmer comment about Jesus Christ which is only through him that we can return to live with God one day, in the other hand one of the promisses of the word of wisdom is that the Spirit of God will be with us to guide us and by having any substances in our body, we will not be very receptive to the spirit and receive guidiance from God. Thanks again for your comments.
Thank you M.Palmer, I believe too that the Atonement of Christ was for all mankind, but it is up to the individual to apply the atonement of Christ in their lives by living righteously to the best of our ability. I believe that my body is a temple of God, it belonging to Him so I believe that the Word of Wisdom is guidlines to helping me respect and maintain this temple the best way I can, it is the least I can do. I love hearing you acknowledge the love that the Saviour and Heavenly Father have to give us the opportunity to return to live with them.Thanks to Karla and Betsy aswell for their comments.