The Word of Wisdom

One of the few things that most people seem to know about Mormons is that we aren't allowed to have any fun. We can't drink, no smoking or drugs. No sex before marriage. No tattoos or excessive piercings. No watching R-rated movies. We can't wear bikinis or short shorts or sleeveless tops, even if it's 100 degrees outside (unless we're exercising). I'm being a little bit facetious, but some people react to our rules with a sense of mocking. Like the rules are so stupid and controlling, and that any member of this church must be brainwashed or something. I'd like to clear that up. To be fair, nearly everybody is very respectful of my standards, even if some of them quietly think they are silly. I'll probably address issues like modesty and chastity in future posts, but today I want to talk about the way we treat our bodies.

First of all, our bodies are gifts from God. Beautiful gifts. They were created for us, and they are meant for a more eternal purpose than just this life. (Remember in the last post, I talked about how we will be resurrected like Christ? We're getting these bodies back someday.)

Me, my niece, sister, and sister-in-law. Aren't we beautiful? ;-)

Secondly, there is very little that we can do for someone (God) who has given us everything. The world, our families, our bodies, the very breath in our lungs are gifts from a loving God. What does He ask of us in return? Our will. Agency, or the ability to choose for ourselves, is another gift God gave us, and it is the only thing we are capable of giving back to Him. We serve God by submitting our will to His. We give Him the one thing we actually have control over to show Him that we love Him. That is why obedience is so important to God.

Nephi (an ancient prophet from the Book of Mormon -- great read, by the way. I recommend it.) warned us about the kinds of ideas that would be prevalent in our day. The ideas that say that you can go do what you want and have fun and never face the consequences of your actions.

 7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: ^aEat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.
 8 And there shall also be many which shall say: ^aEat, drink, and be^bmerry; nevertheless, fear God—he will ^cjustify in committing a little ^dsin; yea, ^elie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a ^fpit for thy neighbor; there is ^gno harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
 9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, ^afalse and vain and ^bfoolish ^cdoctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

Spencer with our fruits and veggies
from a food co-op we joined.

Anyway, the Word of Wisdom is revelation given to Joseph Smith. It can be found and read in its entirety here. In it, the Lord warns us that alcohol, tobacco, and "hot drink", which we interpret as tea and coffee, are not good for us to consume. Hot chocolate and apple cider is totally okay. :) We are also instructed to eat healthy things. Don't eat too much meat. Grain, fruits, and vegetables are good for the body. Be grateful for the food that we have. In essence, the word of wisdom teaches us to love and care for our bodies. We are promised health, wisdom, and "treasures of knowledge" as blessings. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

In the previous chapter of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of modern scripture, where the revelations to Joseph Smith are published, we are instructed to "cease to be idle... cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated."

Most members of the church are pretty good at the part of the word of wisdom that tells us not to drink alcohol, coffee, tea, etc. Most of us could do a little more work on the smaller details. For example, I could do a better job of getting up earlier on the weekends. I should be better about exercising and taking care of my body in that way. I should eat healthier than I do. It's a constant struggle to better ourselves and treat our bodies better. And I think we all know that when we are eating healthy and exercising, we feel good. That is what the word of wisdom is about.

In my life, I'm grateful for this guidance. Sure, not drinking means that I probably missed out on some invitations to parties or things. It means that I felt like the odd-ball out during high school sometimes. However, I have never woken up with a hang-over. I've never woken up and wondered how on earth I got there or worried about what I might have done last night. My body is not dependent on caffeine to get me going in the morning. I'm not addicted to anything. I have been blessed with a strong, healthy body. I'm doing my best to keep it that way, and I'm doing my best to follow what I understand to be the commandments of the Lord. I choose to give up some of life's "pleasures" for Him. The Word of Wisdom makes me happy.