Word of Wisdom

Shall Find Wisdom

18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

21 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

If We Did Not Have the Word of Wisdom

The Word of Wisdom is loaded with wonderful counsel and powerful warnings designed to bless our bodies and our spirits. Because we have been told that “tobacco is not for the body,” members of the Church have avoided countless serious diseases and premature deaths. Since the original Surgeon General report on smoking, more than 12 million Americans have died prematurely because they smoked. If we did not have the Word of Wisdom, tens of thousands of Church members would suffer the horrors of tobacco use just like the rest of the world.

Larry Tucker - “The Human Body: A Gift and a Responsibility” - BYU Speeches

How to Remain Strong and Healthy

A third significant area of Church involvement in health relates to the glorious revelation in the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants known as the Word of Wisdom. This revelation, given in the year 1833, was more than a hundred years ahead of its time. No document, whether it be a seven-hundred-page medical textbook or an article in a modern medical journal, contains any more useful or relevant information on how to remain strong and healthy. In light of the scientific discoveries that have been made during the last twenty or thirty years, the Word of Wisdom is a testimony to the divinity of the gospel and to the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

James O. Mason - “For the Health of the Saints” - BYU Speeches

I Had Faithfully Observed the Word of Wisdom

During the last world war I served in the Marine Corps. We were required to undergo extreme physical hardships, not only in training but in combat at Iwo Jima. I had never been especially robust in my youth, and when these occasions had to be met I needed extra strength. I had faithfully observed the Word of Wisdom all my life. During times of stress I asked the Lord to fulfill the promises he had made in the Word of Wisdom. From my own personal experience, I know this principle is true.

A. Theodore Tuttle - “Principles With a Promise” - BYU Speeches

Shall Run and not be Weary

Honor the principle of the Word of Wisdom and you will receive the promised blessings. “All saints,” the revelation promises, “who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments,” are promised that they “shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones” and “shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint”

President Boyd K. Packer - “The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises” - May 1996 Ensign

Because God Asked Us To

It is so easy to drift inadvertently into something less than this kind of attitude. I recall a manuscript on Reasons for Observing the Word of Wisdom, produced by one of our BYU professors. He wanted us to print it. So we took the manuscript to one of the Brethren, President Spencer Kimball, who pronounced it one of the finest treatments of the subject that he had ever read. Convincing economic, health, and other reasons for following the Word of Wisdom were clearly set forth. “But,” he said, “you left out the most important reason.”

“What is that?” the author asked.

“Because God asked us to,” he replied.

Harold Glen Clark - “I Know Not, Save the Lord Commanded Me"

Treat Them With Love and Kindness

Living the Word of Wisdom will make you feel better, and you have to feel good if you are going to live the gospel. You know you have to love people—not just those that love you; that is too easy, you see—you have to love everybody, and you have to treat them with love and kindness and respect. It is easier to do that when you feel good. If you get up in the morning with a headache and someone says something cross to you, what do you say? “Lord bless you”? No; if you are not careful you will resort to the Law of Moses. You cannot be saved in this dispensation by living the Law of Moses. Not an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth—you have to live the Law of the Gospel that says you have to do good to those that spitefully use you, turn the other cheek, and go the second mile. You will feel better if you live the Word of Wisdom.

Hartman Rector Jr. - “Obedience Brings Happiness” - BYU Speeches

Marrow to Their Bones

Here is another that is a great favorite of mine. We all know what we are taught in the Word of Wisdom, section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. We covenant to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee. Why? The Lord tells us. He gives us a promise:

All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

Dallin H. Oaks - “The Blessing of Commandments” - BYU Speeches

Physical Well-Being

The seventh commandment: Thou shalt keep the Word of Wisdom.

The commentary: We have received from the Lord a law of health which, if kept, will assure us not only of physical well-being, but also of great outpourings of spiritual enlightenment. This law is divided into affirmative counsel, telling us what we may properly eat, and negative counsel, which forbids the use of certain things which are injurious to the body.

Bruce R. McConkie - “The Ten Commandments of a Peculiar People” - BYU Speeches

A Huge Blessing

Living the Word of Wisdom is a huge blessing! Here are some ways For the Strength of Youth mentions that you could be blessed:

Freedom from harmful addictions, More control over your life, A healthier body, A more alert mind, Guidance from the Holy Ghost, and Greater ability to serve the Lord

“Never let Satan or others deceive you into thinking that breaking the Word of Wisdom will make you happier, more popular, or more attractive.”

The Word of Wisdom: What it Is, What it Isn’t - August 2019 New Era

Blessed With Intelligence

As he studied section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, [D&C 89] he obtained a strong testimony that when we refrain from taking into our bodies substances that are harmful to it, we are blessed with intelligence and a healthy and strong body. As a doctor, he knew that these promises were there, within his reach, and he had earnestly sought them in his own behalf.

Eduardo Ayala - “The Word of Wisdom” - October 1990 General Conference

The Health of His Saints

The Word of Wisdom allows us to know that the Lord is vitally concerned about the health of His Saints. He has graciously given us counsel for improving our health, endurance, and resistance to many diseases.

The temporal promise for obedience is: They “shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; … [they] shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint."

Ezra Taft Benson - “A Principle With a Promise” - April 1983 General Conference

Treasures of Knowledge

In a special promise that was given in this revelation as contained in the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we receive these words:

“And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall 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”

L. Tom Perry - “Run and Not Be Weary” - October 1996 General Conference

Spiritual and Physical

The restored gospel teaches that there is an intimate link between body, mind, and spirit. In the Word of Wisdom, for example, the spiritual and physical are intertwined. When we follow the Lord’s law of health for our bodies, we are also promised wisdom to our spirits and knowledge to our minds (see D&C 89:19–21). The spiritual and physical truly are linked.

Susan W. Tanner - “The Sanctity of the Body” - October 2005 General Conference

Key to Physical Health

If we will gather into the Church, live the simple principles of the gospel, live moral lives, keep the Word of Wisdom, tend to our priesthood and other duties, then we need not live in fear. The Word of Wisdom is a key to both physical health and revelation. Avoid tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco, and narcotics.

Boyd K. Packer - “A Defense and a Refuge” - October 2006 General Conference

The Promise of Health

The Lord has said, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” What is He saying to those who abide by the Word of Wisdom? That we will have the promise of health, strength, wisdom, knowledge, and angels to protect us.

Ronald A. Rasband - “Standing by Our Promises and Covenants” - October 2019 General Conference

His Blessings

I thank the Lord for a testimony of the Word of Wisdom. I wish we lived it more fully. But even though we do not, the Lord pours out His blessings upon those who try. The promise is before us that if we will do so, we shall receive health in the navel and marrow in the 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 the destroying angel shall pass by us as the children of Israel and not slay us

Gordon B. Hinckley - “My Testimony” - October 1993 General Conference

An Alert Mind

There is no better counsel concerning the Word of Wisdom than that found in the booklet For the Strength of Youth. It states:

“The Lord has commanded you to take good care of your body. To do this, observe the Word of Wisdom, found in Doctrine and Covenants 89. Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. When you do all these things, you remain free from harmful addictions and have control over your life. You gain the blessings of a healthy body, an alert mind, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

L. Tom Perry - “Let Him Do It With Simplicity” - October 2008 General Conference