Verse by Verse D&C 89:1

D&C 89:1

“A Word of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—“

A Word of Wisdom,

-Wisdom: the right use or exercise of knowledge. To have the capacity to judge what is most just, proper or useful. 

Back in the mid 1800’s the word “wisdom” was defined as the practical application of knowledge to achieve, “laudable ends.” To achieve true wisdom you needed to have a high level of mental and moral excellence. You would not have been considered wise if your actions did not reflect moral virtue. Today, however, wisdom is viewed as having extensive knowledge about something whether or not it reflects moral virtue. Wisdom is also defined by having the ability to balance one’s own self-interest and the wellbeing of society. Therefore, today, wisdom could be construed to be thought of as knowing a great deal about something and then perhaps even convincing yourself that what you think to be true is best for the world around you.

When you compare each of the meanings, the meaning of wisdom back in the mid 1800’s seemed to mean that there was moral truth for everyone and someone’s own opinion or learning didn’t out weigh the truth that God’s himself designed, unlike today.

 2 Nephi 9:28-29 

“O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.” 

God has laid out his own counsels. He has set up his creations according to his design and his pattern. He knows ALL. He has all wisdom and all power. This means that he intentionally designed a system or a way for us to eat our food. The way we, His children are supposed to eat according to His design, not according to the latest trend or social justice talking point. He has given this wisdom to all his children throughout time and throughout history. Unfortunately, recently, we have refused to hearken to that wisdom and have gotten lost in the false “wisdom” that the “evil one” has designed for us to heed to instead. 

I believe that the “Word of Wisdom” was specifically designed before this Earth was created for all of God’s children to give heed to since the fall of Adam. Although the Earth has changed since the fall and we no longer eat a “garden of Eden diet”, there is a lot of old divine wisdom to be found in the following verses. We are so lucky to have modern day prophets to help us understand the wisdom that God has set before us. Through the prophet Joseph Smith God reestablished His wisdom, to the saints, on how He designed the Earth to feed His children who dwell thereon. 

for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland,

-Who is this revelation or “word of wisdom” for? Not only was this for the council of high priests that Joseph was inquiring about on Emma’s behalf.  But, it was also given to every member of the church and any saints in Zion. That means it is for all of us! It is for anyone with a desire to serve God and follow Him. 

I find it amazing that while the Prophet’s wife Emma was going about her duties to help support her husband in his calling, she saw that what was going on relating to the health of the council of the high priests couldn’t be right. Women typically have the responsibility to care for and nurture those who are in their home. So for her to be the one to inquire of the Lord to see what wisdom he might have for them relating to the health of those she was serving seems only fitting. 

Today, mothers and wives also have a call to improve the health outcomes of those that they serve. In most modern households, the wife is the one who does the cooking, meal planning and grocery buying. From my own experience, I know that if there are negative health outcomes happening in my home, it is often a reflection of the bad foods that I am bringing into my home and I always feel so guilty. Because mothers are primarily responsible for the task of feeding their families, I feel it especially urgent that all mothers everywhere take it upon themselves to gain as much wisdom as possible to know how to properly cook for their family to keep their health and well being strong. 

and the church, and also the saints in Zion—

-Although this revelation was inquired for on behalf of the dietary behavior of the council of the High Priest’s, the Lord made it clear that the revelation would be for all Saints and members of the Church in Zion. Throughout biblical history there were a lot of rules based on diet for the children of Israel to be able to enter into the temple and worship there. Why should this standard be any different today? If we desire to enter into His house to worship, we must be willing to live by and keep the rule that He has set for us. 

I have a child with a food allergy, and because of this food allergy, I have a rule that no one is allowed to enter my house if they have this food item with them. Although that might seem harsh or extreme to some people. I value the life and wellbeing of my child, and so I am not going to put her health at risk just because someone might be offended that I didn’t make an exception for them. I think that the Lord must feel pretty similar in that regard. He wants to ensure that those who enter His house have done everything they can to remain unspotted from the world, so that all who are there can feel comfortable and welcome. This could be a primary reason why one of the temple recommend questions is, “Do you understand and obey the Word of Wisdom?”