Difference between revisions of "D&C 89:1-3"

Revision as of 10:06, 18 October 2006

Questions

• What does it mean that the Word of Wisdom is "adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints" (verse 3)?
• Who are the "conspiring men" mentioned in verse 4, and why do we need to be warned about them?
• Is being overweight against the Word Of Wisdom?

Lexical notes

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add lexical notes

Exegesis

Verse 1

As recorded in the Kirtland Revelations Book, the Word of Wisdom originally began with the phrase "A Revelation for the benefit of the saints &...." The revelatory--and thus completely binding--character of the Word of Wisdom might too easily have been obscured in the 1835 reading (which begins with "A Word of Wisdom"), though this seems to have been taken care of by the current section heading, in which this section is again called explicitly a revelation. At any rate, there should be no doubt that the voice here is the Lord's and not Joseph's.

That the revelation is called, within the revelation, a "Word of Wisdom" is rather interesting, and the fact calls for some comment. The phrase appears only once in the Bible, in, of all places, 1 Cor 12:8, as one of the gifts of the Spirit. It may be, in the end, that this is far more significant than it at first appears: the phrase's single appearance in the Book of Mormon is similar (when Moroni discusses the same gifts in Moro 10:9), and its earliest appearance in the D&C (at D&C 46:17) is also similar. The phrase, with "word" in the singular, only appears, besides section 89, in these three places: the "word of wisdom" is first and foremost a question of the gifts of the Spirit. The phrase "words of wisdom" shows up in the D&C a number of times, the most significant of which are closely associated with the building of the Kirtland House of the Lord: D&C 88:118 and D&C 109:7, 14. The other three occurrences of the phrase (in the plural) might well imply connection with the temple as well: D&C 50:1 is about testing manifestations (which came to its fullest expression, of course, in the endowment of Nauvoo), D&C 78:2 is connected with the first establishment of a temporal means of accomplishing the law of consecration, and D&C 98:20 concerns specifically the "words of wisdom and eternal life." At any rate, it seems quite clear that references in general to the "word of wisdom" and the "words of wisdom" exhibit some connection with temple ordinances and with the gifts of the Spirit (with, that is, the endowment and the enduement, the endowment in its two manifestations).

More still suggests a connection with the temple: the word "wisdom." While the "wisdom writings" of the Old Testament have for many years been interpreted as collections of rather common advice, even as the texts of the Old Testament that link Israel up with the nations around them, there is a growing collection of evidence that this is not at all how they were understood in the ancient world. While the wisdom texts certainly do seem to transcend the religio-political concerns of the legal and prophetic texts, there is reason to understand this outstripping to be connected with the Abrahamic covenant, with Christ's universalization of the Israelite promises (which amounts to, in the end, the covenant as it was originally given, with its aim to bless all the nations--the Gentiles--of the earth). With the increased availability of pseudepigraphical writings especially, there is more reason all the time to understand the wisdom writings to be associated quite unequivocally with the temple rites of Israel. In short, "wisdom texts," it is being recognized, might well be the core of the Abrahamic experience of God, not the periphery.

What this implies for the revelation recorded in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants remains to be explored, but at least this much can be said: this revelation has something to do with the temple. It is certainly significant that section 89 follows section 88, which contains the commandment to build the Kirtland House of the Lord. As this first verse makes quite clear, the revelation was given for the benefit of the "council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland," who had just received Joseph's first version of the endowment and were preparing to receive the second in the Kirtland House of the Lord, while the third still remained a good number of years away. At any rate, all of these details combine to suggest that section 89 should not be read as a revelation on physical health, but as a revelation closely tied to the ordinances of the temple. Stated another way, physical health, whatever that means for the Lord, should be taken up with careful attention to the context of the temple ordinances. What this means for this revelation can only be worked out in the careful commentary that must proceed.

Verse 3

Verse 3 tells us that this law is "adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints." The word adapted suggests that, were it not for the needs of the weak saints, a different law might have been given. Why is the Lord telling us that he has adapted this law to the weak saints? He may be implicitly reminding us of the strict health code given in the law of Moses. That health code with all of its many restrictions and special rules seems difficult to follow. In contrast the word of wisdom seems simple to follow. Under this interpretation, this verse may explain this the law of the word of wisdom has such a prominent place in the interview for a temple recommend. The idea then would be that that since this law is adapted to the weakest saint, those who cannot follow it are not and cannot be called saints in the true sense of the word.

In another intepretation we might interpet that this adaption of the law amounts to including things in the law so that even the weak members of the church can be saints. The most obvious example of something like this in this section is the prohibition against alcohol. By not drinking any "strong drink" (verse 7)--interpreted by the church later to mean any alcoholic drinks--even the weakest member of the church is protected from becoming someone addicted to alcohol.

The Word of Wisdom is such a wonderful law and promise. In just a few short verses, the Lord teaches us how we should live our lives from the standpoint of physical nourishment, but of course attached with a spirtual promise. As is the case with everything in the Lord's gospel and kingdom on earth, the Word of Wisdom is orderly, and relevant for our time: "showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days."

Just as the Law of Moses was relevant to the people of that time, with all its specific instructions on what to eat and what not to eat, the Word of Wisdom teaches us that we do need specific instructions on what not to take into our bodies (though even there many things are left for our interpretation). And like the Law of Moses we do need encouragement on the good things we should eat - grains, fruits, vegetables, and some meat - which by doing are fulfiling God's purposes for which they were created.

By worldly standards, some commandments of God are difficult to see the direct benefit or reward from doing them. The Word of Wisdom, however, is one of the easier ones. If we eat right and don't partake of the bad things, we're healthier, and it's obvious to us and the outside world that we have been blessed by keeping this commandment.

Related links

• Click the edit link above and to the right to add related links