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The Word of Wisdom (Setting the Record Straight) by Steven C. Harper
Few Doctrines of the Lds Church Are Better known yet less understood than the Word of Wisdom. Setting the Record The Word of Wisdom, authoritatively defines the Word of Wisdom as much more than a simple health code while answering questions about the circumstances that led to its revelation and providing explanations on how it answered both current questions in Joseph Smith's day, and critically important issues in ours. Steven C. Harper Ph.D. tackles the question of Joseph Smith's own adherence to the Word of Wisdom and vividly traces both the consistent and the changing ways it has been taught and applied throughout LDS history.This Book Serves as a Valuable Guide for anyone seeking a better understanding of the Word of Wisdom, how it came to be, how it has been understood and applied historically, and what it means to Latter-day Saints today. Employing a thorough, concise, and engaging style, this volume provides readers with the best analysis of the Word of Wisdom currently available.
- GenresReligionLds Non Fiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 31, 2021
Despite its brevity, this book filled in the blanks about the Word of Wisdom that I didn't even know I had. I found its information satisfying and helpful. After reading it, I am more grateful than ever that I have been privileged to know and understand this principle with a promise throughout my life. I hope I also remain sensitive to and understanding of, those who don't live it.
January 22, 2025
I chose this book as I wanted a quick read that would offer me some insights into some of the history behind this LDS practice. This small volume did just that. Quotes below that I want to continue to ponder and consider, but are likely not of interest to anyone else.
"A seldom noted aspect of stewardship in the Word of Wisdom is the repeated command to use what God has provided 'with thanksgiving'."
"The repeated emphasis is on use, not abuse. God created this earth and its life-sustaining abundance to be used by wise stewards who thankfully acknowledge him, not abused by the ungrateful or gluttonous."
"Maligning Joseph Smith for drinking before the Word of Wisdom is silly and mean."
"Joseph would be puzzled that some people have focused inordinate attention on him and overlooked the Word of Wisdom itself. 'I never told you I was perfect,' Joseph said, 'but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught.' It is not hard to find faults Joseph did not try to hide, but where are the flaws in the prophetic Word of Wisdom?"
"In what must have been a hilarious sermon in April 1861, President Brigham Young distinguished between Saints who did not use tobacco, and Mormons who 'use a vast quantity of it'."
"President Young continued to make his points powerfully but gently. 'A doctor told an old lady in New York, when she insisted upon his telling her whether snuff could injure her brain, "It will not hurt the brain; there is no fear of snuff's hurting the brain of anyone, for no person that has brains will take snuff".'"
"Joseph F. Smith, who had himself struggled with chewing tobacco as a young man, believed that if the Word of Wisdom was strictly enforced in the nineteenth century 'it would have brought every man addicted to the use of these noxious things under condemnation; so the Lord was merciful and gave them a chance to overcome, before he brought them under the law.'"
"It is a living rather than a dead law."
"When God first made man upon the earth, he was a different being entirely to what he is now; his body was strong; athletic, robust, and healthy; his days were prolonged upon the earth; he lived nearly one thousand years, his mind was vigorous and active, and his intellectual faculties clear and comprehensive, but he has become degenerated; his life has dwindled to a span; disease preys upon his system; his body is enervated and feeble, and his mental and intellectual faculties are impaired, and weakened; and man is not now that dignified, noble, majestic, honorable, and mighty being that he was when he first proceeded from the hands of his maker." -Hyrum Smith
"God is only acquainted with the fountain of action, and the main springs of human events; he knows where disease is seated, and what is the cause of it; he is also acquainted with the spring of health." -Hyrum Smith
"God has appointed the word of wisdom as one of the engines to bring about this thing, to remove the beastly appetites, the murderous disposition and the vitiated taste of man; to restore his body to health, and vigor, promote peace between him and the brute creation, and as one of the wheels in God's designs, to help to regulate the great machinery, which shall eventually bring about the restoration of all things." -Hyrum Smith
"Has man grown so much wiser than God that they can are going to instruct him in the path of duty, and to tell him what is wise, and what is foolish?" -Hyrum Smith
"The man who has mortgaged his property, knows that he is relieved from his present embarrassments; but his temporary relief only binds the chords of bondage more severely around him." -Hyrum Smith
"The importation of foreign products might be the means of thousands of people being poisoned at a future time, through the advantage that an enemy might take of us, if we made use of these things that are thus spoken of as being evil; and be it remembered - that this instruction is given 'in consequence of evils that do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men'." -Hyrum Smith
"The Lord has given us ability to do a great many things. What a blessing this is! Do you ever think of it? A man has ability to take the raw materials and build a good, comfortable habitation for the accommodation of himself; his wife, and children. The wife can spread a table with wholesome food, and in a manner pleasant to the eye, while the food is gratifying to the palate. They have the ability to provide, if they choose, downy beds upon which to rest their weary bodies. Do you ever think of this? I presume the greater part of the inhabitants of the earth have lived and died without reflecting much upon whence they derived this ability, to whom they were indebted for the ingenuity they possess, or the capability that is organized within them to gather around them the comforts of life. Do you think of it?" -Brigham Young
"The Lord does not want you to use any drug that creates an appetite for itself." -Heber J. Grant
"From personal experience, President Grant knew that those who obey the Word of Wisdom will not be immune from all sickness and disease. He acknowledged that 'being blessed does not mean that we shall always be spared all the disappointments and difficulties of life'. However, he repeatedly testified that when Latter-Day Saints keep the Word of Wisdom, they receive blessings of health, prosperity, and spiritual strength that they would not be able to receive if they did not obey this law."
"May God help you and me and every Latter-day Saint to observe the Word of Wisdom," President Grant once prayed, "that we may have health and hidden treasures of knowledge, and that God will allow us to live here upon the earth until we have filled out the measure of our creation."
"No man who breaks the Word of Wisdom can gain the same amount of knowledge and intelligence in this world as the man who obeys that law."
"When the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, tells them what is good for them, physically and spiritually, and writes them a letter, they should not neglect to pay any attention to it."
"With the Lord's help, every Latter-day Saint can keep the Word of Wisdom. The Lord has endowed me with no gift, with no power, with no ability, with no talent, but what he will ask me to give an account for it; and he has endowed every man, woman and child among the Latter-day Saints the power and the ability to keep the Word of Wisdom." -Heber J. Grant
"A seldom noted aspect of stewardship in the Word of Wisdom is the repeated command to use what God has provided 'with thanksgiving'."
"The repeated emphasis is on use, not abuse. God created this earth and its life-sustaining abundance to be used by wise stewards who thankfully acknowledge him, not abused by the ungrateful or gluttonous."
"Maligning Joseph Smith for drinking before the Word of Wisdom is silly and mean."
"Joseph would be puzzled that some people have focused inordinate attention on him and overlooked the Word of Wisdom itself. 'I never told you I was perfect,' Joseph said, 'but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught.' It is not hard to find faults Joseph did not try to hide, but where are the flaws in the prophetic Word of Wisdom?"
"In what must have been a hilarious sermon in April 1861, President Brigham Young distinguished between Saints who did not use tobacco, and Mormons who 'use a vast quantity of it'."
"President Young continued to make his points powerfully but gently. 'A doctor told an old lady in New York, when she insisted upon his telling her whether snuff could injure her brain, "It will not hurt the brain; there is no fear of snuff's hurting the brain of anyone, for no person that has brains will take snuff".'"
"Joseph F. Smith, who had himself struggled with chewing tobacco as a young man, believed that if the Word of Wisdom was strictly enforced in the nineteenth century 'it would have brought every man addicted to the use of these noxious things under condemnation; so the Lord was merciful and gave them a chance to overcome, before he brought them under the law.'"
"It is a living rather than a dead law."
"When God first made man upon the earth, he was a different being entirely to what he is now; his body was strong; athletic, robust, and healthy; his days were prolonged upon the earth; he lived nearly one thousand years, his mind was vigorous and active, and his intellectual faculties clear and comprehensive, but he has become degenerated; his life has dwindled to a span; disease preys upon his system; his body is enervated and feeble, and his mental and intellectual faculties are impaired, and weakened; and man is not now that dignified, noble, majestic, honorable, and mighty being that he was when he first proceeded from the hands of his maker." -Hyrum Smith
"God is only acquainted with the fountain of action, and the main springs of human events; he knows where disease is seated, and what is the cause of it; he is also acquainted with the spring of health." -Hyrum Smith
"God has appointed the word of wisdom as one of the engines to bring about this thing, to remove the beastly appetites, the murderous disposition and the vitiated taste of man; to restore his body to health, and vigor, promote peace between him and the brute creation, and as one of the wheels in God's designs, to help to regulate the great machinery, which shall eventually bring about the restoration of all things." -Hyrum Smith
"Has man grown so much wiser than God that they can are going to instruct him in the path of duty, and to tell him what is wise, and what is foolish?" -Hyrum Smith
"The man who has mortgaged his property, knows that he is relieved from his present embarrassments; but his temporary relief only binds the chords of bondage more severely around him." -Hyrum Smith
"The importation of foreign products might be the means of thousands of people being poisoned at a future time, through the advantage that an enemy might take of us, if we made use of these things that are thus spoken of as being evil; and be it remembered - that this instruction is given 'in consequence of evils that do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men'." -Hyrum Smith
"The Lord has given us ability to do a great many things. What a blessing this is! Do you ever think of it? A man has ability to take the raw materials and build a good, comfortable habitation for the accommodation of himself; his wife, and children. The wife can spread a table with wholesome food, and in a manner pleasant to the eye, while the food is gratifying to the palate. They have the ability to provide, if they choose, downy beds upon which to rest their weary bodies. Do you ever think of this? I presume the greater part of the inhabitants of the earth have lived and died without reflecting much upon whence they derived this ability, to whom they were indebted for the ingenuity they possess, or the capability that is organized within them to gather around them the comforts of life. Do you think of it?" -Brigham Young
"The Lord does not want you to use any drug that creates an appetite for itself." -Heber J. Grant
"From personal experience, President Grant knew that those who obey the Word of Wisdom will not be immune from all sickness and disease. He acknowledged that 'being blessed does not mean that we shall always be spared all the disappointments and difficulties of life'. However, he repeatedly testified that when Latter-Day Saints keep the Word of Wisdom, they receive blessings of health, prosperity, and spiritual strength that they would not be able to receive if they did not obey this law."
"May God help you and me and every Latter-day Saint to observe the Word of Wisdom," President Grant once prayed, "that we may have health and hidden treasures of knowledge, and that God will allow us to live here upon the earth until we have filled out the measure of our creation."
"No man who breaks the Word of Wisdom can gain the same amount of knowledge and intelligence in this world as the man who obeys that law."
"When the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, tells them what is good for them, physically and spiritually, and writes them a letter, they should not neglect to pay any attention to it."
"With the Lord's help, every Latter-day Saint can keep the Word of Wisdom. The Lord has endowed me with no gift, with no power, with no ability, with no talent, but what he will ask me to give an account for it; and he has endowed every man, woman and child among the Latter-day Saints the power and the ability to keep the Word of Wisdom." -Heber J. Grant
February 25, 2015
I love these "Setting the Record Straight" books. This one had a nice summary of the history of the Word of Wisdom and its evolution. There's also a timeline at the beginning of society's use of things found in the W.O.W., which was fascinating. I like the emphasis on the blessing not of perfect health but freedom.
January 30, 2025
I loved the historical context for the Word of Wisdom in this book, as well as the progression of general adherence to the law by the Saints.
But what I really loved were the testimonies and straightforward explanations of how the Word of Wisdom, instead of being restrictions, actually helps preserve our agency by helping us stay free of addictions, and helping us maintain vigor of mind and body.
But what I really loved were the testimonies and straightforward explanations of how the Word of Wisdom, instead of being restrictions, actually helps preserve our agency by helping us stay free of addictions, and helping us maintain vigor of mind and body.
July 21, 2021
A through and frank discussion of the content and history of the Word of Wisdom. The three appendices are treasures: Hyrum Smith's talk that establishes hot drinks refers to tea and coffee, Brigham Young's struggles with the Word of Wisdom, and Pres. Grant's quotes on the same.
April 3, 2018
I loved this short book on the history of the Word of Wisdom and how the leaders and members of the church received and chose to love it.
Harper is a great historian and writer.
Harper is a great historian and writer.
January 8, 2011
It was an interesting book. I was looking for something that went more into the ideas within the word of wisdom, and this book was more about the History behind the word of wisdom. I think it is good to know the history, and for that I liked it just fine. But honestly, study the Doctrine and Covenants, specifically Section 89 and you will learn much more.
April 6, 2016
I've been curious for awhile about how and when the LDS Word of Wisdom went from a suggestion to a health code that members must follow to attend the temple. This book was short and sweet (less than 100 pages) and answered all my questions. I will definitely read other titles in the series (this one and others are available at byubookstore.com)
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June 23, 2016PERPECT FROM ATTITUDES
February 2, 2015
Interesting background and history of the Word of Wisdom.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews