Mormon Beliefs Word Wisdom

What do Mormons believe about the Word of Wisdom?

Mormons believe the physical body is a sacred gift from God. As such, we are to treat it with respect, understanding that Jesus Christ has bought our bodies for a price, through the atonement.  

Mormons believe that we lived in heaven before coming to earth. In this state we were spirit-children of Heavenly Parents; we had no physical bodies. We understood that in order to attain complete eternal joy, we would have to go to earth to receive  physical bodies and be tested. Mormon belief teaches that our bodies are made in the image of the Lord and that the Spirit of the Lord can reside in our bodies when we live worthy of that blessing. The mortal body is corruptible, subject to disease and injury.  It is also the vehicle through which men and women are tempted.  It is also the tabernacle for the spirit, and a dwelling place for the Holy Ghost.  We are to control our human appetites within the bounds the Lord has set.  We are to attune ourselves to the promptings of the Holy Spirit by sanctifying ourselves, body and mind.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, his shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Because the body is such a precious gift, the Lord has given us rules as to the care of the body. Received mostly through modern-day revelation, these rules are taken seriously by Mormons. One specific section of the Doctrine and Covenants—the book of revelations recorded by Joseph Smith and others throughout the early days of the Mormon Church—outlines a superb system for the care of the body. Section 89, otherwise known as the Word of Wisdom, explains that there are certain foods/substances that are good, and others that are not as good, for the body. For example, the use of coffee, black and green tea, tobacco, alcohol, and the various narcotics and illegal drugs is condemned by the Church. Mormons believe that any substance that alters the body or the mind is not condoned by the Lord. When individuals disobey the commandments the Lord has set forth, they lose the freedom and control over their bodies that is such a blessing to each of us.

In addition to the guidelines on the harmful substances, the Word of Wisdom  suggests the use of herbs, meat, fruit, and grain, stating that they are on the earth for man’s benefit and should be used in their proper season.

For further reading:

“The Body is Sacred,” by Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley

“The Scourge of Illicit Drugs,” by Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley

“The Sanctity of the Body,” by Susan W. Tanner

“Ye are the Temple of God,” by Apostle Boyd K. Packer

“Not for the Body,” by Elder Harold G. Hillam

“The Energy Drink Epidemic, by Thomas J. Boud, MD

“Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom: One Doctor’s Observations,” by William T. Stephenson, MD