Week 4: Tobacco and Hot Drinks

Hi all,

We meet every Sunday after church!

This last week (since most of you missed it), we covered verses 8-9:

8: And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.

9: And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.

God created everything for a purpose (Moses 3:5,7), and tobacco and hot drinks fall into that category of everything. The nicotine in tobacco is lethal to parasites often found in livestock and other plants. Thus, as we see in verse 8, tobacco has its place; that place is not in our bodies.

Verse 9 has been interpreted in many ways in the many years since its initial revelation. However, the interpretation has never strayed from its original: hot drinks refer to tea and coffee. In 1972, amidst disagreement about its interpretation, the First Presidency under Joseph Fielding Smith said we should avoid any beverage that had harmful substances in it. More recently, we have been counseled by Elder Kiser that "we would be wise" to avoid consuming stimulants.

There may be debate as to the exact meaning of verses such as 9. However, we should also observe that there are many substances (heroine, cocaine, cannabis, and methamphetamines as a short list) which are not explicitly noted in the Word of Wisdom. As a matter of fact, many of your goals focus on healthy habits which aren't explicitly stated. We should use the Spirit to guide us in our interpretation of what we our Heavenly Father would have us do.

When in doubt about the importance of the Word of Wisdom, or the relevance of verses such as 8-9, don't forget the wisdom imparted Doctrine and Covenants Section 29:

34: Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created.

35: Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual.

I encourage everyone to rededicate yourselves to your goals and reinvigorate yourself to the study of the Word of Wisdom. I pray that each of us will exit this challenge with a better understanding of the love and omnipotence of our Father in Heaven and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Best of luck with your challenge this upcoming week, and as always, let us know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

Week 3: Strong Drink

Hey y'all!

I'm sorry we didn't get to have our devotional in person this week because of Break the Fast, but here's what we would have talked about.

Section 89 versus 5-7 says:

 5 That inasmuch as any man a drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.

 6 And, behold, this should be wine, yea, a pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.

 7 And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.

Of course everyone knows that this means alcoholic drinks are not good for the body. It states very specifically that we should not put them in our "bellies."

But keep in mind it's not only because these substances are harmful to us, but also because they alter our state of mind and take away our ability to choose.

God has promised us that if we keep our bodies pure by only putting in things that are good for it, great physical and spiritual blessings will come to us.