“How does one live the Word of Wisdom?” New Era, Feb. 1971, 6–7
“With all the knowledge we have of perhaps harmful additives in much of the food we buy today, and our knowledge of caffeine in soft drinks and chocolate, and lots of other unhealthful substances in food products, how does one live the Word of Wisdom in 1971? Can one really live it fully?”
Answer/Doctor Lindsay R. Curtis
May I refer all members to section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants to read and reread. We have been admonished repeatedly by our General Authorities to leave this section as it is, neither adding to it, as many food faddists are inclined to do, nor interpreting it so liberally that it loses all significance.
In reference to the question, it is true that caffeine is a stimulant, and an unnecessary stimulant for constant consumption. But it is a very valuable drug when it is used by physicians. Without it, many of our medicines would fail to relieve our headaches, our discomforts due to colds and injuries, and many other conditions.
Chocolate contains theobromine, which in great amounts could cause untoward results; yet theobromine is a valuable medicine in its proper place.
Some substances used for preservation of foods could be undesirable if taken in excessive amounts. But how much more dangerous would be spoiled food? The amount used to prevent spoilage is carefully regulated by law and common sense to avoid any poisonous effects.
Let us use good judgment. If we are still uncertain about certain products and feel keenly about it, let us make it a matter of prayer and fasting. We will find the proper interpretation—for us. But we should not feel that this is the answer for everyone else.
We could speculate as to what the Lord might say in a 1971 version of the Word of Wisdom, but he hasn’t seen fit to elaborate on the original revelation. And he doesn’t need to. We’ve been given the basic guidelines; our bodies are holy tabernacles and we are to use wisdom and all the good judgment we possess in caring for them. In that sense, we can live the Word of Wisdom as fully now as when it was given in 1833.
Answer/Mrs. Winnifred Jardine
Aside from the specific instructions regarding alcohol, tobacco, and hot drinks (which we have been told means tea and coffee), the application of the Word of Wisdom is a matter of personal discipline and restraint.
The revelation contains much more than just the don’ts. It has to do with eating foods that are healthful, and eating them in a quantity right for us.
Certainly, in 1971 mankind has a wide variety of nutritious foods to eat—pasteurized milk and dairy products; meat, poultry, fish, and eggs (in moderation); a wide variety of fruits and vegetables (preferably fresh); and cereals (whole grain, if preferred, or enriched).
In terms of the quantity of food to be eaten, the general need for calories is lessening each year* because of our increasingly sedentary life style. The Word of Wisdom certainly anticipates this condition in 1971, because it counsels us to eat sparingly.
To me this means to eat simple foods only to satisfy hunger, not to gorge or stuff. But for many persons in 1971, food has become much more. It has become an emotional issue and element of faddism. It is a bone of contention and almost a religion itself with some people. One of the purposes of the Word of Wisdom, it seems to me, is to keep food in its proper place: to eat to sustain good health. The body’s needs will then have been met, and both body and mind are then free to turn to more important things.