A deep dive into the Word of Wisdom
By: Abigail Bazan
“Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—“
D&C 89:4
Warning: This is long and gets a little hairy. But it might be the most important verse for us to understand in D&C 89
“Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you:”
Does the word “behold” make you feel that you should pay attention? This first phrase is often used in scripture as a way for the Lord to let the reader know that He is speaking by authority and by divine decree. The word “behold” specifically is used as a call to action. It is meant to invite the reader to pay attention and to get ready to follow the command that will be given. This statement indicates that what is about to be said is the word of the Lord.
On top of that, the Lord tells us who he is talking to. He is talking to YOU! The Word of Wisdom is addressed to each of us. Often in the book of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord will specify who he is talking to. Many revelations are directed to Joseph Smith Jr., Oliver Cowdery or other early members of the church. But here, in this section, He is talking to YOU!
In my life, I have noticed a lot of members of the church will be upset that the world around them seems so toxic or difficult to navigate and they wonder why they should even try to be healthy.
I was once part of a conversation with some moms who were talking about this exact issue. They were discussing how they deal with different behavioral and physical ailments with their children on a daily basis. They feel powerless to do anything about it. I told them a little bit about my background and the reasons why I think it is important to choose good foods from good sources to feed our children. I explained that when we don’t do this, it can negatively impact their health in ways that we might not even recognize (these are often expressed in behavioral and physical conditions in children and adults!) I also mentioned that I know it is super hard to choose good food from good sources because it seems that every part of the world/society we live in makes it harder to do this and easier to just choose convenience. These moms seemed to agree with me and reassured me they try really hard to be healthy.
The moms then went on talking about how hard it is to know what is healthy or not because there is so much conflicting information out on the internet when it comes to dietary choices. I agreed with them because they are right! We do live in a world with millions of opinions, and it is hard to know which one is right. However, when I was listening to the next part of the conversation, those same moms continued to talk about how much they love to eat Oreos every night and other processed poisonous snacks. They did this while breaking out the chemically filled, processed, petroleum-based treats for all the kids to enjoy.
Please don’t mistake me for judging these moms because that is not my intention. I have a lot of sympathy for them, and I know that I am not even close to perfection when it comes to my own diet and lifestyle choices. However, I do wish to emphasize a point. We cannot keep blaming the world around us for our unhealthy choices. We choose what we buy and put into our mouths. Yes, there are some things that are truly out of our control. Some nasty chemicals get into our food supply on occasion without our consent (I will touch on this more in the next section). But ultimately, each person has their own agency to choose what they eat. We can choose to eat the foods that God has created that make us strong and resilient, or we can choose to eat the man-made “foods” that were designed to keep us fat and sick.
So, how can we know which foods are bad and which foods are good in this world of seemingly endless opinions? We can turn to the words of the Lord. The Lord has not hidden from us His secrets to health and longevity in these latter-days. We just need to know where to find them! He often promises us that if we seek, we shall find.
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: “
Much like in Joseph Smith’s day, when he was surrounded by countless opinions on religion, we too can seek answers from the Lord for any of our concerns in life, even questions we might have about our diet!
Most members of the church have heard about the Word of Wisdom and some of them might even know where to find it in the Doctrine and Covenants. However, I believe that most members haven’t really taken the time to study the revelation and try to understand what it truly means. This is why I am writing. To offer my insights from the years of my studies on this very subject. I want to offer my findings in a digestible way so that readers might be able to better navigate their way through the food being sold to us today.
I believe the Lord has revealed His optimal diet for us. I believe that He has told us what we should and should not eat so that we can be healthy. I believe that the Lord has provided us a way to avoid many of the illnesses and plagues that are a result of the evils that exist in these last days. All it takes is for YOU to do the work and decide what YOU are going to consume.
“In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days”
The reason behind the Word of Wisdom is stated here. The Word of Wisdom is needed because of the different evil plans and things that “conspiring men” will do to our food in these latter-days. Back in the mid 1800’s when the Word of Wisdom was first revealed, Joseph and other members of Christ’s church had no idea that Doritos, Pop-tarts or Diet Coke would ever even exist (that’s because these substances aren’t actually food). But the Lord knew that one day there would be evil men who would create “foods” such as these and then try to sell us on a lie that they are part of a healthy diet. These science experiments are really just garbage made up of petroleum and a whole bunch of chemicals that are toxic and harmful to our bodies.
There are hundreds of chemicals that are allowed into the food system in the United States that are banned in Europe. These chemicals are all known to be harmful to the human body and some of them are even proved to be carcinogenic (cancer causing). These chemicals are laced into almost every processed food that is on the shelves of our grocery store today. Some of the most insidious chemicals that you might find in the food that you could have in your pantry include:
Titanium Dioxide: This is used to brighten food colors. It damages DNA. It is commonly found in household products like paints, toothpaste, plastics and other cosmetics. It is also found in most candies, baked goods, dairy products, processed sauces, soups, dressings, boxed meals and virtually any proceed food you can find at the grocery store. This chemical is quickly absorbed when consumed and it triggers cancer mutations. It causes inflammation in the body, oxidative stress, lung cancers and respiratory inflammation when inhaled.
Potassium Bromate: Classified as a possible human carcinogen and is found in almost all bread products. It damages our DNA and causes mutations and can cause tumor growth on various organs.
Azodicarbonamide: Known as the yoga mat chemical because it is in yoga mats! Used to bleach and condition bread dough. It breaks down into semicarbazide which is a compound linked to cancer. It is found in almost every fast food and ultra processed bread product.
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) & Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT): Used to prevent fats from spoiling. It disrupts our endocrine system (hormone system) and can cause tumor growth. This is commonly found in nearly every cereal and processed snack on American shelves. It is also known as an obesogen. This means that it causes excess weight gain and an increased difficulty in losing weight. It literally tells the body to create and store more fat cells. It also decreases the expression of a certain protein in cells, called apolipoprotein A-IV, which tells the body that it is full. This means that when this protein is suppressed, your body literally cannot tell when it is full. Resulting in overeating. This chemical also messes with thyroid function and slows down the metabolism.
Propylparaben: This is a product derived from petroleum and it is used to block mold growth in the food you consume. It also harms your hormones and reproductive health. Not only is this used in shampoos and soaps but it is found in foods that contain yeast. It is an endocrine disruptor. It mimics the estrogen hormone in the body messing with the body’s natural hormonal signals. Because of this, it increases the consumers risk of reproductive disorders and breast cancer. It can lower the success rates of pregnancy, lead to irregular menstrual cycles, lower egg and sperm quality, lower testosterone levels and increase the feminization of men.
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO): Commonly found in citrus flavorings in sodas and sports drinks, Bromine is a toxic chemical that accumulates in the body’s fat tissues and specifically targets the body’s organs. This means that it would significantly impact the visceral fat levels in the body. Visceral fat is the fat surrounding the organs of the body and appears from the outside of the body as fat in our midsection. Visceral fat is also the most dangerous and toxic fat in the body. High levels of visceral fat are directly linked to nearly every metabolic condition, like heart disease, fatty liver disease, diabetes, reproductive diseases and thyroid problems. This chemical is a neurotoxin and can transfer from mother to infant through breastmilk.
Synthetic food dyes: Food dyes are made from petroleum. They disrupt the gut microbiome and cause full body inflammation. It is commonly known that food dyes cause behavioral problems in kids that can be mistaken for ADHD or other common childhood conditions. It leads to inflammatory bowel conditions, DNA damage and cancer.
Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH / rBST): Synthetic hormones such as progesterone, estrogen and testosterone are injected into cattle to make them bigger, or to produce more milk. Most commercial dairy cows and meat cows are victims of this hormonal alteration. The cow’s liver will then produce Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) which gets directly passed into the milk. When humans consume this milk, we are directly consuming these growth hormones which actually stimulate rapid cell growth, and the cells that like to grow the fastest are cancer cells. Prostate, breast and colorectal cancers are proven results from these bovine growth hormones. Additionally, because these growth hormones alter the protein makeup of the milk that is produced by the cow, many humans are not able to properly digest the milk. This leads to sensitivities and allergies of milk and milk products. A lot of people that are sensitive to milk are actually able to consume hormone-free whole raw milk without any issues. It is almost like God designed our bodies to be able to consume the foods that he has provided for us in their natural form. Don’t forget, it is not only cows that are treated with growth hormones; nearly every commercially raised animal is treated with drugs.
Animal Antibiotics: Because most commercially raised animals are injected with some sort of growth hormone and they are raised in inhumane conditions, they have higher rates of infection. To counteract this, they are then given multiple antibiotics which remain in them and enter us when we eat the animal. When we consume too many antibiotics, our bodies can become resistant to antibiotics, which can be very dangerous when we actually need one if we get a life-threatening infection. Antibiotics in animals also lead to a disrupted gut microbiome in humans, causing us to become hypersensitive to a lot of foods because little food particles are leaking out from our gut into our bloodstream, leaving our immune system to react in ways it was never supposed to. This leads to food allergies, asthma, eczema, chronic health problems and autoimmune disorders.
Ractopamine: This is a synthetic drug added to animal feed. It rapidly accelerates the growth of an animal. It has been strictly banned in nearly every country except for the United States of America. It directly impacts human heart health and is literally toxic and poisonous to humans. It accelerates arterial plaque buildup. This drug builds up in the vital organs of an animal, leaving the most nutrient dense parts of an animal to be the most toxic for human consumption.
Chlorine Wash: After commercial poultry is slaughtered, it is typically “washed” by a chlorine solution to sanitize it. This is done because of cross contamination that can occur when large quantities of sick birds are processed in a factory where different pathogens are easily spread. If a farm is practicing good hygiene and has humane conditions for their animals, this step is completely unnecessary. When the chlorine interacts with the poultry carcass, it creates a toxic chemical reaction that leads to inhibited iodine absorption in humans which damages thyroid function. It also increases the toxic burden on the kidneys and impairs the blood’s ability to hold oxygen.
Hidden chemicals and petroleum ingredients in food are not the only “evil design” that is present in our food system today. Another way we are being attacked is through glyphosate and other weed and pest killers that are sprayed all over our food. These herbicides and pesticides are causing mutations in children, cancers and countless other allergies and health issues in people everywhere! This is something that the Lord would have foreseen and tried to warn us about (which we will see that he did in a few verses).
Glyphosate and other herbicides and pesticides are sprayed on nearly every single plant grown in the US today. And if you think it can be avoided by eating mostly animal products or organic foods, you are wrong. Glyphosate is heavily sprayed on the feed that is given to the animals that you would then consume. Glyphosate is a known human carcinogen. It also causes leaky gut by putting holes in the gut lining of the consumer (this is how it kills bugs so it only makes sense that this is exactly what it is doing to us!). Not only does it put holes in your gut lining leading to IBS and other gut-related conditions, but it also wipes out many of the beneficial microbes that populate your gut and are necessary for food breakdown and absorption. It also causes liver problems, reduced testosterone, male infertility, brain inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Top foods that are HEAVILY sprayed with glyphosate include: oats, wheat, legumes, corn, soy, root crops (like potatoes) and sugar. Virtually every plant is doused in a toxic cancer-causing spray before it hits the market. Similarly, GMO crops, (genetically modified crops) are designed in a lab to do similar work as pesticides in destroying the intestinal lining of whatever living creature that consumes it. GMO crops are also designed to withstand heavy doses of herbicides. Because these crops are modified on a genetic level, we are beginning to see new allergies in humans that have never existed before because so many people are expressing allergic reactions to these GMO crops. For example, a lot of people who might think that they are allergic to wheat gluten are actually reacting to the GMO and the pesticides and herbicides that the wheat is made up of, not the wheat gluten itself. Another example would be that some people who have egg allergies are actually allergic to the GMO feed that is given to the chickens that is then passed on through the egg, not the egg itself.
Other “evil designs” that have happened in our modern-day food system that could be thwarted by the keeping of the Word of Wisdom include but are not limited to: soil depletion, vitamin and mineral depletion, outstanding food costs, animal abuse, food company monopolies, metabolic issues, infertility, cancer, birth defects, hormonal issues, food addictions, decreased intellect and obesity.
The number of “evil designs” that exist in the very real conspiring men that live today is infinite. One merely has to look around at the health of people living today and recognize that 99% of these health issues are directly related to problems caused by the very people the Lord warned us about in the Word of Wisdom. No wonder everyone is getting diagnosed with cancer wherever you turn, all of our food is seemingly designed to give us cancer! If we were to do our best to live the principles taught in the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 89 and do our best to only eat foods God has created rather than eat foods created in a lab by “conspiring men” we will truly be blessed with better health.
“I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation— “
Just like “The Family: a Proclamation to the World” was revealed and given to the members of the church before many thought it would ever be necessary, the Lord revealed the Word of Wisdom to the saints before many of them thought it would be needed. Of course there were little things that many of them might have struggled with like tobacco use and alcohol consumption, but ultimately all the talk about using herbs and consuming fruits in their season was common knowledge to them. Strawberries simply weren’t available all 12 months of the year!
Prophets see around corners because they are the mouthpiece of the Lord. The Lord reveals to them what is important for us to know in OUR day and the days to come. This revelation was canonized and put into our scripture and has even become a part of the temple recommend interview questions because of how important it is to the Lord for us to live a healthy life. It is not something to be dismissed because some might consider it as “outdated.” It is also not something that is meant to be confusing or contradictory to science. This was His WARNING to us so that we can be physically protected from the harms caused by these conspiring men in these last days. We need to pay attention so that we can be physically healthy enough to carry out His greatest works that He has for us to do.