Word of Wisdom


Brenton
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The Word of Wisdom was being discussed by me and a few others in the chat sometime earlier, I and I assume some others, were a little confused about it's details. I think I've found something which helps to sum it up.

The revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith uses the following words to define and advise against the use of harmful substances and beverages:

"Strong drinks (meaning alcoholic or other harmful beverages) are not for the belly." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:7)

"Tobacco is not for the body...and is not good for man." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:8)

"Hot drinks [meaning black tea and coffee] are not for the body." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:9)

The Word of Wisdom not only admonishes against the use of harmful substances, but it also describes those foods which are good for man:

"All wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

"Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof;

"Flesh … of beasts and of the fowls of the air...are to be used sparingly;

"All grain is ordained for the use of man...to be the staff of life...

"All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:10–12, 14, 16)

The Word of Wisdom is a law and a principle with promise. When men and women obey the provisions of the law, they receive the blessings associated with those provisions. However, if they do not obey, there will be both temporal and spiritual consequences.

Source: Word of Wisdom - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion - MormonWiki

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If you read between the lines in the scriptures, you can see that anything in excess can be a violation of the Word of Wisdom. This almost assuredly includes overeating, I see so many Church memebrs who are in need of a healthy lifestyle change to one of sensible dietary habits. Many of us somehow rationalize that since we abstain from the "vices' in society that it's OK to indulge by making two or three trips to the food table at a pot luck supper.

Even the thought of getting out of balance can be a violation of the WoW to some degree - if one spends all their free time walking and exercising and forgets about scripture study, that is an unsafe course.

The Lord wants us to strive to find that elusive balance in our lives, the Word of Wisdom can help us get there.

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What I am wondering is, it says "eat meat sparingly, used only in times of winter, or cold or famine."

What that is saying to me is that we should all be pretty much vegitarians unless we are starving, or in rough winter times. So are people following the Word of Wisdom who eat meat with every meal, or 2 meals a day? I know lots of people that go to interviews with their Bishops and answer yes to the question are you following the Word of Wisdom, when in acuality they are not.

So what are your takes on this?

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Very true, but that is not nessesarily following the WoW, now is it? We should either follow it or not. We do not have the right to pick and choose which part we will follow, this is a comandment from the Lord, not a "if you feel like it, do some part of it"....

Edited by Mykdiver
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Very true, but that is not nessesarily following the WoW, now is it? We should either follow it or not. We do not have the right to pick and choose which part we will follow, this is a comandment from the Lord, not a "if you feel like it, do some part of it"....

that is just the part that is drilled into our heads as kids, and i think all of us would prefer to have the oppurtunity to eat more unprocessed whole grain and healthier foods.....but you just can't get that in a drive thru....lol

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The Word of Wisdom was being discussed by me and a few others in the chat sometime earlier, I and I assume some others, were a little confused about it's details. I think I've found something which helps to sum it up.

The revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith uses the following words to define and advise against the use of harmful substances and beverages:

"Strong drinks (meaning alcoholic or other harmful beverages) are not for the belly." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:7)

"Tobacco is not for the body...and is not good for man." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:8)

"Hot drinks [meaning black tea and coffee] are not for the body." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:9)

The Word of Wisdom not only admonishes against the use of harmful substances, but it also describes those foods which are good for man:

"All wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

"Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof;

"Flesh … of beasts and of the fowls of the air...are to be used sparingly;

"All grain is ordained for the use of man...to be the staff of life...

"All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine." (Doctrine and Covenants 89:10–12, 14, 16)

The Word of Wisdom is a law and a principle with promise. When men and women obey the provisions of the law, they receive the blessings associated with those provisions. However, if they do not obey, there will be both temporal and spiritual consequences.

Source: Word of Wisdom - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion - MormonWiki

It is my understanding that those that have difficulty grasping either the letter of the law in the Word of Wisdom or accomodating the spirit of the law of the Word of Wisdom will have great difficulty being a Saint or even associating with the Saints.

The Traveler

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Mykdiver, I agree but I was seeing judgments made here about how poorly others do it but I do it much better.

Not the way I see we should be obeying commandments. I always remember the thought "Not to judge until you have walked a mile in their shoes". I just choose not to judge how well others live the gospel who are trying to or how hard they are trying.

Ben Raines

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I hope that I have not come across like that. I am just putting out what I think we should all be doing. I am deffinatly not perfect. This came up because my wife and I were discussing the WoW and we were talking about the meat thing. We came to a desision to become mostly vegetarian so that we might be following the WoW. I hope I did not come across like I was being judgmental. Sorry if I did.

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What I am wondering is, it says "eat meat sparingly, used only in times of winter, or cold or famine."

What that is saying to me is that we should all be pretty much vegitarians unless we are starving, or in rough winter times. So are people following the Word of Wisdom who eat meat with every meal, or 2 meals a day? I know lots of people that go to interviews with their Bishops and answer yes to the question are you following the Word of Wisdom, when in acuality they are not.

So what are your takes on this?

The "meat thing" is an interesting question. Some years ago a Sacramento (I believe) doctor wrote a diet book based on the Word of Wisdom. He had had a severe heart attack and then gone through the process of finding what "diet" would serve his purose of finding cardiac health. Anyway, after trying the raw food diet (fruits, vegetables and juices only). This was too extreme for him so he lived the WoW "To the tee". He went vegan (possibly some dairy, I don't remember). He gave church historical evidence that Brigham Young, Lorenzo Snow, Wilford Woodruff, and others had taken up a vegetarian lifestyle. If I can hunt said book down I will give author and title. It's in a box somewhere. On an additional note Brigham Young once said that if people say it's wrong to eat meat then they are wrong. So I guess it's up to our own conscience at this moment in time.

By the way, the Caymans are a wonderful place to spend some time Ben. Wish I could go back. Maybe in a year or two.

O43

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The "meat thing" is an interesting question.O43

i may just be poking at this one, but i don't see how it could be that interesting. doesn't it say exactly what should be understood about meat? that it should be eaten sparingly? how does it define sparingly? "...only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine." D and C 89:13. are we/you all eating it ONLY in times or winter, or cold, or famine?

just a side note about how i understand 'of winter, or of cold', i think that's history. back in the 1800's it was hard to grow crops in the winter or during cold spells, so once the food storages were empty, eating meat was ok for survival. just my thoughts.

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The WoW doesn't say we shouldn't eat meat at all. It mentions sparingly. Does it say we should all turn to being vegetarians? I don't think so. But if avoiding meat is right for you then by all means do it. The key word to me is sparingly.

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12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;

13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

What this is saying is not that you should eat meat sparingly -- in times of winter, etc.--but that people should eat meat sparingly at all times, and not just during the winter, cold or famine.

Also, although the WOW does not touch on being overweight--not big-boned--or out of shape--not exercising regularly--is it generally excepted as such. If a member who has eaten himself into 300+ lbs sinning as much as someone who is smoking, drinking, etc.?

What do you think?

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