A Word of Wisdom

When most of us think of a word of wisdom, we think of wise advice. In financial planning it may be, “Buy low, sell high.” “Spend less than you make.” “Tithe 10%, save 10% for retirement, save 10% for emergencies, and live on what’s left.” In woodworking it may be, “Measure twice, cut once.” Words of wisdom may come in the form of a proverb, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy and wise.” Ben Franklin is credited with saying, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” It may come as an old wives’ tale, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

In short, when we think of a word of wisdom, we think of advice from a professional, a tip from a craftsman, a proverb, or an old wives’ tale. When you ask a Mormon what the Word of Wisdom is, you will learn about dietary laws that lead to salvation.

We learn about the Word of Wisdom in the Doctrines and Covenants (D&C): “A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion – To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days.” (D&C 89:1-2)

It is the word “salvation” that I want to focus on. But, before we do, let me explain what the Word of Wisdom is, according to the Latter Day Saints: “That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.” (D&C 89:5)

“And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.” (D&C 89:8)

“And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.” (D&C 89:9)

“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;” (D&C 89:12)

The next few verses in the Doctrines and Covenants talk about things that are good for you. It promises that by obeying these dietary habits, you will be healthier.

Now, I am going to do something I rarely do and agree with Mormon Doctrine – but, that is, only to a point. Who would argue that avoiding alcohol is not a good thing? I know I drink too much coffee and have to work very hard to limit it to a cup or two in the morning. We all eat too much red meat, and tobacco is known to cause cancer. My grandfather died of lung cancer after smoking for over 50 years. So, on a physical level, I agree; but, on a spiritual level they have gone astray! “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. Amen.” (D&C 89:21)

So what do they mean? For the answer to this question, let’s look at The Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 2, Joseph Fielding Smith. On page 15, Joseph Fielding Smith points out that not all Latter-Day Saints will be saved. He encourages them to the end. Then on pages 16 and 17, he makes the following statements:

“SALVATION AND A CUP OF TEA. You cannot neglect little things. ‘Oh, a cup of tea is such a little thing. It is so little; surely it doesn’t amount to much; surely the Lord will forgive me if I drink a cup of tea.’ Yes, he will forgive you, because he is going to forgive every man who repents; but, my brethren, if you drink coffee or tea, or take tobacco, are you letting a cup of tea or a little tobacco stand in the road and bar you from the celestial kingdom of God, where you might otherwise have received a fullness of glory? ‘Oh, it is such a little thing, and the Lord will forgive us.’ Well, there is not anything that is little in the way of sinning. There is not anything that is little in this world in the aggregate. One cup of tea, then it is another cup of tea, and when you get them all together, they are not so little.”

“LITTLE SINS WILL KEEP US FROM SALVATION. But a little water in the carburetor was such a little thing, just a few drops, but they were in the road and they stopped the progress and nearly cost me reaching that train. Suppose we call that train salvation, could you afford to let a little thing like that stand between you and your salvation?.... God is not going to save every man and woman in the celestial kingdom. If you want to get there, and you have failings; if you are committing sins; if you are breaking the commandments of the Lord, and you know it; it is a good time right now to repent and reform, and not get the idea that it is such a little thing that the Lord will forgive you; just a few stripes, just a little punishment and we will be forgiven; for you may find yourselves cast out, if you insist and persist in such a course.”

Joseph Fielding Smith is making a clear point here about the Word of Wisdom – if you don’t keep the Word of Wisdom; that is, if you drink tea and coffee, you will not make it to the “celestial kingdom.” This then becomes a works-based salvation. If I am disciplined and stop drinking coffee and tea, I will make it. If I am weak and can’t avoid coffee and tea, I won’t (we’ll leave the discussion of the “celestial kingdom” for another day, another article).

In closing, let me share the biblical contrast to the Mormon Word of Wisdom. Listen to Jesus Christ himself in Mark 7:13-23: “¹³Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. ¹⁴And when He had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, Hearken unto Me every one of you, and understand: ¹⁵There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. ¹⁶If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. ¹⁷And when He was entered into the house from the people, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. ¹⁸And He saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; ¹⁹Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? ²⁰And He said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. ²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: ²³All these evil things come from within and defile the man.”

It’s all about the heart, not the body. In this passage, Christ is addressing four things. First, the traditions of man: in short, God said He does not care about our traditions. A similar passage is Isaiah 1, where through the prophet Isaiah, God tells Judah He doesn’t want their sacrifices, He wants their lives. Second, the food we eat does not defile our spirit. Again, a similar passage would be Acts 10:11-16, where Peter has a vision of a sheet with all the animals that are good to eat (animals that to Peter would have been considered unclean). In short, God removed all Old Testament dietary laws. Third, what defiles a man is what comes out of a man: his lustful thoughts become sin. James 1:12-16 tells us that sin is conceived in the lustful minds of man; and left unchecked, it gives birth to acts of sin. It is sin that brings forth death. Sin is what comes out of a man. Fourth and finally, it is all about the heart! Romans 10:9-10 says it best: “⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Witnessing Point: Next time you sit down with a Mormon friend, ask them to explain the Word of Wisdom. Then ask them my favorite question, “If Joseph Smith and Jesus disagree on something, who is right?” Even Mormons will say Jesus over Joseph Smith – then just take them to Mark 7:13-23. Allow this to open the door to the plan of salvation. Explain to them, God does not care what they eat or drink, He cares only that they have come by faith alone to the one who died on the cross for their sins – Jesus Christ – paid in full!

Douglas K. Hollen attends Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and takes the Gospel of Christ to Mormons in an effort to bring them to Christ. He is available to speak at your church or small Bible study group about Mormonism by contacting him at (314) 691-5418.