What is the word of wisdom

Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to contemplate and act productively using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.^[1] Wisdom is associated with attributes such as unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowledge, self-transcendence and non-attachment,^[2] and virtues such as ethics and benevolence.^[3][4]

Wisdom has been defined in many different ways,^[2][5][3] including several distinct approaches to assess the characteristics attributed to wisdom.^[6][7]

Definitions[edit]

The Oxford English Dictionary defines wisdom as «Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgment in the choice of means and ends; sometimes, less strictly, sound sense, esp. in practical affairs: opp. to folly;» also «Knowledge (esp. of a high or abstruse kind); enlightenment, learning, erudition.»^[8] Charles Haddon Spurgeon defined wisdom as «the right use of knowledge».^[9] Robert I. Sutton and Andrew Hargadon defined the «attitude of wisdom» as «acting with knowledge while doubting what one knows». In social and psychological sciences, several distinct approaches to wisdom exist,^[3] with major advances made in the last two decades with respect to operationalization^[2] and measurement^[7] of wisdom as a psychological construct. Wisdom is the capacity to have foreknowledge of something, to know the consequences (both positive and negative) of all the available course of actions, and to yield or take the options with the most advantage either for present or future implication.^[10]

Mythological perspectives[edit]

The ancient Greeks considered wisdom to be an important virtue, personified as the goddesses Metis and Athena. Metis was the first wife of Zeus, who, according to Hesiod’s Theogony, had devoured her pregnant; Zeus earned the title of Mêtieta («The Wise Counselor») after that, as Metis was the embodiment of wisdom, and he gave birth to Athena, who is said to have sprung from his head.^[11][12] Athena was portrayed as strong, fair, merciful, and chaste.^[13] Apollo was also considered a god of wisdom, designated as the conductor of the Muses (Musagetes),^[14] who were personifications of the sciences and of the inspired and poetic arts; According to Plato in his Cratylus, the name of Apollo could also mean «Ballon» (archer) and «Omopoulon» (unifier of poles [divine and earthly]), since this god was responsible for divine and true inspirations, thus considered an archer who was always right in healing and oracles: «he is an ever-darting archer».^[15] Apollo was considered the god who prophesied through the priestesses (Pythia) in the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), where the aphorism «know thyself» (gnōthi seauton)^[a] was inscribed (part of the wisdom of the Delphic maxims).^[16] He was contrasted with Hermes, who was related to the sciences and technical wisdom, and, in the first centuries after Christ, was associated with Thoth in an Egyptian syncretism, under the name Hermes Trimegistus.^[17] Greek tradition recorded the earliest introducers of wisdom in the Seven Sages of Greece.^[18]

To Socrates and Plato, philosophy was literally the love of wisdom (philo-sophia). This permeates Plato’s dialogue; in The Republic the leaders of his proposed utopia are philosopher kings who understand the Form of the Good and possess the courage to act accordingly. Aristotle, in Metaphysics, defined wisdom as understanding why things are a certain way (causality), which is deeper than merely knowing things are a certain way.^[19] He was the first to make the distinction between phronesis and sophia.^[5]

According to Plato and Xenophon, the Pythia of the Delphic Oracle answered the question «who is the wisest man in Greece?» by stating Socrates was the wisest.^[20][21] According to Plato’s Apology, Socrates decided to investigate the people who might be considered wiser than him, concluding they lacked true knowledge:

[…] οὗτος μὲν οἴεταί τι εἰδέναι οὐκ εἰδώς, ἐγὼ δέ, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐκ οἶδα, οὐδὲ οἴομαι [I am wiser than this man; for neither of us really knows anything fine and good, but this man thinks he knows something when he does not, whereas I, as I do not know anything, do not think I do either.]

— Apology to Socrates 21d

Thus it became popularly immortalized in the phrase «I know that I know nothing» that it is wise to recognize one’s own ignorance^[22] and to value epistemic humility.^[23]

The ancient Romans also valued wisdom which was personified in Minerva, or Pallas. She also represents skillful knowledge and the virtues, especially chastity. Her symbol was the owl which is still a popular representation of wisdom, because it can see in darkness. She was said to be born from Jupiter’s forehead.^[24]

In Buddhist traditions, developing wisdom plays a central role where comprehensive guidance on how to develop wisdom is provided.^[25][26] In the Inuit tradition, developing wisdom was one of the aims of teaching. An Inuit Elder said that a person became wise when they could see what needed to be done and did it successfully without being told what to do.

In many cultures, the name for third molars, which are the last teeth to grow, is etymologically linked with wisdom, e.g., as in the English wisdom tooth. It has its nickname originated from the classical tradition, which in the Hippocratic writings has already been called sóphronistér (in Greek, related to the meaning of moderation or teaching a lesson), and in Latin dens sapientiae (wisdom tooth), since they appear at the age of maturity in late adolescence and early adulthood.^[27]

Educational perspectives[edit]

Public schools in the US have an approach to character education. Eighteenth century thinkers such as Benjamin Franklin, referred to this as training wisdom and virtue. Traditionally, schools share the responsibility to build character and wisdom along with parents and the community.^[28]

Nicholas Maxwell, a contemporary philosopher in the United Kingdom, advocates that academia ought to alter its focus from the acquisition of knowledge to seeking and promoting wisdom.^[29] This he defines as the capacity to realize what is of value in life, for oneself and others.^[30] He teaches that new knowledge and technological know-how increase our power to act. Without wisdom though, Maxwell claims this new knowledge may cause human harm as well as human good. He argues that the pursuit of knowledge is indeed valuable and good, but that it should be considered apart of the broader task of improving wisdom.^[31]

Psychological perspectives[edit]

Psychologists have begun to gather data on commonly held beliefs or folk theories about wisdom.^[32] Initial analyses indicate that although «there is an overlap of the implicit theory of wisdom with intelligence, perceptiveness, spirituality and shrewdness, it is evident that wisdom is an expertise in dealing with difficult questions of life and adaptation to the complex requirements.»^[33]

Such implicit theories stand in contrast to the explicit theories and empirical research on resulting psychological processes underlying wisdom.^[34]
[3] Opinions on the exact psychological definitions of wisdom vary,^[3] but there is some consensus that critical to wisdom are certain meta-cognitive processes affording life reflection and judgment about critical life matters.^[35][2] These processes include recognizing the limits of one’s own knowledge, acknowledging uncertainty and change, attention to context and the bigger picture, and integrating different perspectives of a situation.^[36] Cognitive scientists suggest that wisdom requires coordinating such reasoning processes, as they may provide insightful solutions for managing one’s life.^[37] Notably, such reasoning is both theoretically and empirically distinct from general intelligence. Robert Sternberg^[38] has suggested that wisdom is not to be confused with general (fluid or crystallized) intelligence. In line with this idea, researchers have shown empirically that wise reasoning is distinct from IQ.^[39][40] Several more nuanced characterizations of wisdom are listed below.

Baltes and colleagues in Wisdom: its structure and function in regulating lifespan successful development^[41] defined wisdom as «the ability to deal with the contradictions of a specific situation and to assess the consequences of an action for themselves and for others. It is achieved when in a concrete situation, a balance between intrapersonal, inter- personal and institutional interests can be prepared».^[42] Balance itself appears to be a critical criterion of wisdom. Empirical research started to provide support to this idea, showing that wisdom-related reasoning is associated with achieving balance between intrapersonal and interpersonal interests when facing personal life challenges, and when setting goals for managing interpersonal conflicts.^[7][43]

Researchers in the field of positive psychology have defined wisdom as the coordination of «knowledge and experience» and «its deliberate use to improve well being.»^[44] Under this definition, wisdom is further defined with the following facets:^[45]

• Problem Solving with self-knowledge and sustainable actions.
• Contextual sincerity to the circumstances with knowledge of its negative (or constraints) and positive aspects.
• Value based consistent actions with knowledge of diversity in ethical opinions.
• Tolerance towards uncertainty in life with unconditional acceptance.
• Empathy with oneself to understand one’s own emotions (or to be emotionally oriented), morals…etc. and others feelings including the ability to see oneself as part of a larger whole.

This theoretical model has not been tested empirically, with an exception of a broad link between wisdom-related reasoning and well-being.^[46][47][48]

Grossmann and colleagues have synthesized prior psychological literature, indicating that in the face of ill-defined life situations wisdom involves certain cognitive processes affording unbiased, sound judgment: (i) intellectual humility or recognition of limits of own knowledge; (ii) appreciation of perspectives broader than the issue at hand; (iii) sensitivity to the possibility of change in social relations; and (iv) compromise or integration of different perspectives.^[49][50] Grossmann found that habitual speaking and thinking of oneself in the third person increases these characteristics, which means that such a habit makes a person wiser.^[51] Importantly, Grossmann highlights the fundamental role of contextual factors, including the role of culture, experiences, and social situations for understanding, development, and propensity of showing wisdom, with implications for training and educational practice.^[2][49] This situated account of wisdom ushered a novel phase of wisdom scholarship, using rigorous evidence-based methods to understand contextual factors affording sound judgment. For instance, Grossmann and Kross have identified a phenomenon they called «the Solomon’s paradox» — wiser reflections on other people’s problems as compared to one’s own. It is named after King Solomon, the third leader of the Jewish Kingdom, who has shown a great deal of wisdom when making judgments about other people’s dilemmas but lacked insight when it came to important decisions in his own life.^[52]

Empirical scientists have also begun to focus on the role of emotions in wisdom.^[53] Most researchers would agree that emotions and emotion regulation would be key to effectively managing the kinds of complex and arousing situations that would most call for wisdom. However, much empirical research has focused on the cognitive or meta-cognitive aspects of wisdom, assuming that an ability to reason through difficult situations would be paramount. Thus, although emotions would likely play a role in determining how wisdom plays out in real events and on reflecting on past events, only recently has empirical evidence started to provide robust evidence on how and when different emotions improve or harm a person’s ability to deal wisely with complex events. One notable finding concerns the positive relationship between diversity of emotional experience and wise reasoning, irrespective of emotional intensity.^[54]

Measuring wisdom[edit]

Measurement of wisdom often depends on a researcher’s theoretical position about the nature of wisdom. A major distinction exists between viewing wisdom as a stable personality trait or a context-bound process.^[55] The former approach often capitalizes on single-shot questionnaires. However, recent studies indicate that such single-shot questionnaires produce biased responses,^[7][56] something that is antithetical to the wisdom construct^[57] and neglects the notion that wisdom is best understood in the contexts where it is most relevant, namely, in complex life challenges. In contrast, the latter approach advocates for measuring wisdom-related features of cognition, motivation, and emotion on the level of a specific situation.^[58][55] Use of such state-level measures provides less biased responses as well as greater power in explaining meaningful psychological processes.^[7] Furthermore, a focus on the level of the situation has allowed wisdom researchers to develop a fuller understanding of the role of context itself for producing wisdom.^[55] Specifically, studies have shown evidence of cross-cultural^[59] and within-cultural variability,^[60] and systematic variability in reasoning wisely across contexts^[7][52] and in daily life.^[47]

Many, but not all, studies find that adults’ self-ratings of perspective and wisdom do not depend on age.^[45][61] This belief stands in contrast to the popular notion that wisdom increases with age.^[61] The answer to the question of age–wisdom association depends on how one defines wisdom and the methodological framework used to evaluate theoretical claims. Most recent work suggests that the answer to this question also depends on the degree of experience in a specific domain, with some contexts favoring older adults, others favoring younger adults, and some not differentiating age groups.^[55] Notably, rigorous longitudinal work is necessary to fully unpack the question of age–wisdom relationship, and such work is still outstanding, with most studies relying on cross-sectional observations.^[10]

The Jeste-Thomas Wisdom Index^[62] is based on a 28-question survey (SD-WISE-28) created by researchers at the University of California San Diego to determine how wise a person is. In 2021 Dr. Dilip V. Jeste and his colleages created a much shorter 7-question test (SD-WISE-7) consisting of seven components: acceptance of diverse perspectives, decisiveness, emotional regulation, prosocial behaviors, self-reflection, social advising, and (to a lesser degree) spirituality.^[63]

Sapience[edit]

«Sapience» redirects here. Not to be confused with Sentience.

Sapience (latin), «sophia» (greek) is often defined as «transcendent wisdom», «ultimate reality», or the ultimate truth of things.^[5][4][64] Sapiential perspective of wisdom is said to lie in the heart of every religion, where it is often acquired through intuitive knowing.^[5][4] This type of wisdom is described as going beyond mere practical wisdom and includes self-knowledge, interconnectedness, conditioned origination of mind-states and other deeper understandings of subjective experience.^[25][5][4] This type of wisdom can also lead to the ability of an individual to act with appropriate judgment, a broad understanding of situations and greater appreciation/compassion towards other living beings.^[25]

The word sapience is derived from the Latin sapientia, meaning «wisdom».^[65]
The corresponding verb sapere has the original meaning of «to taste», hence «to perceive, to discern» and «to know»; its present participle sapiens was chosen by Carl Linnaeus for the Latin binomial for the human species, Homo sapiens.

Religious perspectives[edit]

Ancient Near East[edit]

In Mesopotamian religion and mythology, Enki, also known as Ea, was the God of wisdom and intelligence. Divine Wisdom allowed the provident designation of functions and the ordering of the cosmos, and it was achieved by humans in following me-s (in Sumerian, order, rite, righteousness), restoring the balance.^[66] In addition to hymns to Enki or Ea dating from the third millennium BC., there is amongst the clay tablets of Abu Salabikh from 2600 BC, considered as being the oldest dated texts, an «Hymn to Shamash», in which it is recorded written:^[67]

Wide is the courtyard of Shamash night chamber, (just as wide is the womb of) a wise pregnant woman! Sin, his warrior, wise one, heard of the offerings and came down to his fiesta. He is the father of the nation and the father of intelligence

The concept of Logos or manifest word of the divine thought, a concept also present in the philosophy and hymns of Egypt and Ancient Greece^[68] (being central to the thinker Heraclitus), and substantial in the Abrahamic traditions, seems to have been derived from Mesopotamian culture.^[69]

Sia represents the personification of perception and thoughtfulness in the traditional mythology adhered to in Ancient Egypt. Thoth, married to Maat (in ancient Egyptian, meaning order, righteousness, truth), was also important and regarded as a national introducer of wisdom.^[70][68]

Zoroastrianism[edit]

In the Avesta hymns traditionally attributed to Zoroaster, the Gathas, Ahura Mazda means «Lord» (Ahura) and «Wisdom» (Mazda), and it is the central deity who embodies goodness, being also called «Good Thought» (Vohu Manah).^[71] In Zoroastrianism in general, the order of the universe and morals is called Asha (in Avestan, truth, righteousness), which is determined by the designations of this omniscient Thought and also considered a deity emanating from Ahura (Amesha Spenta); it is related to another ahura deity, Spenta Mainyu (active Mentality).^[72] It says in Yazna 31:^[73]

To him shall the best befall, who, as one that knows, speaks to me Right’s truthful word of Welfare and of Immortality; even the Dominion of Mazda which Good Thought shall increase for him. About which he in the beginning thus thought, «let the blessed realms be filled with Light», he it is that by his wisdom created Right.

Hebrew Bible and Judaism[edit]

The word wisdom (חכם) is mentioned 222 times in the Hebrew Bible. It was regarded as one of the highest virtues among the Israelites along with kindness (חסד) and justice (צדק). Both the books of Proverbs and Psalms urge readers to obtain and to increase in wisdom.^{[citation needed]}

In the Hebrew Bible, wisdom is represented by Solomon, who asks God for wisdom in 2 Chronicles 1:10. Much of the Book of Proverbs, which is filled with wise sayings, is attributed to Solomon. In Proverbs 9:10, the fear of the Lord is called the beginning of wisdom. In Proverbs 1:20, there is also reference to wisdom personified in female form, «Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the marketplaces.» In Proverbs 8:22–31, this personified wisdom is described as being present with God before creation began and even taking part in creation itself.

The Talmud teaches that a wise person is a person who can foresee the future. Nolad is a Hebrew word for «future,» but also the Hebrew word for birth, so one rabbinic interpretation of the teaching is that a wise person is one who can foresee the consequences of his/her choices (i.e. can «see the future» that he/she «gives birth» to).^[74]

Hellenistic religion and Gnosticism[edit]

Christian theology[edit]

In Christian theology, «wisdom» (From Hebrew: חכמה transliteration: chokmâh pronounced: khok-maw’, Greek: Sophia, Latin: Sapientia) describes an aspect of God, or the theological concept regarding the wisdom of God.^{[citation needed]}

There is an oppositional element in Christian thought between secular wisdom and Godly wisdom. Paul the Apostle states that worldly wisdom thinks the claims of Christ to be foolishness. However, to those who are «on the path to salvation» Christ represents the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:17–31). Wisdom is considered one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit according to Anglican, Catholic, and Lutheran belief.^[75] 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 gives an alternate list of nine virtues, among which wisdom is one.

The book of Proverbs in the Old Testament of the Bible primarily focuses on wisdom, and was primarily written by one of the wisest kings according to Jewish history, King Solomon. Proverbs is found in the Old Testament section of the Bible and gives direction on how to handle various aspects of life; one’s relationship with God, marriage, dealing with finances, work, friendships and persevering in difficult situations faced in life.^[76]

^[77] According to King Solomon, wisdom is gained from God, «For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding» Proverbs 2:6. And through God’s wise aide, one can have a better life: «He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones» Proverbs 2:7-8. «Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight» Proverbs 3:5-6. Solomon basically states that with the wisdom one receives from God, one will be able to find success and happiness in life.

^[78] There are various verses in Proverbs that contain parallels of what God loves, which is wise, and what God does not love, which is foolish. For example, in the area of good and bad behaviour Proverbs states, «The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves him who pursues righteousness (Proverbs 15:9). In relation to fairness and business it is stated that, «A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight» (Proverbs 11:1; cf. 20:10,23). On the truth it is said, «Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight» (12:22; cf. 6:17,19). These are a few examples of what, according to Solomon, are good and wise in the eyes of God, or bad and foolish, and in doing these good and wise things, one becomes closer to God by living in an honorable and kind manner.

^[77] King Solomon continues his teachings of wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes, which is considered one of the most depressing books of the Bible. Solomon discusses his exploration of the meaning of life and fulfillment, as he speaks of life’s pleasures, work, and materialism, yet concludes that it is all meaningless. «‘Meaningless! Meaningless!» says the Teacher [Solomon]. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’…For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, the more knowledge, the more grief» (Ecclesiastes 1:2,18) Solomon concludes that all life’s pleasures and riches, and even wisdom, mean nothing if there is no relationship with God.

^[79] The book of James, written by the apostle James, is said to be the New Testament version of the book of Proverbs, in that it is another book that discusses wisdom. It reiterates Proverbs message of wisdom coming from God by stating, «If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.» James 1:5. James also explains how wisdom helps one acquire other forms of virtue, «But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.» James 3:17. In addition, through wisdom for living James focuses on using this God-given wisdom to perform acts of service to the less fortunate.

Apart from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and James, other main books of wisdom in the Bible are Job, Psalms, and 1 and 2 Corinthians, which give lessons on gaining and using wisdom through difficult situations.

Indian religions[edit]

In the Indian traditions, wisdom can be called prajña or vijñana.

Developing wisdom is of central importance in Buddhist traditions, where the ultimate aim is often presented as «seeing things as they are» or as gaining a «penetrative understanding of all phenomena», which in turn is described as ultimately leading to the «complete freedom from suffering».^[25][26] In Buddhism, developing wisdom is accomplished through an understanding of what are known as the Four Noble Truths and by following the Noble Eightfold Path.^[25][26] This path lists mindfulness as one of eight required components for cultivating wisdom.^[25]

Buddhist scriptures teach that a wise person is usually endowed with good and maybe bodily conduct, and sometimes good verbal conduct, and good mental conduct.(AN 3:2) A wise person does actions that are unpleasant to do but give good results, and doesn’t do actions that are pleasant to do but give bad results (AN 4:115). Wisdom is the antidote to the self-chosen poison of ignorance. The Buddha has much to say on the subject of wisdom including:

• He who arbitrates a case by force does not thereby become just (established in Dhamma). But the wise man is he who carefully discriminates between right and wrong.^[80]
• He who leads others by nonviolence, righteously and equitably, is indeed a guardian of justice, wise and righteous.^[81]
• One is not wise merely because he talks much. But he who is calm, free from hatred and fear, is verily called a wise man.^[82]
• By quietude alone one does not become a sage (muni) if he is foolish and ignorant. But he who, as if holding a pair of scales, takes the good and shuns the evil, is a wise man; he is indeed a muni by that very reason. He who understands both good and evil as they really are, is called a true sage.^[83]

To recover the original supreme wisdom of self-nature (Buddha-nature or Tathagata) covered by the self-imposed three dusty poisons (the kleshas: greed, anger, ignorance) Buddha taught to his students the threefold training by turning greed into generosity and discipline, anger into kindness and meditation, ignorance into wisdom. As the Sixth Patriarch of Chán Buddhism, Huineng, said in his Platform Sutra, «Mind without dispute is self-nature discipline, mind without disturbance is self-nature meditation, mind without ignorance is self-nature wisdom.» In Mahayana and esoteric Buddhist lineages, Mañjuśrī is considered as an embodiment of Buddha wisdom.

In Hinduism, wisdom is considered a state of mind and soul where a person achieves liberation.

The god of wisdom is Ganesha and the goddess of knowledge is Saraswati.^{[citation needed]}

The Sanskrit verse to attain knowledge is:

असतो मा सद्गमय । Asatō mā sadgamaya
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । tamasō mā jyōtirgamaya
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय । mr̥tyōrmā amr̥taṁ gamaya
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
— Br̥hadāraṇyakopaniṣat 1.3.28

«Lead me from the unreal to the real.

Lead me from darkness to light.

Lead me from death to immortality.

May there be peace, peace, and peace».

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28.

Wisdom in Hinduism is knowing oneself as the truth, basis for the entire Creation, i.e., of Shristi.^{[clarification needed]} In other words, wisdom simply means a person with Self-awareness as the one who witnesses the entire creation in all its facets and forms. Further it means realization that an individual may, through right conduct and right living, come to realize their true relationship with the creation and the Paramatma.^{[citation needed]}

Islam[edit]

The Islamic term for wisdom is hikmah. Prophets of Islam are believed by Muslims to possess high wisdom. The term occurs a number of times in the Quran, notably in Chapter 2:269, Chapter 22:46: as well as Chapter 6:151.

The Sufi philosopher Ibn Arabi considers al-Hakim («The Wise») as one of the names of the Creator.^[84] Wisdom and truth, considered divine attributes, were concepts related and valued in the Islamic sciences and philosophy since their beginnings, and the first Arab philosopher, Al-Kindi says at the beginning of his book:^[85]

We must not be ashamed to admire the truth or to acquire it, from wherever it comes. Even if it should come from far-flung nations and foreign peoples, there is for the student of truth nothing more important than the truth, nor is the truth demeaned or diminished by the one who states or conveys it; no one is demeaned by the truth, rather all are ennobled by it.

Chinese religion[edit]

The Buddhist term Prajñā was translated into Chinese as
智慧 (pinyin zhìhuì, characters 智 «knowledge» and 慧 «bright, intelligent»).

According to the Doctrine of the Mean, Confucius said:

«Love of learning is akin to wisdom. To practice with vigor is akin to humanity. To know to be shameful is akin to courage (zhi, ren, yong.. three of Mengzi’s sprouts of virtue).»^{[citation needed][dubious – discuss]}

Compare this with the Confucian classic Great Learning, which begins with: «The Way of learning to be great consists in manifesting the clear character, loving the people, and abiding in the highest good.» One can clearly see the correlation with the Roman virtue prudence, especially if one interprets «clear character» as «clear conscience». (From Chan’s Sources of Chinese Philosophy).^{[citation needed]}

In Taoism, wisdom is construed as adherence to the Three Treasures (Taoism): charity, simplicity, and humility.^{[citation needed]}
«He who knows other men is discerning [智]; he who knows himself is intelligent [明].» (知人者智，自知者明。Tao Te Ching 33).^[86]

In Chinese Buddhism, the idea of wisdom will however remain closely linked to its Indian equivalent as it appears for instance in certain conceptual continuities that exists between Asanga, Vasubandhu and Xuanzang.^[87]

Others[edit]

In Norse mythology, the god Odin is especially known for his wisdom, often acquired through various hardships and ordeals involving pain and self-sacrifice. In one instance he plucked out an eye and offered it to Mímir, guardian of the well of knowledge and wisdom, in return for a drink from the well.^[88]
In another famous account, Odin hanged himself for nine nights from Yggdrasil, the World Tree that unites all the realms of existence, suffering from hunger and thirst and finally wounding himself with a spear until he gained the knowledge of runes for use in casting powerful magic.^[89] He was also able to acquire the mead of poetry from the giants, a drink of which could grant the power of a scholar or poet, for the benefit of gods and mortals alike.^[88]

In Baháʼí Faith scripture, «The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and the apprehension of His justice and decree.»^[90] Wisdom is seen as a light, that casts away darkness, and «its dictates must be observed under all circumstances».^[91] One may obtain knowledge and wisdom through God, his Word, and his Divine Manifestation and the source of all learning is the knowledge of God.^[92]

In the Star Wars universe, wisdom is valued in the narrative of the films, in which George Lucas figured issues of spirituality and morals, recurrent in mythological and philosophical themes; one of his inspirations was Joseph Campbell’s The Hero of a Thousand Faces.^[93] Master Yoda is generally considered a popular figure of wisdom, evoking the image of an «Oriental Monk»,^[94][95] and he is frequently quoted, analogously to Chinese thinkers or Eastern sages in general.^[96][97][98] Psychologist D. W. Kreger’s book «The Tao of Yoda» adapts the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching in relation to Yoda’s thinking.^[98] Knowledge is canonically considered one of the pillars of the Jedi, which is also cited in the non-canon book The Jedi Path,^[99][100] and wisdom can serve as a tenet for Jediism. The Jedi Code also states: «Ignorance, yet knowledge.»^[101] In a psychology populational study published by Grossmann and team in 2019, master Yoda is considered wiser than Spock, another fictional character (from the Star Trek series), due to his emodiversity trait, which was positively associated to wise reasoning in people:^[102] «Yoda embraces his emotions and aims to achieve a balance between them. Yoda is known to be emotionally expressive, to share a good joke with others, but also to recognize sorrow and his past mistakes».^[103]

Wisdom is learning how to understand, who to be and how to live^[104]

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Liguori, Alphonus (1882). «Sermon V.—Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity: In what true wisdom consists» . Sermons for all the Sundays in the year. Dublin.

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Wisdom at PhilPapers
• Wisdom at the Indiana Philosophy Ontology Project
• Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). «Wisdom». Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
• Center for Practical Wisdom at the University of Chicago

For the Pentecostal usage of this term, see word of wisdom.

The «Word of Wisdom» is the common name of an 1833 section of the Doctrine and Covenants,^[1] a book considered by many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to be a sacred text. The section defines beliefs regarding certain drugs, nutritious ingredients in general, and the counsel to eat meat sparingly; it also offers promises to those who follow the guidance of the Word of Wisdom.^[2]

As practiced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Word of Wisdom explicitly prohibits the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee, and recreational drug use, and encourages healthy practices such as nutritious eating, the sparing use of meat, regular exercise, proper hygiene, and getting sufficient rest.^[2]

Compliance with the Word of Wisdom is necessary in the LDS Church to become a member and to participate in various church functions,^[3][4] however, violation of the code is not normally cause for a church membership council.^[5]

HistoryEdit

Beginnings under Joseph SmithEdit

According to Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, the Word of Wisdom was received on February 27, 1833, as a revelation from God.^[2] The Word of Wisdom was first published as a stand-alone broadsheet in December 1833. In 1835, it was included as Section LXXX^[6] in the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. Brigham Young stated after Smith’s death that the revelation was given in response to problems encountered while conducting meetings in the Smith family home:^[7]

When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet [Joseph Smith] entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiry.

In February 1834, Joseph Smith proposed a resolution before the high council of the church that stated, «No official member in this Church is worthy to hold an office after having the word of wisdom properly taught him; and he, the official member, neglecting to comply with and obey it.»^[8][9][10] This resolution was accepted unanimously by the council.^[8] The charge of «not observing the Word of Wisdom» was later one of five leveled against David Whitmer (who was an apostle, and one of the Three Witnesses) on April 13, 1838, which led to his excommunication.^[11]

Joseph Smith is however recorded at various times drinking wine,^[12] beer,^[13] and tea,^[14] and using tobacco.^[15] One account by Amasa Lyman, a member of the First Presidency under Smith, reports that Smith once finished preaching a sermon on the Word of Wisdom and immediately afterward rode through the streets smoking a cigar.^[16][17] Similarly, Almon W. Babbitt stated «that he had taken the liberty to break the Word of Wisdom, from the example of President Joseph Smith, Jun., and others, but acknowledged that it was wrong» when he was brought before the church’s high council on August 19, 1835, on the charge of «not keeping the Word of Wisdom».^[18] Joseph Smith had also been operating a hotel/tavern in Far West, Missouri, in 1838, and in June of that year, the high council of Far West felt compelled to remind Smith’s family that there was a ban on the sale and consumption of «ardent spirits in the place».^[19]

Post-succession crisisEdit

In the LDS ChurchEdit

After Smith’s death, several factions emerged from the Latter Day Saint movement. The largest of these groups, the LDS Church, was led by Brigham Young. At a church general conference on September 9, 1851, Young called on the attendees to «leave off the use of» items mentioned in the Word of Wisdom:

The Patriarch [John Smith] again rose to speak on the Word of Wisdom, and urging on the brethren to leave off using tobacco, &c.

President Young rose to put the motion and called on all the sisters who will leave off the use of tea, coffee, &c., to manifest it by raising the right hand; seconded and carried.

And then put the following motion; calling on all the boys [sic] who were under ninety years of age who would covenant to leave off the use of tobacco, whisky, and all things mentioned in the Word of Wisdom, to manifest it in the same manner, which was carried unanimously.»

The Patriarch then said, may the Lord bless you and help you to keep all your covenants. Amen.

President Young amongst other things said he knew the goodness of the people, and the Lord bears with our weakness; we must serve the Lord, and those who go with me will keep the Word of Wisdom, and if the High Priests, the Seventies, the Elders, and others will not serve the Lord, we will sever them from the Church. I will draw the line, and know who is for the Lord and who is not, and those who will not keep the Word of Wisdom, I will cut off from the Church; I throw out a challenge to all men and women.^[20]

Though Young encouraged Mormons to follow the Word of Wisdom code, the church was tolerant of those who did not follow it. In 1860, Young counseled those chewing tobacco in church meetings to at least be discreet and not excessive, but did not charge users with sin.^[21] By 1870, he ended the practice of chewing and spitting tobacco in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.^[22]

Young also recognized a separation between using tobacco (which was discouraged), and selling it to non-Mormons as a business (which was encouraged).^[23] He also owned and maintained a bar in Salt Lake City for the sale of alcoholic beverages to non-Mormon travelers, on the theory that it was better for LDS Church authorities to run such establishments than for outsiders.^[24]

The modern LDS application of the Word of Wisdom has its beginnings in the presidency of Joseph F. Smith, who became LDS Church president in 1901 at a time when even notable church leaders drank alcohol and coffee. For example, George Albert Smith, apostle and later church president, «took brandy for medicinal reasons», Anthon H. Lund, First Counselor in the First Presidency, «enjoyed Danish beer and currant wine», Charles W. Penrose, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, «occasionally served wine», Matthias F. Cowley, apostle, «enjoyed Danish beer and currant wine», Brigham Young, Jr. and John Henry Smith, both apostles, argued in 1901 «that the Church ought not interdict beer, or at least not Danish beer», and Emmeline B. Wells, of the Relief Society presidency (and who was later president of the Relief Society), «drank an occasional cup of coffee». As church president, Joseph F. Smith emphasized the proscriptions on alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee. Adherence was still however not a prerequisite for entry into the temple, and in 1902 Smith encouraged stake presidents to be liberal when issuing temple recommends with old men who used tobacco and old ladies who drank tea. Of those who violated the revelation, it was mainly habitual drunkards that were excluded from the temple.^[25]

In 1921, LDS Church president Heber J. Grant finally made adherence to the Word of Wisdom a prerequisite for temple admission. Then, both the 1928 and 1934 editions of the Handbook — but not previous editions—listed «liquor drinking» and «bootlegging» among the «transgressions which are ordinarily such as to justify consideration by the bishop’s court.» To these the 1934 edition also added «drunkenness.»^[25] Violation of the Word of Wisdom is however not currently (no longer) cause for church discipline.^[5]

Popular applicationEdit

Adherence to the Word of Wisdom in the LDS Church is required for baptism^[3] and participation in the church (such as entry into the temple, full-time missionary service, and attendance at church schools),^[4] however the church instructs its leaders that violation of the Word of Wisdom is not normally cause for a church membership council and that church discipline «should not be [used] to discipline or threaten members who do not comply with the Word of Wisdom».^[5]

A 2019 study of attitudes among Mormons within the U.S. said that a quarter to a half of such individuals interpret the Word of Wisdom in variance with the official interpretation by the LDS Church in some manner,^[26] and LDS Church leaders have counseled church members that they should not have personal interpretations of, or become extreme in their observance of the Word of Wisdom. One church leader specifically warned that adding additional unauthorized requirements, emphasizing it with excess zeal, or making it a «gospel hobby» is a sign of spiritual immaturity and sometimes apostasy.^[27]

AlcoholEdit

LDS Church leaders teach that consumption of any form of alcohol, including beer, violates the Word of Wisdom,^[28][29][30] however, wine was used in the sacrament, and «mild drinks» (beers) were originally allowed.^{[25][31][32][33]}

TobaccoEdit

In the LDS Church, tobacco is not allowed in any form, including smoking, chewing, or vaping. This also extends to any use of nicotine.^[28]

Tea and coffeeEdit

The LDS Church prohibits tea and coffee, as interpreted from the mention of «hot drinks» in the scripture; it is also taught that it does not matter whether or not the drinks are hot.^[34]

There is generally thought to be no prohibition against drinking herbal tea, coffee substitutes such as Pero and Postum, hot chocolate, malt drinks such as Ovaltine and Milo, or hot water.^[35]

Definition of the term «hot drinks»Edit

«Hot drinks» is clarified for the LDS Church handbook:

The only official interpretation of «hot drinks» (D&C 89:9) in the Word of Wisdom is the statement made by early Church leaders that the term «hot drinks» means tea and coffee.^[36]

In 1842, Smith’s brother Hyrum, who was the Assistant President of the Church and its presiding patriarch, provided an interpretation of the Word of Wisdom’s proscription of «hot drinks»:

And again «hot drinks are not for the body, or belly;» there are many who wonder what this can mean; whether it refers to tea, or coffee, or not. I say it does refer to tea, and coffee.^[37]

According to a book written by LDS missionary and hymnographer Joel H. Johnson in 1881, Joseph Smith shared Hyrum’s interpretation:

I understand that some of the people are excusing themselves in using tea and coffee, because the Lord only said «hot drinks» in the revelation of the Word of Wisdom …. Tea and coffee … are what the Lord meant when He said «hot drinks».^[38][39]

Cola and other caffeinated beveragesEdit

A longstanding issue among members of the LDS Church is whether it is permissible to ingest drinks containing caffeine that are not tea or coffee. In 1918, Frederick J. Pack, a Mormon professor at the University of Utah, published an article in an official church magazine in which he reasoned that because Coca-Cola contained caffeine, which is also present in tea and coffee, Mormons should abstain from Coca-Cola in the same way that they abstain from the Word of Wisdom «hot drinks».^[40] Since Pack’s article, many Mormons have come to believe that the reason tea and coffee are proscribed is the presence of caffeine in the drinks. However, the church has never stated that this is the reason for the prohibition.

The church does not have an official position on the consumption of caffeinated beverages, apart from the general statement that the Word of Wisdom does not specifically mention it. In 2012, in response to a report on Mormonism on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams, which claimed that LDS faithful were prohibited from drinking caffeine, the church wrote:

Despite what was reported, the Church revelation spelling out health practices (Doctrine and Covenants 89) does not mention the use of caffeine. The Church’s health guidelines prohibits alcoholic drinks, smoking or chewing of tobacco, and «hot drinks»—taught by Church leaders to refer specifically to tea and coffee.^[41]

In the past, a number of church leaders have discouraged the use of such products. For example, in 1922, church president Heber J. Grant counseled the Latter-day Saints:

I am not going to give any command, but I will ask it as a personal, individual favor to me, to let coca-cola [sic] alone. There are plenty of other things you can get at the soda fountains without drinking that which is injurious. The Lord does not want you to use any drug that creates an appetite for itself.^[42]

Two years after making this statement, Grant met with a representative of The Coca-Cola Company to discuss the church’s position on Coca-Cola; at the conclusion of their second meeting, Grant stated that he was «sure I have not the slightest desire to recommend that the people leave Coca-Cola alone if th[e] amount [of caffeine in Coca-Cola] is absolutely harmless, which they claim it is.»^[25] Grant never again spoke out against the use of cola drinks.

Approximately fifty years later, the church issued an official statement which stated:

With reference to cola drinks, the Church has never officially taken a position on this matter, but the leaders of the Church have advised, and we do now specifically advise, against the use of any drink containing harmful habit-forming drugs under circumstances that would result in acquiring the habit. Any beverage that contains ingredients harmful to the body should be avoided.^[43]

Because of such statements, some adherents believe that caffeine is officially prohibited under the Word of Wisdom.^[44][45] In the mid-1950s, the director of the food services for Brigham Young University, a college owned by the LDS Church, decided not to sell caffeine on campus. This changed in September 2017 when the director of BYU Dining Services announced that caffeinated beverages would be sold on campus. Wright said this was the result of a change in customer preferences.^[46] Official church publications have occasionally published articles by medical practitioners that warn of the health risks of consuming caffeine.^[47][48][49] However, in November 2010, the Salt Lake Tribune noted that in the 2010 church Handbook, which sets out the official position of the church on health and social issues, no position on drinking Coca-Cola or caffeinated drinks is included.^[50] The Salt Lake Tribune concluded that the church «takes no official position on caffeine».^[51]

MeatEdit

The Word of Wisdom states that «flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air … are to be used sparingly», and that «it is pleasing unto [God] that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.»^[52]

Many LDS Church leaders have expressed their views on the subject of meat. In 1868, church president Brigham Young counseled, «Flesh should be used sparingly, in famine and in cold.»^[53] In 1868, apostle George Q. Cannon said, «We are told that flesh of any kind is not suitable to man in the summer time, and ought to be eaten sparingly in the winter.»^[54] From 1897 to 1901, apostle and then church president Lorenzo Snow repeatedly emphasized the importance of eating meat sparingly, teaching that church members should refrain from eating meat except in case of dire necessity, and that this should be seen in light of Smith’s teaching that animals have spirits.^[25] In 1895, Snow stated, «Unless famine or extreme cold is upon us we should refrain from the use of meat.»^[55] Apostle George Teasdale taught the same thing, and held that eating pork was a more serious breach of the Word of Wisdom than drinking tea or coffee.^[25] When Joseph F. Smith succeeded Snow as president of the church in 1901, he preached regularly against the «unnecessary destruction of life», and emphasized kindness to animals and the important stewardship humans have toward them.^[56]

Despite these statements, restricting meat consumption was not given an explicit mention for worthiness in the LDS Church as the standards for obedience to the Word of Wisdom were made increasingly central to LDS Church doctrine and practice in the early 20th century.^[57] The increased emphasis on the Word of Wisdom took place during the presidency of Heber J. Grant, a long-time enthusiastic promoter of the Word of Wisdom. Although Grant did not emphasize restricting meat consumption, he continued to interpret it as part of the counsel in the Word of Wisdom. In the 1937 General Conference, at 80 years old, Grant said he worked long hours «without fatigue and without feeling the least injury». He attributed his excellent health, in part, to eating very little meat.^[58]

In a 1948 LDS general conference address, apostle Joseph F. Merrill emphasized the importance of not eating meat as «freely as many Americans are doing».^[59] In 1950, apostle and plant scientist John A. Widtsoe wrote, in relation to meat consumption, «they who wish to be well and gain the promised reward stated in the Word of Wisdom must obey all of the law, not just part of it as suits their whim or their appetite, or their notion of its meaning.»^[60] As recently as 2012, official church spokesperson Michael Otterson stated «the church has also encouraged limiting meat consumption in favor of grains, fruits and vegetables.^[61]

To this day, the LDS Church’s hymnal includes a hymn with the following lyrics:

That the children may live long / And be beautiful and strong, / Tea and coffee and tobacco they despise, / Drink no liquor, and they eat / But a very little meat; / They are seeking to be great and good and wise.^[62]

A student manual published by the church has suggested that limiting the consumption of meat to the wintertime may be to some degree of the time in which the «Word of Wisdom» was delivered by Smith:

This verse has caused some to ask if meat should be eaten in the summer. Meat has more calories than fruits and vegetables, which some individuals may need fewer of in summer than winter. Also, before fruits and vegetables could be preserved, people often did not have enough other food to eat in winter. Spoiled meat can be fatal if eaten, and in former times meat spoiled more readily in summer than winter. Modern methods of refrigeration now make it possible to preserve meat in any season. The key word with respect to the use of meat is sparingly.^[63]

Refined grain productsEdit

In a pamphlet written in 1930 called The Word of Wisdom, LDS Church apostle John A. Widtsoe taught that refined flour was contrary to the Word of Wisdom.^[25] The church, however, has never prohibited the use of refined flour.

Other areasEdit

Speculation exists concerning the use of alcohol as a cooking ingredient or «alcohol-free» varieties of drinks.^[34] The LDS Church has taken no official stance on either.

Marijuana was banned by the LDS Church in August 1915.^[64] In 2019 the church clarified in New Era that medical marijuana should only be used «under the care of a competent physician.»^[65]

Members should not use any substance that contains illegal drugs. Nor should members use harmful or habit-forming substances except under the care of a competent physician.^[36]

Enstrom study regarding members of the LDS ChurchEdit

A 14-year selective study conducted by UCLA epidemiologist James E. Enstrom tracked the health of 10,000 moderately active LDS Church members in California and ended in 1987.

Of these non-smoking, monogamous non-drinkers, Enstrom concluded from the study «that LDS Church members who follow religious mandates barring smoking and drinking have one of the lowest death rates, including from cancer and cardiovascular diseases—close to half that of the general population. … Moreover, the healthiest LDS Church members enjoy a life expectancy eight to eleven years longer than that of the general white population in the United States.» For LDS high priests who exercised, had proper sleep, and never smoked cigarettes, the mortality rate was even lower.

The results were largely duplicated in a separate study of an LDS-like subgroup of white non-smoking churchgoers in Alameda County, California.^[66]

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

BibliographyEdit

External linksEdit

• Getting into the Meat of the Word of Wisdom

Asked by: Jack Doyle

Score: 4.1/5
(2 votes)

The Word of Wisdom is a law of health revealed by the Lord for our physical and spiritual benefit. In this revelation, which is recorded in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord tells us which foods are good for us to eat and which substances are not good for our bodies.

What is Word of Wisdom examples?

Words of Wisdom for Kids

What is Word of Wisdom according to the Bible?

In Christianity, the word of wisdom is a spiritual gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8. … Some Christians see in this gift a prophetic-like function. Others see in the word of wisdom a teaching function. This gift is closely related with the gift of the word of knowledge.

What is word of knowledge and Word of Wisdom?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In Christianity, the word of knowledge is a spiritual gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8. It has been associated with the ability to teach the faith, but also with forms of revelation similar to prophecy. It is closely related to another spiritual gift, the word of wisdom.

Is Word of Wisdom a commandment?

Obedience to the Word of Wisdom, keeping the “temple of God” undefiled (1 Corinthians 3:16), invites the Holy Ghost to help us resist the temptations of the world. The Word of Wisdom is a commandment, and disobedience to any commandment results in the loss of the Spirit.

23 related questions found

Joseph Smith, the first leader and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave to his followers as revelations from God, not only spiritual, but also temporal doctrines. Such is in keeping with his teaching that “the spirit and body are the soul of a man”, implying that anything which degenerates the body retards progress of the soul. According to this doctrine, temporal and spiritual affairs assume equal importance; and all phases of life must be included in one’s religion” (L. Weston Oaks M.D., Medical Aspects of the Latter-day Saints’ Word of Wisdom).

What is the Word of Wisdom?

The Word of Wisdom is a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith as a response to an inquiry. Brigham Young (second president of the Church) related some of the circumstances leading up to the reception of the revelation:

“The brethren came to that place for hundreds of miles to attend school in a little room probably no larger than eleven by fourteen. When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, … and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean [the] floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco.” (Journal of Discourses, 12:158.)

At first this revelation was not given as a commandment. An introduction was added describing it as «a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.» (Doctrine and Covenants 89:3) This allowed time for Church members to adjust to the principles contained in the revelation.

In 1851 President Young proposed to the general conference of the Church that all members formally covenant to keep the Word of Wisdom. His proposal was unanimously sustained by the membership of the Church, and since that day the revelation has been a binding commandment on all Church members.

The Word of Wisdom has become one of the recognized and peculiar practices of members of the Church. Many people that are not members of Church know that members in good standing abstain from tobacco, coffee, tea, and all alcoholic beverages.

Scientific studies have confirmed the positive effects of obeying the Word of Wisdom: in fact, Latter-day Saints have fewer incidences of heart problems, all forms of cancer, and other diseases because of their adherence to the Word of Wisdom. Many Saints live a longer life and enjoy a better quality of life than the populations in which they live. The Word of Wisdom lists numerous items which should be avoided or used. The things that are to be avoided are strong drink (liquor), tobacco, and hot drinks (tea and coffee). The Saints are then told that herbs and fruits should be used in their seasons, meat should be eaten sparingly, and that grain is the staff of life. If the Saints follow these instructions they are told that they will receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; 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. Amen (Doctrine and Covenants 89:18-21).

What are the provisions of the Word of Wisdom?

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.

What does «conspiring men» refer to in the revelation about the Word of Wisdom?

President Ezra Taft Benson in one of his talks explains that there is another part of this revelation that constitutes a particularly important warning to our modern generation:

«In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation» (Doctrine and Covenants 89:4).

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, foresaw the situation of today when the desire for money would cause men to conspire to convince others to use harmful substances. We are all too familiar with advertisements which promote the use and purchase of beer, liquors, coffee, tobacco, and other harmful substances. Even worse than this, an evil conspiracy in our time is enticing young people into the use of drugs. (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1983)

Does the Word of Wisdom forbid caffeine?

The text of the Word of Wisdom never mentions its reasons for avoiding hot drinks, but over time many people, including some Latter-day Saints, have come to assume that the reason the Lord forbids coffee and tea is the caffeine. This leads to criticism of Saints that drink caffeinated soft drinks. The Church has said:

With reference to cola drinks, the Church has never officially taken a position on the matter, but the leaders of the Church have advised, and we do now specifically advise, against the use of any drink containing harmful habit-forming drugs under circumstances that would result in acquiring the habit. Any beverage that contains ingredients harmful to the body should be avoided.

Priesthood Bulletin, 1972

The spirit of the Word of Wisdom is that all healthy foods should be eaten in moderation and unhealthy foods should be avoided. The Church has scrupulously avoided giving detailed lists of approved and unapproved food. It is up to the conscience of the individual Mormon to apply this to his life. Bruce R. McConkie in Mormon Doctrine had this to say:

Some unstable people become cranks with reference to this law of health. It should be understood that the Word of Wisdom is not the gospel, and the gospel is not the Word of Wisdom. As Paul said, ‘The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost’ (Romans 14:17). There is no prohibition in Section 89, for instance, against the eating of white bread, using white flour, white sugar, cocoa, chocolate, eggs, milk, meat, or anything else, except items classified under the headings, tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor. As a matter of fact those who command that men should not eat meat, are not ordained of God, such counsel being listed by Paul as evidence of apostasy.

God has created ‘meats,’ he says, ‘to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth’ (1 Timothy 4:3). If some particular food or drink disagrees with an individual, then that person should act accordingly without reference to the prohibitions in this particular law of health. ^[1]

More about health and the bounties of the earth can be found in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 59, which predated the Word of Wisdom:

The fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth; Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion (Doctrine and Covenants 59:16-20).

References

1. ↑ Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd Edition, p. 846.

External Links

• Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom, by William T. Stephenson, MD.
• Utah ranked as second healthiest state

ru:Слово Мудрости

Updated:-2022-10-19

Understanding the Word of Wisdom

Can you tell when a leader’s utterance is the word of wisdom? Today, I’ll utilize four biblical criteria to explain what is the word of wisdom and how it operates?

If you would rather watch the video of this Bible Study, click this link.

Welcome to my blog. If you are just visiting or a returning visitor, my name is Leroy Daley and on this website, I utilize scriptures to explicate scriptures, line upon line, here a little and there a little.

I am going to show from the scriptures how the word of wisdom is different from the word of knowledge. How do you identify it when you hear a leader speaks the word of wisdom?

How do you know that this is it? Stick with me as I go through the scriptures and explain this using biblical examples.

And I hope you will learn something today. So let’s dive right in. If you stick with me to the end, I will have a bonus for you.

What is the Meaning of the Word of Wisdom in the Bible?

Let’s define the word of wisdom. By doing this we’re all on the same page, and the first thing I want to say about this is that the word of wisdom is not a single word. It’s not a word.

It’s an explanation. So it could be a group of words or a phrase, it’s never a word. I know that The Lord is very sparse on words, but it’s not a word. It’s an explanation, a phrase, a sentence or two.

Bearing all this in mind, then, the word of wisdom is a minuscule quantum of wisdom that the Lord gives to a leader in the church to solve a problem he or others are experiencing or they are going to experience. That is the word of wisdom in a nutshell.

So, using these three examples from the church, I am going to demonstrate how the word of wisdom operates in the Bible or in real life.

Four Guidelines To Know The Word of Wisdom

I shall utilize three examples from scripture to explain how it operates. These will include Peter with Ananias and Sapphira; Apostle Paul with Eutychus; and Apostle Paul on a ship going to Italy.

But, I will examine these three examples, according to four guidelines.

1. First, what is the word of wisdom?
2. Second, did the word of wisdom come by the Holy Ghost See, (1Corinthians 12:8)?
3. Third, did it come through a leader of the Church?
4. Finally, has it motivated faith in God?

I shall utilize these four criteria to explain how these examples are indeed the word of wisdom.

These Leaders utilize them and we can always follow these and examine them and prove that they are words of wisdom. They are wisdom from God.

Examples of Word of Wisdom in the Bible

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.”

Acts 5:1

“And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

Acts 5:2

Note, that Ananias did not say a word. He did not address anyone.

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled [your] heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Acts 5:3

So at first, we didn’t know what the possession was. But Apostle Peter is telling us now that he sold land and brought the price of it and placed it at the Apostles’ feet.

“Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? [A]nd after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? [W]hy hast thou conceived this thing in [your] heart? [T]hou hast not lied unto men, but unto God?”

Acts 5:4

“And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.”

Acts 5:5

What Is The Word of Wisdom In This Incident?

So, according to my guidelines, what is the word of wisdom in this example? In verse three, Peter says,

Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”

Acts 5:3

That is the word of wisdom in this example. Why is this the word of wisdom? Because this wisdom comes not from Peter, but from the Holy Ghost.

How Did The Word of Wisdom Come To Us?

The Bible tells us this. Now, the word of wisdom always comes from the Holy Ghost. So that’s the next criterion.

“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 12:8

Remember, Peter is a leader and he’s a Spirit-filled Believer. So here, the Holy Ghost is merely speaking through him.

How did Peter know that it wasn’t someone who had influenced Ananias to do this? But it was Satan who had filled his heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?

Peter knew this because he was Spirit-filled. He had the Holy Ghost, and He brought this to his knowledge.

The Holy Ghost Reveals a Secret

The Holy Ghost informed him about this. This was a secret between Ananias and his wife. Nobody else knew.

We will see later on that the scripture said that his wife, Ananias was privy to it. She knew, but no one else knew.

Yet the Holy Ghost brought this knowledge to Peter and hence Peter is saying to him, why are you trying to lie to the Holy Ghost?

Why did Peter say that Ananias was lying to the Holy Ghost instead of lying to them? We will bring this out later.

And this also shows too that the word of wisdom comes via the Holy Ghost. But the back story of this is that in Acts Chapter Four, all the brethren had things in common.

They Had All Things Common

Barnabas, the son of Consolation, had land, sold it then brought the price of it and placed it at the Apostle’s feet.

Then they shared from the fund of money they had. They used that pool of funds to distribute to members who had needs.

Now, Ananias is a part of the church. He and his wife were members of that assembly. They were Believers.

He saw when Barnabas did this, and he said in his heart, Ah, so you are men of God, huh?

Well, I’m going to test you to see whether you are men of God. I will know if God speaks through you.

So he went and sold his land as Barnabas did, came, kept back a part of it, and laid the rest at the apostles’ feet.

Remember at the first, I said Ananias didn’t say a word. He just, laid it there to see how they would react. But the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of Christ in the apostle spoke through Peter.

The Word Of Wisdom Comes By Whom?

Peter, was a leader of the leaders because he was a leader of the Apostles. Therefore, the Holy Ghost spoke through him.

The Holy Ghost revealed to him what Satan had done and what Ananias had done as a result of that action.

He said, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land?”

Ananias had kept back a portion of the sale price of the land to see if the apostles would know what he did.

That is why the scripture said he lied to the Holy Ghost. The amount he presented was not the full amount.

He is keeping back a part of it and he is not lying to Peter, but he wants to see if God was in them.

If God was speaking through them. So he was lying to the Holy Ghost. So Peter, through a word of wisdom exposed what was in Ananias’ heart.

Now, we can’t know what’s in a person’s heart unless the Lord reveals this to us. And that’s what the Holy Ghost did with Peter.

We Can’t Hide Anything From God

The Holy Ghost through Peter revealed what was in Ananias’ heart. That covers the word of wisdom, the word of wisdom always come through a leader.

Now we have established that Peter was a leader.

In this incident, we observed that Apostle Peter, despite being one of the leaders of the early church was wise beyond natural human wisdom because he was filled with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is always important in our lives as Christians.

How can we function effectively and above the noise of the world and the traps of the adversary, if we don’t have the Holy Ghost and are directed by the Holy Ghost?

We can’t because we stumble over our own feet oftentimes.

How Did This Word of Wisdom Motivate Faith in God?

So the Holy Ghost communicated to Peter what Ananias had done. He exposed his heart and this motivated faith in God.

Thus, Ananias fell down and died and they took him up and buried him. About three hours later, his wife not knowing what was done came in.

So she wasn’t aware that her husband was dead.

“And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.”

Acts 5:8

Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?”

Acts 5:9

There it is again, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord because they wanted to show by what they were doing, whether or not the Spirit of God was operating through these apostles.

That’s what they were trying to accomplish.

“[B]ehold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.”

Acts 5:9

The Words of God are powerful! Words generally are powerful.

“Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.”

Acts 5:10

“And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.”

Acts 5:11

They Were of One Accord

Going down to verse fourteen,

“And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.”

Acts 5:14

Earlier, in this Bible Study, I told you that the word of wisdom always motivates faith in God.

Acts 5:14 tells us that “believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes, both of men and women“.

Why? Because they heard about this incident with Ananias and Sapphira.

They heard how Peter, operating through the Holy Ghost, expose what was in their heart and how they fell dead at his feet.

This definitely tells you, it says, and great fear came upon all the church. Great fear came upon all the church and not only the church but upon as many, as heard these things, fear, they were fearful, fearful of God fearful of the power of God, not afraid, but fearing God, in a godly manner; and where you have fear, it will breed faith.

People will start to believe it. Even if they didn’t believe Peter was a man of God before; having heard of this experience, having had this experience, many of them will grow in faith.

Many of them will start to believe, oh, this man served a living God. So the word of God always motivates faith in the hearers.

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Apostle Paul With Eutychus

Now, let us go to the second example. I’m trying to use examples in scriptures to show that the word of wisdom follows four main criteria.

So, we’re going to look at Apostle Paul and Eutychus and we are going to read from Acts twenty verse five to twelve.

Luke writes, “These going before tarried for us at Troas” (Acts 20:5).

“And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days” (Acts 20:6).

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7).

So he was long in preaching.

“And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together” (Acts 20:8).

Concerning Eutychus What Was the Word of Wisdom?

“And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep, and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead” (Acts 20:9).

“And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him” (Acts 20:10).

“When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed” (Acts 20:11).

“And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted” (Acts 20:12).

So this is the background of this. So what is the word of wisdom in this incident?

And this comes in verse 10, where Paul went down and said, “Trouble, not yourselves for his life is in him“.

Who Brought The Word?

That’s the word of wisdom because it’s the Holy Ghost speaking through Paul. And I’ll explain why. First Eutychus fell from three floors up, fell to the ground and he was dead.

The other brethren that were there, took him up. It says in verse nine that he was taken up dead.

So the brethren knew that he was dead because they took him up, saw that he was dead.

Later on, Apostle Paul came down, after it was declared that Eutychus was dead. He went down and fell on him and embraced him and said, trouble not yourself for his life is in him.

Now, how could Paul say this when they had already declared that this man was dead?

That’s the word of wisdom because Paul is expressing the words of the Holy Ghost. This is not Paul’s words, because Paul is going contrary to what everybody else around him is saying, this is how the Lord operates.

The Word Of Wisdom Comes By The Holy Ghost

This is the Lord, the Holy Ghost speaking through, Paul. So the next point is that the word of wisdom comes by the Holy Ghost, this is another spirit-filled leader. Speaking by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:8).

Many of the believers present may have thought that this Holy Ghost-filled Apostle was crazy.

Because some of them took up Eutychus, and he was already dead. They pronounced him dead. But later, Paul came down, fell on him and hugged him, and said, Oh, don’t worry guys he is alive.

How did Apostle Paul know this? The Holy Ghost told him. But the thing I want us to realize is that Eutychus didn’t come back to life immediately as Paul, went down, hugged him, and expressed this.

No, he didn’t come back to life immediately. And how I know this because the Holy Ghost told me too. But the scriptures supply a clue. Let’s go to Acts 20:11.

When Did Eutychus Come Back to Life?

Now, I want you to observe how this scripture verse starts and pay attention to its structure.

“When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed” (Acts 20:11).

The verse starts with “when“. When is key at the start, because Apostle Luke wants us to realize at what time Eutychus came back to life.

So, Paul went down, hugged Eutychus, and declared the word of wisdom that he is alive. Then he went back up.

This strategic usage of when tells us the time of Eutychus’ resurrection. When Paul had gone up again; when he had broken bread; when he had eaten; when he had “talked a long while till break of day”, then he came back to life.

Paul Gave The Word Concerning Eutychus

He had been dead since midnight, but he was resurrected at the “break of day” (Acts 20:7, 11).

Then, Eutychus came back to life. He didn’t come back to life immediately.

The scripture told us that Paul continued preaching until midnight.

Now, this happened after midnight, but he was long in preaching tells us that even after Paul went down and hugged hug and there sat and talked for a long time.

The Word that Paul Gave Breeds Faith

Then at the light of day when Paul was ready to depart, Eutychus came back to life and they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted.

So they brought the young man after Paul had gone up, eaten, sat, and chatted. Eutychus came back to life and they brought him.

And then Paul departed. So we see here that the word of wisdom, came via the Holy Ghost, it came by a leader and it promoted faith in God.

Why? Because here again, can you imagine how these Believers are going to talk about what Paul did at this preaching or at this session?

People all over are going to believe in God because of this.

Even if they didn’t believe that God was speaking through Paul at first, when they hear of this, they will start believing in the God that Paul preached.

Apostle Paul On a Ship

Let’s go on to our final example. We’re going to look at Apostle Paul on a ship going to Italy. And we are going to read from Acts twenty-seven.

At the start of the journey to Rome, Paul gave his opinion concerning the voyage.

He says,

“Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.”

Acts 27:10

Now in this incident, this couldn’t be the word of wisdom. Why? Because Paul tells us at the start of this sentence, he says, “I perceive” that this voyage, “I perceive“, this is not the Lord speaking (Acts 27:10).

This is Paul’s opinion of the situation. We are going to see as we continue that when the Lord speaks, Paul explained that the Lord speaks so that we can differentiate the word of wisdom from opinions.

And that’s exactly what Paul did in this incident. Let’s move on to explain what is the word of wisdom in this situation.

The Word of Wisdom On a Ship!

And for that, we are going to go to Acts 27 and we are going to go to verse 21.

“But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss” (Acts 27:21 ).

“And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship” (Acts 27:22).

Why?

“For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve” (Acts 27:23).

Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee” (Acts 27:24).

“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:25).

“Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island” (Acts 27:26).

So there you have it. Paul declared unto them that this wasn’t his opinion.

This Wasn’t Paul’s Opinion

Now, this was the word of God.

What is the word of wisdom in this situation?

“And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.”

Acts 27:22

That’s the word of wisdom and remember, the word of wisdom always comes via the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, Paul explained that an angel of God spoke to him. That’s the Holy Ghost.

Remember what’s an angel, a spirit from God. So there’s no distinction between the Holy Ghost and the angel from God, they are from the same source.

They are both from God. So an angel of God gave Paul that word of wisdom.

This Word Of Wisdom Came By Whom?

And Paul shared it with them. This last pronouncement of Paul is different from the first one because, in the first one, he explained what he perceived; now, he is explaining that it was conveyed to him by God. So there we have it.

The word of wisdom comes through an angel of God.

However, there are two words of wisdom in this instance. If we continue to look at verse 27, the angel says,

“… Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.”

Acts 27:24

That is also a word of wisdom from the same incident. So we have a bonus here. Two words of wisdom in one incident, and both coming from the Holy Ghost or an angel or from God.

Paul continues to explain that they must be cast upon some Island.

So we have it here. The word of wisdom came from a leader of the church, and the word of wisdom motivated faith.

Which Leader Spoke It?

Now can you imagine if you continue to read the incident in Acts 27? Through this incident, many people, when they hear about it, will definitely believe in God.

Anytime you have a word of wisdom, going out and the man or woman of God explaining that this will happen, as Paul said, we’ll be cast upon some Island.

Later you will realize that they actually were shipwrecked and stayed on an Island.

As a result, many people start to believe, in God, and their faith in God will grow.

The Bonus

And this is one of the main ways the church grows, even today. Earlier, I told you that if you watched this video to the end, I have a bonus for you.

And this bonus is directed toward women. Throughout the Bible, you’ll find that it’s predominantly a man’s book until the day of Pentecost.

Women, there is a place for you in the church, and there’s a place for you too regarding preaching and teaching.

Don’t let anybody, they tell you that you shouldn’t preach and you shouldn’t teach because they are misunderstanding first Corinthians, which tells you that women must be silent in the church.

I have a video on that, the link is in the description.

That was Paul, trying to correct a church, a rogue church that isn’t operating the way they should.

The women were gossiping in the church and to address this problem, through his Epistles he declared that women should be silent in the church and ask their husbands questions at home.

It had nothing to do with the ministry. It had nothing to do with women being very active in the church.

Changes on the Day of Pentecost

There is a place for women in the church in preaching and teaching and in pastoring. In every facet of every office, there is a place for women in the Church.

On the Day of Pentecost, women were there. Acts one tells us. But Acts two tells us that the status of women changed at Pentecost.

Before Pentecost, the spirit of God never came on any woman in the Bible.

Neither did He come on any child. But at Pentecost, everybody becomes priests, and Kings before God.

Even women.

Revelation chapter one, verse eight, thereabout, of course, God doesn’t see us as male or female.

He sees us as living or dead souls or sees us as priests and Kings. So we are all priests and Kings before God, despite our gender.

The Word of Wisdom Stimulates Faith In Whom?

So, women, this is what I want to say to you. Don’t feel left out. Don’t feel like your role is only to help with the, you know, help in ministry in the church.

There’s a place for you because I’ve known some powerful women who are preachers and teachers; find your place women, find your place in the church.

But the one thing the scripture advises us, advise you not to do, is trying to push a man out of position. Yes, don’t. You serve a man.

So if there’s a man who is a teacher and you want to be a teacher to push him out, no your motive is wrong.

Outside of that, it’s wide open. So to conclude, the word of God is unique.

It emanates from the wisdom of God. The source is not humanity’s wisdom, but God’s wisdom.

Only the Holy Ghost can convey the Word of Wisdom to our hearts. It always operates via a leader of the church because it’s one of the nine manifestations of the duties of these offices.

The Ultimate Purpose for this Spiritual Gift – the Word of Wisdom!

Any office could manifest it. Therefore, any spirit-filled leader could utter it.

Finally, the word of wisdom always motivates faith in God because its purpose is to edify the body of Christ.

The word of wisdom. Most time, if not at all times speaks to future events. But when people hear it and note it and observe that event, these events occurred in the future. Exactly. As that leader said, it would, they can’t help but to believe in God.

At first, they may not even believe that this leader is a true man or woman of God until this happens.

This is one of the ways sinners become Believers and the church of Christ grows.

These four criteria when used together ensure that an utterance is indeed the word of wisdom.

In closing, like my channel, subscribe to my channel, and hit the notification bell to receive notifications

when new videos are out. Thank you for stopping by, God bless you.

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This article is part of a series on the Word of Wisdom. To view all the articles in this series, see Discovering the Word of Wisdom.

Throughout our history, we Mormons have debated what is and is not proscribed by the Word of Wisdom. We know alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea are proscribed, but what about red wine when cooking? What about decaffeinated coffee? Coca-Cola? Kombucha? Herbal teas? Green teas? Sometimes trying to understand D&C 89 is like reading those tea leaves — not easy! The question arises: why didn’t God just give it to us straight?

What if the answer is that we are reading the Word of Wisdom in the wrong way? What if the text in D&C 89 is not meant to tell us exactly what to eat and what not to eat, but rather to teach us principles? How might that change the way we read the Word of Wisdom?

In this article, I present a framework Elder David A. Bednar uses as a way to introduce the idea that the Word of Wisdom may not be the set of do’s and don’ts we often take it to be. Instead, I will suggest the Word of Wisdom can best be understood as a set of principles the Lord has given us to help us meet the challenges of the last days. Future articles will apply this framework to D&C 89 to see what light it can reveal.

Doctrines, Principles, and Applications

In his book, Increase in Learning, Elder David A. Bednar draws a distinction between doctrines, principles and applications.[1] He suggests that each of these gospel concepts answers a different question. Doctrines answer the question, “Why?” Principles help us understand “What?” And applications tell us, “How?”

Here Elder Bednar explains what he means by a gospel doctrine.

A gospel doctrine is a truth—a truth of salvation revealed by a loving Heavenly Father. Gospel doctrines are eternal, do not change, and pertain to the eternal progression and exaltation of Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters. Doctrines such as the nature of the Godhead, the plan of happiness, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ are foundational, fundamental, and comprehensive. The core doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ are relatively few in number.

Gospel doctrines answer the question of “why?” For example, the doctrine of the plan of happiness answers the questions of why we are here upon the earth, why marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and why the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The doctrine of the Godhead helps us to understand why we are to become perfect even as our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ are perfect. The doctrine of the Atonement explains why Jesus Christ is our mediator and advocate with the Father. (pp. 151–152)

So, doctrines are foundational, eternal, and relatively few in number. They are the ultimate source of understanding why things are the way they are, why our Father has given us the counsel He has given us, and why we should desire to follow His counsel.

Gospel principles flow out of gospel doctrines. Where doctrines answer the question “Why?,” principles answer the question “What?” as in, “Given this doctrine, what guidelines can help direct our actions?” According to Elder Bednar:

A gospel principle is a doctrinally based guideline for the righteous exercise of moral agency. Principles are subsets or components of broader gospel truths. Principles provide direction. Correct principles always are based upon and arise from doctrines, do not change, and answer the question of “what?” Many principles can grow out of and be associated with a single doctrine . . . A principle is not a behavior or a specific action. Rather, principles provide basic guidelines for behavior and action. (pp. 154–155)

Some of the important gospel principles Elder Bednar identifies include: faith in Christ, repentance of sins, obedience to God, and service to others. Note that these principles are general guidelines and do not identify specific behaviors.

The difference between a guideline and a specific behavior or action is important. A guideline is designed to respect our agency and our individual circumstances. God’s children are placed in very unique circumstances that change over time. Even if it were useful, it is not possible for the scriptures to contain a list of every specific action that every person on earth should do given every possible situation that he/she may be in. Such a volume could not be written because the number of such individual circumstances is literally infinite. Instead, God gives us principles to use as guidelines that we, as individuals, can apply to particular circumstances. As Joseph Smith stated, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.”[2]

Finally, Elder Bednar describes applications in this way:

Applications are the actual behaviors, action steps, practices, or procedures by which gospel doctrines and principles are enacted in our lives. Whereas doctrines and principles do not change, applications appropriately can vary according to needs and circumstances. Applications answer the question of “how.” Many applications can grow out of and be associated with a single principle. (p. 156)

Applications are very specific behaviors that take place in particular circumstances. If these applications are based on sound gospel principles that flow out of eternal doctrine, we have some confidence we are making the correct decision. However, we can only be confident of our application of a principle if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.

For example, our understanding of the Atonement of Christ (a doctrine) may lead us to desire to serve our neighbor (a principle). There are many ways we could apply that principle of service, e.g., helping out with the kids, mowing the lawn, or spending some quality time in conversation. Any of these might be good, but through listening to the Spirit, we can be led to know how to best serve the needs of those we desire to bless.

An Example: Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

To illustrate this useful framework Elder Bednar has given us, I’d like to use a principle that our Church leaders have recently been trying to help us better understand: keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.

What is the foundational doctrine that helps us understand why keeping the Sabbath Day is important? This doctrine is introduced at the very beginning of recorded scripture when the Lord tells us of His creation of the world:

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:1–3)

In Exodus, the Lord says:

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. (Exodus 31:13)

According to President Russell M. Nelson,

Perhaps most important, the Sabbath was given as a perpetual covenant, a constant reminder that the Lord may sanctify His people.[3]

The principle of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy flows from this foundational doctrine. It is a general guideline that helps us know what to do to rest from our labor and show the Lord that we honor Him by honoring the day He made sacred for us.

Most critically for this discussion, note that this principle should not be confused with the application of the principle. There are many ways one might apply the principle, e.g., going to Church, reading scriptures, doing family history, not shopping, or not playing sports. What is the best way to apply the principle? In answer to the question “How do we hallow the Sabbath day?” President Nelson explained that focusing on the doctrine behind this principle (the why), will help us know how to apply the principle:

In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?” That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear.[3]

As with all applications of gospel principles, how we apply the principle can differ from person to person, depending on our individual circumstances. The doctrine does not change. The principle does not change. But the application can vary according to our situation.

The Children of Israel were slow to remember the Lord and so were given a “very strict law” that “they were to observe strictly from day to day” (Mosiah 13:30). The Law of Moses included specific rules about Sabbath Day observance. One disadvantage of giving strict applications of a principle is that doing so encourages people to believe that by simply following the letter of the law, they are obeying the principle. But we know this is not correct. The Lord doesn’t just want our outward compliance; He wants our hearts. It is not enough to “do” the right things, we must “be” the right type of people, and this requires all of our heart, might, mind and strength. Thus we often hear of the importance of following the spirit of the law.

How Does this Apply to the Word of Wisdom?

God prefers to teach through principles, which allows us to use our agency and the gift of the Holy Ghost to discern what is right, given our individual circumstances. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a set of strict laws. It is principle-based. Why should the Word of Wisdom be any different? In fact, the Lord Himself calls the Word of Wisdom a “principle with a promise” (D&C 89:3). But too often we treat the Word of Wisdom as a type of Mosaic Law: “Thou shalt abstain from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea.” By reducing D&C 89 to a simple list of substances we should not use, what might we be missing?

What if the Lord is using these substances as examples of a greater principle He is trying to teach us? What might that principle be? And how might that principle guide our application to help us make better decisions about the types of foods and substances we should and should not use?

Even more fundamentally, if the Word of Wisdom is a principle, or set of principles, from what doctrine does it flow? Remember that doctrines answer the question, “Why? What doctrine tells us why we should follow the principles in the Word of Wisdom? What is the doctrine of the Word of Wisdom that gives meaning and purpose to these principles?

Next Week in Discovering the Word of Wisdom

Next week in Discovering the Word of Wisdom, I plan to explore the “doctrine of the Word of Wisdom.” This will lay the groundwork for considering the principles in D&C 89.

Getting Started

For help getting started on a healthy Word of Wisdom diet, see: “Getting Started.”

Jane Birch is the author of Discovering the Word of Wisdom: Surprising Insights from a Whole Food, Plant-based Perspective and many articles on the Word of Wisdom. She can be contacted on her website, Discovering the Word of Wisdom. Watch the video “Discovering the Word of Wisdom: A Short Film.”

Notes

[1] David A. Bednar, Increase in Learning: Spiritual Patterns for Obtaining Your Own Answers (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2011).

[2] Quoted by John Taylor, “The Organization of the Church,” Millennial Star (15 Nov. 1851), 339.

[3] Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” General Conference (April 2015).