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75 Words of Wisdom From The Best Minds (Ever)

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page .

I’ve spent 10+ hours doing one thing:

Curate the wisest words from Einstein, Buddha, Seneca, Socrates, Emerson, Plato, and many more.

So here’s a list of THE top 75 words of wisdom ever written .

Why should you read this article?

• You’ll learn how to be calmer and wiser
• You’ll learn how to live a good and meaningful life
• You’ll discover condensed wisdom from the best thinkers of the last 2000 years

In sum, you’ll gain precious insights in just 5 minutes.

Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life . Immanuel Kant

Doubt is the origin of wisdom. Augustine of Hippo

The truest wisdom is a resolute determination. Napoleon Bonaparte

Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it. Albert Einstein

Wisdom is the power to put our time and our knowledge to the proper use. Thomas J. Watson

A symptom of wisdom is curiosity. The evidence is calmness and perseverance. The causes are experimentation and understanding. Maxime Lagacé

It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. Seneca

A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself. Michel de Montaigne

A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence. Pythagoras

Foolishness is a twin sister of wisdom. Witold Gombrowicz

There is only a finger’s difference between a wise man and a fool. Diogenes

Never say no twice if you mean it. Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Irrigators channel waters; fletchers straighten arrows; carpenters bend wood; the wise master themselves. Buddha

Wisdom is nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life. Hermann Hesse

A lot of wisdom is just realizing the long-term consequences of your actions. The longer term you’re willing to look, the wiser you’re going to seem to everybody around you. Naval Ravikant

Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait. Leo Tolstoy

Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end. Leonard Nimoy

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. Jimi Hendrix

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. Francis Bacon

A weak reaction is to rush things. A strong reaction is to go slow and steady. Maxime Lagacé

The best words are the ones you are ready for. Maxime Lagacé

We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. Marcel Proust

Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. Kahlil Gibran

A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit. David Elton Trueblood

The wise know they are fools. Fools think they are wise. Maxime Lagacé

Discipline is wisdom and vice versa. M. Scott Peck

The greatest wealth is to live content with little. Plato

Wisdom is knowing when you can’t be wise. Paul Engle

Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences. Norman Cousins

Wisdom and deep intelligence require an honest appreciation of mystery. Thomas Moore

The two powers which in my opinion constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forbearing. Epictetus

Wisdom is keeping a sense of fallibility of all our views and opinions. Gerald Brenan

Much wisdom often goes with fewest words. Sophocles

Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Zhuangzi

Who then is free? The wise man who can command himself. Horace

We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. George Bernard Shaw

True wisdom is remembering that in the end, no matter what, everything will be fine. Maxime Lagacé

The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Paulo Coelho ( Source )

Men who know themselves are no longer fools. They stand on the threshold of the door of wisdom. Havelock Ellis

Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as knowing what to do next. Herbert Hoover

Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech. Plutarch

• 100 Leo Tolstoy Quotes (On Love, Life, Happiness)
• 135 Rumi Quotes On Love, Beauty, Friendship
• Albert Einstein Quotes On Life, Education, Humanity

The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness. Michel de Montaigne

It’s better to be alone than to spend time with toxic people. It’s better to do nothing than to work on something that doesn’t matter. It’s better to rest than to climb the wrong mountain. James Clear

Knowledge shrinks as wisdom grows. Alfred North Whitehead

If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise. William Blake

Don’t try to become, let go of who you’re not. Maxime Lagacé

The truest sayings are paradoxical. Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. Alfred Lord Tennyson

One principle eliminates a thousand decisions. Johnny Uzan

Wisdom comes by disillusionment. George Santayana

He that composes himself is wiser than he that composes a book. Benjamin Franklin

Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another. Juvenal

Pain is the doorway to wisdom and to truth. Keith Miller

Kindness is wisdom. Philip James Bailey

Maturity is when you stop being surprised by anything. Wisdom is when you start again. Maxime Lagacé

I prefer the folly of enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom. Anatole France

The wise are those who know the Self. Sri Sathya Sai Baba

No man was ever wise by chance. Seneca

Wisdom begins in wonder. Socrates

One part of wisdom is knowing what you don’t need anymore and letting it go. Jane Fonda

Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom. Terry Pratchett

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best words of wisdom will create confusion, action, understanding and ultimately, peace. Maxime Lagacé

Cleverness is like a lens with a very sharp focus. Wisdom is more like a wide-angle lens. Edward de Bono

It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. Mahatma Gandhi

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. Dakota (Native American saying)

Has fortune dealt you some bad cards. Then let wisdom make you a good gamester. Francis Quarles

The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Do now what your future you will thank you for. Maxime Lagacé

Genius unrefined resembles a flash of lightning, but wisdom is like the sun. Franz Grillparzer

Real wisdom is not the knowledge of everything, but the knowledge of which things in life are necessary, which are less necessary, and which are completely unnecessary to know. Leo Tolstoy

Wisdom is seeing wounds and obstacles as blessings. Maxime Lagacé

Innocence dwells with wisdom, but never with ignorance. William Blake

The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable. Rabindranath Tagore

A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men. Roal Dahl

Wisdom is knowing what to ignore. Shane Parrish ( Source )

Key Takeaways

• Questions over answers
• Listening over talking
• Doubts over confidence
• What they don’t control
• Keep in mind: life is chaos. Being a little foolish can help.
• Want to become wiser? Think “experiences”. Try, fail, reflect, and learn .
• Self-understanding
• Meditation (mindful.org)

Words of Wisdom Visual

Wisdom is remembering life is short. Maxime Lagacé

Further Readings

• Topic: Life
• 117 Short Quotes That Will Inspire You (Fast)
• 91 Of The Best Stoic Quotes (For A Better Life)
• 115 Philosophy Quotes From The Best Philosophers
• 77 Life Lessons Quotes (To Learn And Grow)
• How to Be Wise  (dariusforoux.com)
• 87 Deep Quotes That Will Make You Think
• 100+ Most Famous Quotes Of All Time
• 21 Life-Changing Questions To Ask Yourself Today

Hope you enjoyed these beautiful words of wisdom. If you did, please share them with a friend today!

Do you consider yourself wise? What are your favorite words of wisdom? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

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"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." -Aristotle

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Overview of the Word of Wisdom Revelation

Throughout these overviews, I’ve tried to highlight that Joseph Smith’s productions have been influenced entirely by ideas that surrounded him. In the Book of Mormon overviews I outlined how the King James Bible was the foundational text for the text supplemented by surrounding influences such as the Moundbuilder Myth, Joseph Smith Sr.’s dream, and even the anti-Masonic feelings that arose in the mid 1820s. In this overview I wanted to cover the Word of Wisdom because it illustrates another area where Joseph Smith was pulling from surrounding ideas to create revelation, and it also highlights again how the church retrofits and redefines revelations to fit whatever they need a revelation to mean at a given moment, such as redefining "new and everlasting covenant" from the original meaning of plural marriage to the current meaning of celestial marriage as I outlined in the final polygamy overview . This overview will incorporate a recent video by the church in their “Now You Know” series because it gives a very clear description of how the church frames the Word of Wisdom today (the video was released on July 15, 2019), and that will help to show how the church has completely redefined the Word of Wisdom since the original revelation, why advances in health and nutrition have shown the Word of Wisdom to be both disjointed and incorrect today, and how the early church never viewed or treated it as a commandment in the first place. Compared to previous overviews, this is going to be a fairly short one which will be a nice change of pace, but I think this is a great topic to outline because it shows just how inconsistent the revelations created by Joseph Smith are and, more importantly, shows that we can point to surrounding influences that Joseph Smith used in these revelations and that they contain nothing prophetic beyond what was already known. In other words, this is another area where we can show that revelations are being written by Joseph Smith, because there is simply nothing new beyond what was already believed at the time, much of which has since been proven wrong.

How the Church Frames the Word of Wisdom Today

In July 2019, the church released a short "Now You Know" video on the Word of Wisdom, which is a topic that they had not covered in the longer Gospel Topics essays released over the last 5-6 years. If you have not seen it, the church published it on YouTube and you can view it here .

It's a short video and I won't spend a ton of time here rehashing it, but just as I did with the seer stone video , I want to point out some of the ways that it feels like the church is still dodging and skirting difficult issues while inoculating members about topics that don't add up. This is particularly problematic for the younger members who are well aware of the health benefits of coffee and tea, and I believe these are who the "Now You Know" videos are really designed for.

This video uses fluffy language and imagery to avoid giving any real details of how the Word of Wisdom was used by the church for about 70 years after the revelation was recorded. In addition, the video uses a very simple art style which allows them to demonize those outside of the church (I’ll get to that later) while painting early church leaders in the best possible way.

Below I am going to have the text of the video with some comments about why the church is still being misleading about the Word of Wisdom even in 2019 when the information is so readily available. We have not previously covered the Word of Wisdom, so at the end we will provide some more resources for anyone interested in learning more. I like using the text of the video because it covers the most current interpretation of the Word of Wisdom along with how apologetics defend its use. From the video:

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lived by a health code called the Word of Wisdom. What is the word of wisdom? And why do millions of Latter-day Saints around the world follow it? Let's take a closer look. The prophet Joseph Smith received the word of wisdom by revelation in 1833. He wrote the revelation down and canonized it in a collection of revelations called the Doctrine and Covenants, which Latter-day Saints view as scripture. The revelation is recognized by most as the reason why Latter-day saints abstain from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea and drug use. But to understand why the word of wisdom came about, we first need to know some historical context.

I will get into some details as to why this glosses over some issues with the Word of Wisdom's actual text later, but the opening paragraph is pretty straightforward. The only thing I would add is that again they use imagery of Joseph Smith writing down revelation in the video, and that is just not historically accurate. For the earliest revelations Joseph Smith still used the same seer/peep stone in a hat that he used for both buried treasure and the Book of Mormon and a scribe would write down the words, and in later revelations Joseph Smith stopped using the seer/peep stone and would just dictate the wording to a scribe. It might seem like a small thing as the Word of Wisdom was possibly after Joseph Smith used the seer stone for revelations, but again it is the issue where the church always tries to make Joseph Smith look as polished and refined as possible.

Furthermore, while the Word of Wisdom today is why members are not allowed to drink alcohol, the text of the Word of Wisdom itself does allow for beer. Again, the messiness of the revelation will be in full display in this overview, but it’s important to note right off the bat that the church is viewing the Word of Wisdom as it has been redefined today and not how the claimed revelation from God was actually recorded.

Back to the video:

The word of wisdom appeared at a time of intense public debate in the United States about alcohol abuse. As early as the 1810s, rapidly growing industrialization and alcohol use had begun breaking down previously held social norms. By the 1830s, many adults in the United States had been raised in families where alcoholic beverages were consumed at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many people became concerned about the social and health consequences of increased alcohol consumption. The temperance movement grew as reformers called for abstinence from hard liquor, and many involved with the movement went further taking a pledge against all alcoholic beverages, including beer. Some even recommended coffee as a substitute for alcohol, given that clean water was not always available. At the same time, some reformers spoke out against tobacco use.

I want to give the church credit for this paragraph because it explicitly mentions that there was a growing public movement against alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. When I was taking the missionary discussions a little over 20 years ago, the Word of Wisdom was hailed as a revelation that Joseph Smith could not have possibly known about on his own. But as we have come to learn, almost every idea that Joseph Smith would later adopt was from a surrounding influence around him whether it was the Melchizedek/Aaronic priesthoods (Campbellite movement brought over these terms, and Sidney Rigdon brought them to Joseph), multiple tiers of heaven (Emanuel Swedenborg), the First Vision (Solomon Chamberlain), temple endowment ceremony (Masonic ceremony), etc.

So I give the church credit for stating up front that these ideas of abstaining from certain substances was not unknown or unique at the time of Joseph Smith's revelation. As a convert I thought it was remarkable that Joseph Smith knew of the problems that could come from abusing alcohol and tobacco, so it was quite a surprise to learn that not only did other groups already discuss this, but that the Word of Wisdom itself was treated much differently in Joseph Smith's lifetime.

To be clear on just how readily available these ideas were, here is a great summary of just how well discussed and followed these concepts were both to Joseph Smith and the Kirtland area in the years and even day leading up to the revelation that is now known as the Word of Wisdom:

"The Temperance Movement was very much a thing by the late 1820s. Simplicity of Health , published in 1829, elaborates on every item in Word of Wisdom. Means of Preserving Health was published in 1806 and contains every bit of the Word of Wisdom: avoidance of alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco and sparing use of meat, as well as eating fruits in season. The Journal of Health, published in Philadelphia, August 25, 1830 also contains every aspect of the Word of Wisdom. The Kirtland chapter of Temperance Society formed in 1830, shortly before Mormons arrived from New York. Presbyterian minister, Sylvester Graham, conducted a speaking tour for almost fifteen years extolling the virtues of abstaining from alcohol, smoking, tea, coffee, and eating a diet mainly of grains, local fruits and vegetables; meat was expressly forbidden. He was popular and well known in the late 1820s – 1840, and also invented the Graham Cracker. Feb 26, 1833 was National Day of Temperance, which prompted much discussion in Nauvoo. It was common practice at School of Elders to chew, spit and smoke tobacco. The ladies, as tradition would have it, were tasked with cleaning up the boys’ mess. Emma was prompted to lament, “It would be a good thing if a revelation could be had declaring the use of tobacco a sin, and commanding its suppression.” The matter was taken up and joked about, one of the brethren suggested that the revelation should also provide for a total abstinence from tea and coffee drinking, intending this as a counter dig at the sisters. Far from a groundbreaking revelation from God about health, Joseph Smith, Emma and the School of Elders were simply discussing the events of their day. Imagine their surprise when the following day, Feb 27, 1833, Smith brought forth revelation from God that conveniently ended the debate, using the very language of the temperance movement." ( Mormon Stories Essay, the Word of Wisdom )

Again, I realize it is a common apologetic response to say that God only gives us the answers that we ask, which is why Joseph Smith got a revelation the day after the National Day of Temperance which just happened to repeat all of the ideas of the temperance movement, but this is a common aspect of Joseph Smith's life where he takes surrounding ideas and puts them in the voice of God. At some point we have to ask why Joseph Smith is only able to get answers from God that anyone else could get, with nothing that is actually unkown to the world such as boiling water to kill bacteria and stop very dangerous health outbreaks.

It was in this social climate in the early 1830s, Joseph Smith started a series of formal classes called the School of the Prophets. This school was an assembly of church leaders who met to discuss and instruct one another in theological and secular learning, such as religion, economics, philosophy and civic matters. But the attendees frequently smoked, chewed, and spat tobacco, all in the same space where Joseph taught the school and recorded revelations. In addition, Emma Smith, (one of) Joseph's wife (wives) , was left to clean up the mess, and she was disturbed by the men's actions. She spoke to Joseph about it. Joseph inquired of the Lord and received the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom.  

This paragraph is also fairly straightforward, but I have to comment on how the video compares the "School of the Prophets" against the non-Mormons in this time. As you'll see in the pictures below, the non-Mormons are portrayed as bumbling drunks smoking at the bar, while the church leaders are portrayed as scholarly figures smoking pipes while in a very formal discussion.

The truth is that early church members almost all drank -- including Joseph Smith. In fact, Joseph Smith drank wine on the day he died, which was a full decade after the Word of Wisdom was recorded. As John Taylor recalled:

“Sometime after dinner we sent for some wine. It has been reported by some that this was taken as a sacrament. It was no such thing; our spirits were generally dull and heavy, and it was sent for to revive us. I think it was Captain Jones who went after it, but they would not suffer him to return. I believe we all drank of the wine, and gave some to one or two of the prison guards.” (History of the Church, 7:101)

Even three years after this revelation, Joseph Smith did not seem at all hesitant to drink alcohol. From the History of the Church:

"We then partook of some refreshments, and our hearts were made glad with the fruit of the vine. This is according to the pattern set by our Savior Himself, and we feel disposed to patronize all the institutions of heaven." (Joseph Smith – History of the Church, January 14, 1836, vol.2, p.369)

There are also stories in Saints of early members getting drunk to the point where they were having visions, speaking in tongues, etc. That's not to say all church members were habitual drunks by any stretch, but neither were those not in the church which the different imagery implies even if unintentionally.

The most important issue to me with the Word of Wisdom is how the revelation came to be. As the church notes in the video, Emma Smith was frustrated with cleaning up after these meetings which led to Joseph Smith inquiring of the Lord as to what to do. This approach is similar to most of Joseph Smith's revelations, which is to say that Joseph Smith would have a problem, he would ask God for wisdom, and he would pretty much always get it, almost always in a way that benefited his situation or authority.

What's particularly interesting about this reveltaion is a later reminisence from David Whitmer as to the origin of the revelation:

“Some of the men were excessive chewers of the filthy weed, and their disgusting slobbering and spitting caused Mrs. Smith … to make the ironical remark that ‘It would be a good thing if a revelation could be had declaring the use of tobacco a sin, and commanding it's suppression.' The matter was taken up and joked about, one of the brethren suggested that the revelation should also provide for a total abstinence from tea and coffee drinking, intending this as a counter ‘dig' at the sisters.” (Des Moines Daily News, 16 Oct 1886:20)

It does need to be noted that this is a late account long after the revelation took place, but it definitely fits the pattern of how Joseph Smith received revelation in a way that took care of the problems of the moment. In our polygamy overviews we cover how Joseph Smith was able to recite a 3,200 word revelation off the top of his head to provide Hyrum Smith with a revelation to present to Emma, and the Word of Wisdom is again a revelation that was born out of a request from Emma to address a problem that she was dealing with.

Of course that alone wouldn't be proof that the revelation is not from God, but when you add all of the issues together it becomes clear that not only is the revelation by Joseph Smith, but that the contents simply would not have been written in any time period except Joseph Smith's lifetime. That's again a problem we've illustrated with the Book of Mormon, Book of Abraham, and other revelations from Joseph Smith.

And back to the video:

The revelation helped the saints navigate many of the issues debated by reformers and also addressed Emma's specific concerns. For example, the Lord warn against consumption of strong drinks, which Latter-day Saints understand to mean alcohol. Also, the Lord cautioned that hot drinks, understood as coffee and tea, were not for the belly. In other words, not to be consumed. Neither was tobacco, which was better used as an herb for sick cattle. Also at the time, some groups like the Shakers, advised against eating meat, while other groups advocated no restrictions at all. However, in the Word of Wisdom, the Lord revealed that he ordained meat both beast and foul for the use of man on condition that it be eaten sparingly. The Word of Wisdom, given in its early American context, did not specifically mention many substances that have since become common. As the world's industries began mass production of such substances, church leaders encouraged Latter-day Saints to use common sense and stay away from harmful habit forming substances. For example, recreational drugs should be avoided, while the authorized and correct use of prescription drugs is okay. In the word of wisdom, the Lord also warns against conspiring men with evil designs foreshadowing a surge of substance abuse, addiction and death.

This is where I have some real issues with the video and how the church interprets the Word of Wisdom today, and it's because it glosses over some really big problems with the Word of Wisdom as it was originally interpreted.

First, the idea that D&C 89 is understood to mean coffee and tea for hot drinks is nonsensical. This is what D&C 89 states: "And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly." Early church members took this to not only mean coffee and tea, but also to mean hot soups, which we know today can be quite healthy along with coffee and tea. It also would have meant hot chocolate, which today is enjoyed by many members and is no way a disqualification for a temple recommend, even though it is a hot drink that would contain some caffeine.

The Word of Wisdom is just not a logical revelation. For example, we are told that hot drinks are in reference to coffee and tea, but you still can not drink iced coffee or tea and keep a temple recommend. Some apologists state that it is about caffeine, except that not only can you drink caffeinated soft drinks now, but BYU made a big pubic relations move in selling Coke products on campus in the last year. It just makes no sense.

There is no revelation that clarifies that "hot drinks" means just coffee, but even if that were true, why is iced coffee not OK? It just does not add up, and the fact that all of this references the ideas of Joseph's time strips the Word of Wisdom of any sense of revelation. And there is no better proof of that than God (through Joseph Smith) neglecting to tell the early members to boil their water.

You can read about this in Saints (Chapter 19) , but a cholera outbreak sickened over sixty people and took the lives of over a dozen early members of the church. This outbreak happened the year after the Word of Wisdom was recorded -- what better way to show that Joseph Smith was receiving real truth from God than to learn such a basic necessity as boiling their water before consuming it?

I can not stress this enough: Every concept in the Word of Wisdom was known to Joseph Smith through outside movements such as the temperance movement, yet the most important revelations that were unknown to people at the time, such as boiling water, were left unsaid. For me that is a red flag that can not be overlooked, because just as in the Book of Mormon, the revelations and prophecies end exactly when the material was written.

Second, while it is convenient to say that the revelation foreshadowed substance abuse, one has to remember that in Joseph Smith's time they believed the world was ending in a matter of years. The reference to the "consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" has to be taken in the context that they believed they were already in the last days, and that the specific substances that were detailed immediately after this statement were what Joseph Smith was referring to.

Third, and this is along the lines of defining what "hot drinks" are: The Word of Wisdom says that beer is OK. From D&C 89: "Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain."

The description of mild drinks using barley points directly to beer, which the church members continued to drink for long after the Word of Wisdom was recorded. That's not to say that the church should all start drinking beer today, but to point out the absurdity in trying to unravel a revelation made using both the mindset and influences of the 1830s.

“At one, p.m., I rode out with Dr. Richards and O.P. Rockwell. Called on Davis at the Boat. Paid Manhard $90. Met George J. Adams, and paid him $50. Then went to John P. Greene’s, and paid him and another brother $200. Drank a glass of beer at Moessers. Called at William Clayton’s, while Dr. Richards and O.P. Rockwell called at the Doctor’s new house. Returned home at 4 ½ p.m.” Joseph Smith’s Journal, 1 June 1844)

Ironically enough, just as I covered in the polygamy overview, this journal entry was scrubbed for the History of the Church. Note how this entry was changed:

“At one, P.M., I rode out with Dr. Richards and Orrin P. Rockwell. Called on Davis at the boat. Paid Manhard $90. Met George J. Adams, and paid him $50. Then went to John P. Greene’s, and paid him and another brother $200. Called at William Clayton’s, while Dr. Richards and Orrin P. Rockwell called at the doctor’s new house. Returned home at 4:30 P.M.” (History of the Church, Volume 6, Page 424)

The reality is that Joseph Smith claimed to receive the Word of Wisdom and yet continued to drink until his death, even to the point of writing down in his journal that he stopped for a glass of beer. Not only is it completely dishonest for the church to alter the entry for the History of the Church, but Joseph Smith was following the Word of Wisdom in that beer is entirely OK under the text of the revelation.

While we have come to learn that tobacco is incredibly unhealthy from long term smokers, we have seen many studies showing the healthy effects of mild coffee and tea consumption. And on the flip-side, we are beginning to learn that coffee is way healthier that soda drinks such a caffeinated Coke products that are now proudly served at BYU.

What I'm trying to say is that the Word of Wisdom is both inconsistent and contradictory, and when you actually look at the revelation compared to how the church interprets it today, there is just no way to reconcile it in a way that makes any logical sense.

And if that's not enough, the church didn't even require the Word of Wisdom to be obeyed as a temple requirement until 1902. In fact, the Word of Wisdom itself specifically states that it is not a commandment: "To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint." It was not until 1851 that Brigham Young considered it a commandment, but it was not enforced and Brigham Young himself both owned and profited from the Salt Lake City distillary.

This is why church members continued to drink and smoke for 70 years after the revelation was recorded. For a slew of quotes about members (and leaders) who drank alcohol, coffee, tea and smoked and chewed tobacco for almost 100 years after the Word of Wisdom, just check out Mormon Think's collection of quotes.

So what we're left with is a revelation that is not a commandment, is very contradictory in terms of how the church views it today, and wasn't even adhered to by Joseph Smith or early church leaders until the 1920s when it became a temple recommend question. Which brings us to the last part of the video:

But Latter-day Saints see the word of wisdom as more than just a health code. Adherence to the word of wisdom not only teaches members how to control appetites and guard their health, it is also part of what makes him eligible for temple worship and promises spiritually benefits. Most importantly, following the word of wisdom helps engender greater receptivity to personal revelation through the spirit of the Lord. As Boyd K. Packer, an apostle of the Lord in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once said, "A fundamental purpose of the word of wisdom has to do with revelation. If someone under the influence can hardly listen to plain talk, how can they respond to spiritual promptings that touch their most delicate feelings? As valuable as the word of wisdom is as a law of health, it may be much more valuable to you spiritually than it is physically." So let's review: What is the word of wisdom and why is it important to Latter-day Saints? The word of wisdom is a revelation. In it, the Lord promises that those who follow his guidelines will have better health. But he also promises greater happiness, wisdom and spiritual blessings, too. Most of all the word of wisdom shows us that God loves us. He wants us to be healthy and spiritually receptive to his words. Now, you know.

This last section really hits the main point of the Word of Wisdom: it is now used as a law of obedience. At the end of the day, we have health studies that show coffee and tea have health benefits and we have no consistency when it comes to banning coffee as a hot drink but also banning it as a cold drink, that the Word of Wisdom allows for beer, or that it isn't a commandment in the first place. But since 1919, the Word of Wisdom has been a condition of a temple recommend, so even if it doesn't make logical sense, it is a law that must be obeyed or your exaltation will be lost.

Some apologists argue that the reason it was not considered a temple recommend question until 1919 was because church members needed time to get away from the addiction of these substances, but again we have almost 90 years between when it was recorded and when it became a requirement for a temple recommend - anyone using these substances when the revelation was recorded would have been long gone. Another argument is that Brigham Young declared it to be a commandment in 1851, but again that opens the door to all of the other things that Brigham Young declared as prophet including the ban on blacks, Adam-God, blood atonement, and other teachings that the church wants no part of today.

One other element to this being a law of obedience is that the Word of Wisdom became a requirement for temple recommends shortly after the church released the second manifesto ending polygamy for time (it's still doctrine for the eternities). That caused a lot of uproar within the church since polygamy had been a foundational practice of the church and the "new and everlasting covenant." There is a case to be made that a reason for the Word of Wisdom becoming a rule and not a suggestion was to give the church members something new to rally around and identify themselves with. Again, this is something we can only speculate on, but it would be a possible explanation as to why the church clamped down around 1919 as they did.

The most likely reason that the church decided to clamp down on the Word of Wisdom in 1919 is because prohibition was ratified in January 1919, just months before an October 8, 1919 letter from the First Presidency making it a temple worthiness requirement. Since it became illegal to purchase alcohol in 1920, it makes sense that the church would use that opportunity to make sure members were obeying the laws of the land considering that tensions were high with the government over polygamy just years earlier. Again, it is interesting that another major change in church doctrine/policy occurred due to outside forces - just as polygamy was ended and just as we've seen in the present day with temple changes, the LGBT policies, and the ban on blacks being lifted in 1978.

With regard to Packer's quote from the video, I do agree that if you're drunk you will have a difficult time making good decisions, but as I mentioned earlier many of the early church events where many members were having spiritual visions or speaking in tongues just happened to come after taking the sacrament as prepared by Joseph Smith. I'm not saying that the alcohol or any other added substances caused those visions, but I am absolutely saying that having alcohol (combined with fasting) certainly would heighten their spiritual beliefs of those events.

The problem is that the Word of Wisdom is not in any way being used in the way it was written, and that really comes down to the very clear fact that the Word of Wisdom is, speaking in terms of its accuracy with regards to health and nutrition, a complete mess. Look at the specifics of the Word of Wisdom with regards to what members should and should not partake of:

Wine and other strong drink should not be used except in the case of the sacrament as well as the washing of the body

Tobacco should not be used by men, but as an "herb for bruises and all sick cattle"

Hot drinks (coffee, tea, soup, etc) are not for the body or belly

All herbs and fruits are ordained to used by God, and should be used with prudence

Meat is to be eaten sparingly... only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine

All grain is to be used by both man and beasts

Barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks (beer), as also other grain

When you look at this list, it really in no way matches what the church teaches today. By the wording of D&C 132, the church should allow any iced coffee or tea drinks, beer, and wine for the sacrament. Furthermore, this again is being written without any foresight or prophetic knowledge, leaving out any mention of boiling water, avoiding sugary foods, or that everything should be partaken of in moderation.

There is no mention of caffeine, recreational drugs, or any other modern problem. In fact, the Word of Wisdom stating that all herbs and grains are ordained by God certainly gives more legitimacy to marijuana use as it is an herb. Again, I'm not saying that marijuana is good for you or should be used (I have never tried it myself), but just pointing out that the Word of Wisdom is a revelation that can dated to exactly Joseph Smith's time because every concern and recommendation dates to the 1830s.

Last I want to show you the image the church used when discussing "conspiring men with evil designs" to show just how cartoony and Disneyesque these videos are, and how strongly this video works to create an “us vs them” mentality when it comes to following the Word of Wisdom or, like 99%+ of the world, ignoring it:

The Word of Wisdom is far from a massive problem when it comes to church history for me, but it gives another glimpse into how Joseph Smith used the sources and movements around him to build theology, and I think that's important in the overall picture of the truth claims of the church.

Joseph Smith was aware of the temperance movement which called for the abstinence of liquor, he had investigated (and possibly joined) the Methodist church which discouraged hot drinks, and then had Emma upset enough to ask for a revelation over tobacco. It is no surprise that these are the main points addressed in the Word of Wisdom, and again it fits a pattern of Joseph incorporating ideas and concepts he learns around him into the church's theology. I've already highlighted Joseph Smith's use of surrounding influences with the Book of Mormon , the First Vision , and the priesthood restoration .

Not only is the Word of Wisdom useful in evaluating Joseph Smith's abilities as a prophet, but it also is helpful when looking at the church beyond Joseph Smith. These overviews for the most part cover just Joseph Smith's founding of the church, but the Word of Wisdom evolved after Joseph Smith, but not in a way that has been proven correct by science and nutrition.

Instead the Word of Wisdom today is not even treated as a health code, but as a law of obedience. Members are not allowed to drink coffee or tea, which have long noted health benefits, but can purchase as much Coke as they want at BYU which is full of both caffeine and sugar. Members are not allowed to drink "hot drinks," but are allowed to drink all the hot chocolate they desire. This allows for another layer of control over the members, but also has led to a lotof virtue signaling and shaming among members who see others drinking coffee, tea, or alcohol.

I want to highlight a video clip from a General Conference talk by Relief Society president Julie B. Beck, because it illustrates how nonsensical the Word of Wisdom is.

The idea that drinking one cup of coffee can keep not just you from exaltation, but your entire family, is the kind of over the top fear that the church uses to keep members from not stepping off the boat. From her talk (in case you don't watch the video clip above):

"Though she knew it was contrary to the Word of Wisdom, she developed the habit of drinking coffee and kept a coffee pot on the back of her stove. She claimed that “the Lord will not keep me out of heaven for a little cup of coffee.” But, because of that little cup of coffee, she could not qualify for a temple recommend, and neither could those of her children who drank coffee with her. Though she lived to a good old age and did eventually qualify to reenter and serve in the temple, only one of her 10 children had a worthy temple marriage, and a great number of her posterity, which is now in its fifth generation, live outside of the blessings of the restored gospel she believed in and her forefathers sacrificed so much for." ( Remembering, Repenting, and Changing, April 2007 General Conference )

To me this is such a dangerous teaching, and it stems from a revelation that was never even meant to be a commandment in the first place, is absolutely inconsistent in its rules, and has been disproven as a health code which is why the church has rebranded it as a law of obedience.

These inconsistencies might seem like somewhat small details, but they are really indicative of how disconnected the church's truth claims are from the realities of our advancements in pretty much every field of study. In this case we can show that the Word of Wisdom is a product of beliefs regarding health specfically from the time it was written, the 1830s, and is completely disjointed and inaccurate as a health code in 2021. When the church claims to be led by living prophets, redefining the Word of Wisdom in a way that makes just as little sense as the original revelation is quite telling, but not in the way the church wants us to think it is.

As I said above, this is far from the biggest problem with church history. I do believe is holds tremendous value, however, when looking at how Joseph Smith created revelation, what we can learn from those revelations in the context of his milieu, and how all of these problems with the scriptures and revelations have the same common threads that stem from Joseph Smith being the author of them. In the next section I want to take this a step further and look at some of the changes that Joseph Smith made to his revelations from God and what those changes teach us about how Joseph Smith both created this material, was willing to change it as his theology changed, and that he was willing to make changes to establish and bolster his authority among the members of the church.

Check us out on Twitter or Facebook as well for future posts and updates. Thanks for reading!

Next section: Changes to Joseph Smith's Revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants

Mormon Stories essay on the Word of Wisdom

MormonThink's page on the Word of Wisdom with historical background, quotes, etc

Brother Jake's video on the Word of Wisdom, done in a similar style to what the church has adopted here

The Word of Wisdom section from the Letter For My Wife, with more historical details than I gave above

• Translation
• Lost 116 Pages
• Could Joseph have Written it?
• The Witnesses
• Early American Influences
• Book of Mormon Studies
• Moroni's Visitation
• First Vision
• Book of Abraham
• Kinderhook Plates
• Translation of the Bible
• Moroni or Nephi?
• Running with Gold Plates
• Blacks & Priesthood
• Prophets After Joseph
• Greek Psalter Incident
• The Name of the Church
• Priesthood Restoration
• Rod of Aaron
• Conflicts with Science
• Temple/Masonry
• Lying for the Lord

Word of Wisdom

• Testimony & Spiritual Witnesses
• Responses to Current Issues

Introduction

• Who Are We?
• Conclusions
• Glossary & Misc. Topics
• Mormon Quotes
• Personal Stories
• Youtube Videos
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Section 89 of the Doctrine&Covenants is more commonly known as the Word of Wisdom and contains the dietary restrictions and health code followed by faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some parts of the Word of Wisdom are clearly stated in the text and lived as written. Other portions are sometimes seen as ambiguous and have been clarified by the General Authorities of the Church over the years. Some edicts in the text are not widely followed and are not considered by the majority of members to be of importance.

Overview of LDS position

In the modern day, faithful LDS understand the Word of Wisdom to be direction from God, and to contain the following dietary restrictions and practices: No coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. The Word of Wisdom also contains advice to eat meat sparingly, that fruits and vegetables are to be used with prudence and thanksgiving, and that grains are the staff of life. To those who keep the Word of Wisdom, the Lord promises health, wisdom, knowledge and that "the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them." [1]

Overview of Critics' position

The Word of Wisdom is selectively adhered to by the majority of LDS faithful, for example eating meat sparingly, in times of famine and winter is rarely followed. [2] Meat is served at nearly every church function regardless of season. Some of the advice has not been shown by science to be of any type of health benefit, while others have been disproven. As a health code, the Word of Wisdom is incomplete and does not address most good practices one must follow in order to maintain a healthy body, and is even at odds with modern science when it comes to drinking wine in moderation. [3] Joseph Smith himself did not always keep the Word of Wisdom, [4] nor did a majority of the church members at the time Joseph Smith was alive. The Word of Wisdom has been repeatedly interpreted in different ways since it was first introduced to the body of the church, leading to a great deal of confusion among the members. For example, the text specifically forbids "hot drinks" and yet only certain hot drinks are disallowed. In a similar fashion, most of the tenets contained in the Word of Wisdom are unclear, leaving the members to speculate and debate the finer points of the law. Also, those elements of the WOW that are true, were known long before Joseph received the WOW revelation.

• D&C 89:18-21 Link is here.
• D&C 89:12-13 Link is here.
• "Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?" Mayo Clinic Link is here.
• "Some desultory talk was now had in which the following truths were told: Joseph Smith tried the faith of the Saints many times by his peculiarities. At one time he had preached a powerful sermon on the Word of Wisdom, and immediately thereafter he rode through the streets of Nauvoo smoking a cigar." An Apostle's Record, The Journals of Abraham H. Cannon, Link is here.

Contents for this page

Essay by Jim Whitefield

Editor's comments

Introduction - by Jim Whitefield

The following essay is reprinted (with permission of the author) in it's entirety from Jim Whitefield. The MormonThink writers have found this essay to be a very informative and interesting view on some of the details regarding the Word of Wisdom that most Latter-day Saints may not be aware of. Our usual editor's commentary on this subject is at the end.

Jim Whitefield has written several interesting and informative books on Mormonism that can be found on his website: The Mormon Delusion

10. The Word of Wisdom and Fasting

What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. Ralph Waldo Emerson. 1803 - 1882

As with most things concerning the Mormon Church, where nothing is as it first seems; the Word of Wisdom was no magnificent and awe inspiring revelation from God. It was simply Smith's answer to his wife's latest problems with some of the men; inspired by a simple joke between the Elders and Emma and some of the other women. Smith simply satisfied all parties by obtaining a ‘revelation' prohibiting everything they had joked about.

 In the Mormon Church, the ‘Word of Wisdom' is seen as the modern day equivalent of the ancient laws concerning what is appropriate to consume. Every dispensation has had its own ‘Word of Wisdom' or ‘health code', revealed by the Lord, according to the Church.

 Today's Word of Wisdom is seen as a ‘law of obedience' for members. Once accepted as advice from God, it is now considered a commandment. Members also ‘fast' once a month, which although not directly connected with the Word of Wisdom, is considered a healthy as well as spiritual observation. Mormon fasting is consistent to a large degree with many other Christian denominations as well as non Christian religions. For Mormons, fasting means forgoing all food and drink for twenty four hours (missing two meals). For those who dig deeper into what is expected, it actually requires ‘no bodily gratification' during that period which actually means no sex either, so members remain in a spiritual rather than carnal frame of mind. Very few members seem aware of that aspect. The cost of the food saved (or many times that amount) should be donated to the ‘fast offering' fund in order for the fast to be complete. These funds support the poor and needy. (See Ch. 17: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics).

 Currently, the fast is observed from Saturday to Sunday on the first Sunday of each month (years ago it was on a week day), allowing members to be ‘in tune' with the spirit at their ‘fast and testimony meeting' where they may stand and bear testimony ‘as the spirit directs', on an impromptu basis. In large units of the Church, people may have to line up, or they stand in their place and a Deacon (12-13 year old boy) will bring a microphone to them, while in smaller units there may be periods of embarrassing silence when no one feels ready to stand. These are referred to as moments for reflection to be cherished and no one should feel embarrassed, but of course if they have not yet taken the opportunity to stand up and speak, some people feel extremely awkward. Often in those circumstances someone will eventually get up and everyone breathes a sigh of relief until they say ‘I don't like to see time go to waste so…' and off they go with a testimony, sometimes chastising those who have not yet stood up; and then the next person will get up and say how wonderful the times of silent reflection are and it is never time wasted… and so it goes on.

 Many forms of religious observance include fasting in one form or another, and either abstinence from or a sacrifice regarding what is eaten; at least at certain times if not continuously. ‘Kashrut' is the law concerning what foods Jews can and cannot eat and importantly for them, how foodstuff is prepared. More commonly referred to as ‘kosher' (clean); foods such as shellfish and pork are not kosher (unclean). It is a code stemming from biblical times but many of the laws of kashrut have no connection at all with health and may have originated in environmental considerations. Islam has ‘halal' (things that are permitted) and ‘haram' (those that are not); for example alcohol, pork and bread containing dried yeast. Hindus do not eat meat from animals and avoid food that may have caused pain to animals in the making. Most Buddhists are vegetarian.

 Roman Catholics have for centuries observed a code regarding food. Fasting is observed on specific days of the year and can also be used as a form of penance. It means reducing food to just one meal in a day. Fasting and abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as well as all Fridays during Lent, led to Friday being a popular day for fish. For centuries meat was banned every Friday, right through to the 1960's. The forty days of Lent, during which something especially enjoyed (such as chocolate or alcohol) is completely abstained from, are also observed by Catholics and many Protestants alike. Other religions both inside and outside Christianity have their own rules and observations that are related to what and when members eat. Fasting; from Muslim Ramadan (fasting every day during sunlight hours for the month) to Jewish (Yom Kippur) etc., from Hindu (Shivarati) etc., to the Baha'i fast during Ala, from Catholic Lent to the Mormon ‘Fast Sunday', there are many codes of conduct that have developed and evolved across the whole spectrum of belief systems which concern the supernatural; that is, a God or gods of some description whom the followers appease or worship through their personal sacrifice.

 Mormons therefore, are no different regarding the idea of fasting; and development of their Word of Wisdom is only to be expected, judging by other faith systems. However, what is comical; although equally disturbing; is the discovery (which members generally, as usual, have no idea about) that it all started simply because of a joke which led to a lot more than those who were involved in it had bargained on at the time.

 The situation that arose to evoke the revelation started with a combination of the efforts of the Kirtland Temperance Society (founded in 1830 and predominantly non Mormon), who were opposed to alcohol, tobacco and eating too much meat; and Smith training men in his ‘School of Elders' every day, meeting in a small smoke filled room above Emma's kitchen, with tobacco juice being spit all over the floor. Emma had the job of cleaning up following the meetings. The situation and results are available from several sources. This is just one:

Thus Emma, faced almost daily with “having to clean so filthy a floor” as was left by the men chewing tobacco, spoke to Joseph about the matter. Davis Whitmer's account supports Brigham Young's description. “Some of the men were excessive chewers of the filthy weed, and their disgusting slobbering and spitting caused Mrs. Smith … to make the ironical remark that ‘It would be a good thing if a revelation could be had declaring the use of tobacco a sin, and commanding it's suppression.' The matter was taken up and joked about , one of the brethren suggested that the revelation should also provide for a total abstinence from tea and coffee drinking, intending this as a counter ‘dig' at the sisters .” Sure enough the subject was afterward taken up in dead earnest, and the ‘Word of Wisdom' was the result. (David Whitmer). (Des Moines Daily News, 16 Oct 1886:20 c. in: Newell & Avery 1994:47, also c: An Historical Analysis of the Word of Wisdom, Paul H. Peterson - Masters Thesis, [no location provided]; Also: c. in Tanner 1987:406. See also Tanner 1987: Ch. 26 for excellent coverage). (Emphasis added).  Section 89 of the D&C is one of many sections written to appear, not just as inspired words but rather, as if it was direct from the mouth of the Lord, as verse 4 includes “…thus saith the Lord unto you…” It prohibits the use of “wine” and “strong drinks”, “tobacco” and “hot drinks”. It also states that meat should only be eaten sparingly, “in times of winter, orof cold, or famine”. Good things are herbs, fruit and grain. It did not include beer, which continued to be used. Did Smith bring God in on the joke or did he simply make up a revelation to keep everyone quiet and happy? It is very hard to accommodate the idea that God coincidentally wanted the saints to comply with all aspects of discussions that were in reality, no more than a joke at the time. As with everything connected with religion though, it gave Smith more control over people and bound them more into the web of Mormonism. It was more new revelation and something the saints could do to show obedience to their God.

 Smith often seems to have picked up on what was popular in his day (such as the ideas in View of the Hebrews for his Book of Mormon ) and he may have seen the 25 August 1830 edition of the Journal of Health published in Philadelphia. It had been running a series of articles written strongly against the use of spirits, alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee; plus it advised substitution of vegetables for animal products. D&C 89, reflecting all of the above ideas, was dated 27 Feb 1833. Smith was not out of harmony with current health issues.

 I always thought that the revelation was originally given as advice only, becoming a commandment later, in the early twentieth century, but records indicate that initially it was a commandment which, being very unpopular quickly devolved into a mater of choice. [Footnote: The Word of Wisdom--Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 89)--as given in the spring of 1833 commanded that the Saints totally abstain from the use of alcohol, tobacco, and hot drinks (tea and coffee). However, because of wide-spread use of and deep-seated attachment to these substances by members, this revelation, by 1834, was changed from a direct commandment to general advise only. Even so, zealous leaders and members pressed for compliance with the original meaning of the revelation, and in early December 1836, a unanimous vote of the Saints in Kirtland supported the complete abstinence of "all liquors from the Church in Sickness & in health except wine at the Sacraments & for external washing" (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, 4 December 1836).] ( Kirtland Elders' Quorum Record: 15 Oct 1837). (Emphasis added).

 This indicates that God commanded abstinence, yet the idea was quickly diluted; so what did God have to do with it? Evidence that Smith did not take his Word of Wisdom revelation too seriously himself, is firmly established by the following quote about the day he rode through town on a horse smoking a cigar. He drank beer of course and although apparently moderately, also wine, up until (and including) the very day that he was killed. Joseph Smith tried the faith of the saints many times by his peculiarities. At one time he had preached a powerful sermon on the Word of Wisdom and immediately thereafter, he rode through the streets of Nauvoo smoking a cigar . Some of the brethren were tried as was Abraham of old. (Tanner 1987:6 c: Joseph Smith as an Administrator, Gary Dean Guthrie, M.A. thesis, Brigham Young University, May 1969:161, in turn c: the diary of Apostle Abraham H. Cannon. V.19. 1 Oct 1895. Special Collections Dept. BYU Library). (Emphasis added).

 There are various references to Smith also being fond of a drink: Called at the office and drank a glass of wine with Sister Jenetta Richards, made by her mother in England, and reviewed a portion of the conference minutes. (HC V.5:380. Incident date: 2 May 1843). (Emphasis added).    He was partial to a well supplied table and he did not always refuse the wine that ‘maketh the heart glad.' (Tanner 1987:407 c: A letter by Benjamin F. Johnson to Elder George S. Gibbs, 1903, printed in The Testimony of Joseph Smith's Best Friend, p 4). (Emphasis added).

We then partook of some refreshments, and our hearts were made glad with the fruit of the vine . (HC V.2:369. Incident date: January 1836; Also c. in Tanner 1987:407). (Emphasis added).

 The Word of Wisdom was ultimately then, not confirmed a commandment, but rather as advice and there was no actual obligation to obey; it was a matter of individual choice. Neither Joseph nor Emma appeared to completely adhere to it but it did keep the room used for the School of Elders free from smoke and tobacco spit and that would have kept Emma happy at least.

 The Kirtland High Council Minute Book for 20 February 1834 confirms: The council then proceeded to try the question, whether disobedience to the Word of Wisdom was a transgression sufficient to deprive an official member from holding an office in the Church, after having it sufficiently taught him … the President [Joseph Smith] proceeded to give a decision ‘That no official member in this Church is worthy to hold an office after having the Words of Wisdom properly taught to him, and he, the official member, neglecting to comply with, or obey them.' (Collier & Harwell 2002:33).

 The Tanner's provide evidence of the Church falsifying history to make it appear as though Joseph Smith did not do some of the things that he did regarding the Word of Wisdom. They provide copies of some original wording alongside falsified documents in their book, Mormonism - Shadow or Reality? Pp. 6-7 and Chapter 26 confirm the falsifications:

The Mormon leaders have made three important changes concerning the Word of Wisdom in Joseph Smith's History of the Church . In one instance, Joseph Smith asked “Brother Markam” to get “a pipe and some tobacco” for the Apostle Willard Richards. These words have been replaced with the word “medicine” in recent editions of the History of the Church . At another time Joseph Smith related that he gave some of the “brethren” a “couple of dollars, with directions to replenish” their supply of “whisky.” In modern editions of the History of the Church , 23 words have been deleted from this reference to cover up the fact that Joseph Smith encouraged the "brethren" to disobey the Word of Wisdom. In the third instance, Joseph Smith frankly admitted that he had “drank a glass of beer at moessers.” These words have been omitted in recent editions of the History of the Church .

The Mormon Church forbids the use of tea, but according to Joseph Smith's Diary, March 11, 1843, Smith was fond of strong tea: “…in the office Joseph said he had tea with his breakfast. his wife asked him if [it] was good. he said if it was a little stronger he should like it better , when Mother Granger remarked, ‘It is so strong, and good, I should think it would answer Both for drink, and food.'” This was entirely omitted in the History of the Church (see Vol. 5, page 302).

 The fact that these items have been wilfully and deliberately falsified in Church history underlines the level of integrity inherent in the leadership of the Church. The fact that modern day leaders are fully aware of these and many other evidenced falsifications and that they do nothing to correct matters, tells us that nothing has changed. There is no integrity, just deceit and lies on a continuing, and at times, even an evolving basis. Does it actually matter what Smith did regarding the WoW if it was just advice. An embarrassing example?

 On the day that Joseph Smith died, he and his companions drank wine to revive their spirits:

Sometime after dinner we sent for some wine. It has been reported by some that this was taken as a sacrament. It was no such thing; our spirits were generally dull and heavy, and it was sent for to revive us. I think it was Captain Jones who went after it, but they would not suffer him to return. I believe we all drank of the wine, and gave some to one or two of the prison guards. (John Taylor). (HC V.7:101).

 John Taylor became the third prophet and President of the Church. The Tanners take up Taylor's later attitude towards alcohol, which remained liberal:

It is interesting to note that the Apostle John Taylor continued to use alcoholic beverages after Joseph Smith's death. Hosea Stout recorded the following in his diary on June 3, 1847: While I was explaining this prests O. Hyde P. P. Pratt and John Taylor also came in so I stoped saying I had been catched twice. Elder Taylor replied to go on and not stop for them. I told him it was nothing but a police meeting and not interesting to them. ‘Never mind says he we are police men too.' Says I. ‘I hope you will all conform to the rules of the police then.' ‘Certainly' says Taylor ‘Bring on the jug ' says I at which they were presented with a large jug of whiskey . This was such an unexpected turn that it was only answered by a peal of laughter & they all paid due respect to the jug... After drinking says Parley ‘I have traveled these streets all times of the night & never before have I saw a police man but now I know where to find them hereafter' alluding to the jug .‘Parley' says I ‘do you not know that some things in this kingdom are only spiritually discerned & so with the police.' (Tanner 1987:407 c: On the Mormon Frontier, The Diary of Hosea Stout, 1844-1861, V.1:259. For more references, see Tanner 1987: Ch 26).  It may or may not surprise some readers to learn that Joseph Smith (Mayor of Nauvoo, with a licence to dispense liquor) installed a bar in his ‘Nauvoo Mansion' which was used as a hotel. Emma returned home to find it there, with Porter Rockwell tending the bar. Emma eventually summoned Joseph to the room and told him that either the bar went or she and the children would. It did not take Smith long to consider the ultimatum. Emma won the day and out went the bar. (The Saints' Herald V.80 Jan 1935:110, c. in: Tanner 1987:408).

Although it is clear that Joseph Smith did not himself observe his Word of Wisdom, the fact that it was not a commandment seems to have been forgotten in respect of others who were actually disciplined for disobedience. Hypocrisy? Or am I missing something? For example, the Kirtland High Council Minute Book records that on 6 June 1835:

(Collier & Harwell 2002:117).

 This was quite a severe punishment, considering that sometimes men who committed fornication were able to retain their membership through making an immediate confession and a promise not to repeat it. According to the Nauvoo High Council Minute Book for 26 January 1841:

We prefer a charge against Elder Theodore Turley. 1.For unchristian conduct while on the sea, for romping and kissing the females and  dancing. 2.For sleeping with two females coming up the Lakes and on the road to Dixon's  ferry. 3.For not settling with the brethren for what money he received of them, and taking the lumber from the boat without leave.

4.For threatening the brethren that Brother Joseph would not hear any thing – that they would not tell him about him - for he was of the same spirit and signified the same Priesthood - signifying [that] if they told him he would not hear them.    The defendant pled not guilty … The charges were sustained. After which the President decided that he, the defendant, in order to retain his fellowship, should acknowledge, both before the Council, and also, to a public congregation, that he had acted unwisely, unjustly, imprudently, and unbecoming, and that he had set a bad example before his brethren and sisters as he was coming over from Europe. The council sanctioned the President's decision. Elder Theodore Turley then made a confession to the satisfaction of the council, and stated that he would rejoice in the opportunity of making the like confession before the public. (Collier 2005:29-30).  It's a good job Turley didn't go for a crafty drink or a smoke while he was at sea or it may have proved his undoing. Sex with two girls appears more forgivable than breaking the Word of Wisdom. Some who broke the Word of Wisdom however, did manage to get let off with a warning.

 The Kirtland High Council Minute Book for 19 Aug 1835 records: Elder Babbitt was called upon to speak for himself. He said he had taken the liberty to break the Word of Wisdom from the example of President Joseph Smith Junior & others, but acknowledged that it was wrong… (Emphasis added). (Collier & Harwell. 2002:130).

 Babbitt fared a lot better than Hays and for that (and presuming to ‘dictate' to Elder J. B. Smith in his preaching) he got ‘reproved', receiving a mild telling off and some instruction. He was probably perplexed as to why Smith did not need to live by the same rules that he did.

 Sometimes, bad behaviour was completely overlooked, despite a whole congregation objecting. Such was the case following a General Conference in April 1841. The Nauvoo High Council met and part of the business was to “approve or disapprove of certain men who had been objected, as unfit for the offices hereafter named, by the Quorums of the General Conference”. Despite congregational quorum votes, the High Council had the final say. These days, voting is almost a formality but should a person be put forward for sustaining vote to an office such as Bishop; and a member vote against because they know he gets drunk and then involved in immoral habits; as you might imagine, he would not only not be called, but he would face disciplinary action for the offences and also for lying in his pre-call interview. It was not always like that. According to the Nauvoo High Council Minute Book , on 6 Apr 1841, when Bishop Alanson Ripley was taken into consideration…

 Objections were made to him for his drinking and immoral habits which necessarily follows and abusing his brethren while under the influence of Liquor . His situation and character was discussed at considerable length. After which he was approved by a majority . (Emphasis added). (Collier 2005:32).

 Despite there being no evidence offered to refute the allegations, which seem to have generally been accepted and presumably admitted; and the fact that the congregation had then correctly voted against his call, the High Council sustained Bishop Ripley anyway. Notably, not all the High Council agreed on that; he was approved only “by a majority”. In some other recorded instances, members committing similar offences were excommunicated, when not just their calling was considered but their very membership. There was no consistency. As an aside, it is not generally known that several senior officers were often not approved of by the congregation at conferences and many votes were cast against people. Once, when Joseph Smith started having problems with Sidney Rigdon and he tried to release him from the First Presidency, the congregation voted against his release. Smith had to keep him. Members believed they should choose their own leaders, hence the voting. The High Council had the final say on most matters.

 On this occasion the High Council considered ‘…certain men who had been objected, as unfit for the offices hereafter named, by the Quorums of the General Conference'. The rejected men now considered by the High Council, (along with the results) were: John A. Hicks (President of the Elders Quorum), approved by a majority; John E. Page (Quorum of Twelve Apostles), approved unanimously; Noah Packard Sr., (Counsellor to the President of High Priests) was approved; James Foster (one of the Seven Presidents of the Seventy) was unanimously disapproved; Newel K. Whitney (Bishop) unanimously approved. All but one of the men who had been disapproved by the congregation, were subsequently approved by the High Council – including an apostle. It would be interesting to know why conference voted against an apostle.

 Today it would be unthinkable that anyone (other than perhaps an attending apostate) would ever vote against an apostle or one of the Presidents of the Seventy, who on this occasion was subsequently also disapproved by the High Council, confirming the previous vote at the conference. In those days, these men were not exactly living to the same standards that are expected of Church leaders today. But then of course they had Joseph Smith as their example.

 Emma Smith apparently also did not always observe the Word of Wisdom:

 I know persons who apostatized because they supposed they had reasons; for instance, a certain family, after having traveled a long journey, arrived in Kirtland, and the prophet asked them to stop with him until they could find a place. Sister Emma, in the mean time, asked the old lady if she would have a cup of tea to refresh her after the fatigues of the journey, or a cup of coffee. This whole family apostatized because they were invited to take a cup of tea or coffee, after the Word of Wisdom was given. (JD V.2:240. George A. Smith 18 Mar 1855).

 On 9 September 1851, Brigham Young had a Church Conference covenant to accept and obey the Word of Wisdom as a commandment (and also to accept excommunication for non-payment of tithing). (Quinn 1997:749). It does not appear to have been enforced.

 The concept of the Word of Wisdom, as it applied in the mid eighteen hundreds, is evidence of yet another evolving, rather than specific, principle which is here expressed differently to that which is accepted today. Early saints considered hot chocolate, cocoa, hot soup and pig's meat included in the list of proscribed items. Nothing anywhere explains why they are now acceptable.

We are told, and very plainly too, that hot drinks - tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa and all drinks of this kind are not good for man. We are also told that alcoholic drinks are not good, and that tobacco when either smoked or chewed is an evil. We are told that swine's flesh is not good, and that we should dispense with it; and we are told that flesh of any kind is not suitable to man in the summer time, and ought to be eaten sparingly in the winter…

…we must feed our children properly.... We must not permit them to drink liquor or hot drinks, or hot soups or to use tobacco or other articles that are injurious. (JD. V.12:221&223. George Q. Cannon 7 Apr 1868).    Later examples, of which there are many, concerning a complete disregard for the code by those who one would expect to be seen to exemplify the idea, include the following:   I was quite restless all night. Felt chilly. Took a little Brandy sling and a cup of coffee, and slept some before daylight and until 9 am… (Wilford Woodruff Journal, 9 Jun 1897).

 Woodruff had been the Prophet and President of the Church for several years (1889-1898) when he wrote that note in his journal.

 When you consider that the tenth Prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith, declared the habit of drinking tea, coffee or smoking can ‘bar' a person from the ‘celestial kingdom of God' it appears that not so many of the early members and almost none of their leaders will make it there after all as they took little, if any notice of the Word of Wisdom. (See: Tanner 1987:406 c: Smith, Joseph Fielding 1954: Vol. 2:16; also c: Stewart 1966, who claimed Joseph Smith “carefully observed the Word of Wisdom”). The Tanner's thus identified that you cannot believe much of anything you read without checking the facts for yourself.But then Smith never said anything about it being mandatory, or of disobedience having an eternal effect; so Joseph F. Smith was just using fear to keep members in line, while Smith Jr. was originally just keeping his wife happy. It is inconceivable that any God would bar some people from heaven for drinking tea and allow his own prophet, who ‘revealed' the idea (yet still drank it), to enter. As previously stated, times change but God is not supposed to.

In the same way, when Brigham made whiskey, the whiskey was sanctified. Joseph Smith gave a “revelation” which he called “The Word of Wisdom,” enjoining those who among the Saints would be most saintly, never to touch any kind of strong drink; not even tea or coffee, or anything warm. This revelation, as I before mentioned, we ourselves followed while on mission, as, in fact, did all the members of the Church in Europe. It was only when we saw the American Apostles and Elders - more fond of creature comforts than obeying the commands of the Prophet - that we thought it was needless for us to abstain any longer; and accordingly followed their example, and ceased to deny ourselves many of those things which are generally considered to be among the necessaries of life. The Saints in Europe were not backward in imitating the Apostolic example; and thus the “Word of Wisdom” has fallen into disuse. (Stenhouse, F. 1874: Ch. XXXV).

 Brigham Young was generally involved in any project where money was to be made. He owned his own distillery which the Salt Lake City Council rented from him for $2000 a year from 1861 to 1867. After that time the city bought liquor from the Howard Distillery, which was jointly owned by Brigham Young and Daniel H. Wells. That Young was a member of the City Council from 1872-1877 and Wells was Mayor from 1866-1876 should come as no surprise. On 3 June 1876, the Deseret News published a Grand Jury audit of the Salt Lake Corporation's financial records which included substantial purchases of liquor. City funds paid for liquor for Pioneer Day and also for a party of veterans of the Mormon Battalion. The Deseret News report stated: “After completion of the railroad, the city continued to buy liquor from Brigham Young at $4.00 per gallon, although they could have gotten better ‘States' liquor at $1.25 per gallon.”

In 1867, Brigham Young stated that most of the Bishops did not observe the Word of Wisdom: “You go through the wards in the city, and then through the wards in the country, and ask the Bishops--'Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?' The reply will be 'Yes; no, not exactly.' 'Do you drink tea?' 'No.' 'Coffee?' 'No.' 'Do you drink whisky?' 'No.' Well, then, why do you not observe the Word of Wisdom?' 'Well, this tobacco, I cannot give it up .' And in this he sets an example to every man, and to every boy over ten years of age, in his ward, to nibble at and chew tobacco. You go to another ward, and perhaps the Bishop does not chew tobacco, nor drink tea nor coffee, but once in a while he takes a little spirits , and keeps whiskey in his house, in which he will occasionally indulge -- Go to another ward, and perhaps the Bishop does not drink whisky nor chew tobacco, but he 'cannot give up his tea and coffee.' And so it goes through the whole church. Not every Bishop indulges in one or more of these habits, but most of them do . I recollect being at a trial not long since where quite a number of Bishops had been called in as witnesses, but I could not learn that there was one who did not drink whiskey , and I think that most of them drank tea and coffee . I think that we have some bishops in this city who do not chew tobacco, nor drink liquor nor tea nor coffee to excess.... If a person is weary, worn out, cast down, fainting, or dying, a brandy sling, a little wine, or a cup of tea is good to revive them. Do not throw these things away, and say they must never be used ; they are good to be used with judgment, prudence, and discretion. Ask our bishops if they drink tea every day, and in most cases they will tell you they do if they can get it .” (JD V. 12: 27-28 misprinted as pp 402-403) (Additional Emphasis added).

A letter dated 8 Apr 1849 from Louisa Beaman (a wife of Brigham Young) to Marinda Hyde, confirms the normality of drinking tea and coffee as she describes their conditions:

…sister P mentioned in her letter she drank a cup of tea occasionly for me I am quite glad she does for it is very seldom that I get the chance to drink a cup for myself, tea and, coffee, and shugar is verry scarse with us… (Compton 1997:66).

 The following evidence, again included by the Tanners, gives a clear picture of the situation, twenty four years after Louisa's letter:

Heber C. Kimball, who was a member of the First Presidency, once stated that “virtuous Saints,... will not sell whiskey , and stick up grogeries, and establish distilleries ,...” (JD. V.2:161) This statement seems very strange when we learn that Joseph Smith sold whiskey in Nauvoo, and that Brigham Young built a distillery and sold alcoholic beverages in Utah. Even the Mormon-owned Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution (now known as ZCMI) sold the items forbidden by the Word of Wisdom. On Oct. 7, 1873, George A. Smith, a member of the First Presidency, made this statement: “ We are doing a great business in tea, coffee, and tobacco in the Cooperative Store.” (JD. V.16:238). (Tanner 1987:412).

 There was always a problem with men chewing tobacco and there appears to have been a sort of unwritten ‘cut-off' point when men below a certain age were expected not to use it. This remark by Apostle Smith made in 1857 sheds some further light on that idea. I consider it a disgrace to any young man under thirty-five years of age to use tobacco. (Voice: Forty is the age.) That is my age: I was thinking I was thirty-five. (Apostle George A. Smith, Bowery, 2 Aug, 1857. JD V.5:101).  

The Word of Wisdom seems to have been lived by a minority of the saints rather than the majority by all accounts. On 5 May 1870, in a testimony meeting in the Tabernacle, Brigham Young requested that mother's leave children at home if possible so as not to disturb the meeting; and also “that Gentlemen will desist besmearing the floors with tobacco spittle &c. Tabernacle installs dozens of tobacco spittoons.” (Quinn 1997:766). 28 Sept 1883. “A number” of First Presidency and apostles “confessed to breaking the Word of Wisdom” and vote to obey it. However, this vote does not apply to wine which members of School of Prophets drink by glassful at their meeting on 12 Oct. (Quinn 1997:782).

 The Church eventually became embarrassed by the amount of wine making and drinking that was going on, not to mention drunkenness in the Church. The difficulty was that the tithing office was not exactly setting the example, as it also made wine; and lots of it. The Church was actually the biggest single producer of wine and when they finally decided that this should stop, the tithing office was faced with the task of disposing of six thousand gallons of wine “as best it could”. How it had come to this, considering that the word ‘wine' specifically appears in the original revelation as something against the Word of Wisdom; a revelation given on a “Thus saith the Lord” basis; we can only speculate. It was certainly not something taken too seriously by the Church leaders any more than the general membership, several decades later.

7 October 1894. Wilford Woodruff instructs conference priesthood meeting that all presiding officers should live Word of Wisdom, and he threatens to drop Presiding Patriarch John Smith from office if he continues using tobacco and alcohol. (Quinn 1997:796).

 And yet Woodruff drank brandy and coffee himself in 1897 (see p.161) as recorded in his very own journal. Even after the turn of the century, the First Presidency and Twelve were facing dilemmas concerning what to include in the Word of Wisdom. On 1 February 1901, the first Presidency decided to suspend a ten-year policy allowing the sale of alcohol at Saltair (a church owned amusement park and resort). (Quinn 1997:803) . During a meeting on 11 July 1901, consideration was given as to whether they should continue to sell beer at Saltair or whether stopping would invade the rights of the old saints who would go there and smoke their pipes and drink alcohol.

 They talked of the revelation speaking of barley for mild drinks and considered whether beer that was intoxicating would be considered a mild drink. They felt it needed serious thought and wondered if they had an extreme view of the word of the Lord. They considered German beer very light and mild, which would not intoxicate, whereas American beer was much stronger and would cause drunkenness. Eventually, they agreed Danish beer was not harmful or in violation of the Word of Wisdom and released an official statement to that effect. No revelation appears to have sought in clarification of the Lord's desires for His people. They just chose what it meant to them at that time. On 14 April 1904, the First Presidency and apostles also decided to resume the sale of liquor at Saltair due to the need for non-Mormon patronage.

 Within the twelve there was still dissention, well into the twentieth century. On 2 April 1932, Heber J. Grant launched a campaign again the use of tobacco as part of his emphasis on the Word of Wisdom. Early the following month, Apostle Stephen L. Richards stated (to the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles) that he would resign rather than apologise for a general conference talk in which he claimed the church was putting too much emphasis on the Word of Wisdom. Before the end of the month, Richards had ‘confessed his error' and thus retained his position. (Quinn 1997:822).

 Some things Smith included (from the Lord Himself) within the revelation are strange. Tobacco is only for use in treating bruises and to heal sick cattle, if ever anyone can discover how that works. Barley is for mild drinks, which then meant beer, which was not against the Word of Wisdom and consumed without concern. For my family, it meant (previously forbidden) hot drinks, such as Barley Cup or Caro ( Pero in some countries) and Postum, all made from barley and rye (some include chicory) and tasting similar to a mild coffee, available from grocery stores (heath food shops in the U.K). They are pleasant drinks and caffeine free. However, they are taken hot. Once again, times change and so do doctrines along with them. Why did God change His mind, having earlier declared “thus saith the Lord” that beer was suitable to drink? D&C 89 affirms strong drinks not for drinking but “ for the washing of your bodies”. Perhaps that is why whisky was added to fragrance baths in which members were originally immersed during their washing and anointing (initiatory) ceremony in early Temples; another eternal unchangeable principle which has continually changed until it has in fact completely disappeared, the remaining ordinance being entirely symbolic. (See TMD Volume 3, Section 3, Temple Ceremonies).

 Today, the Church completely ignores any aspects of the revelation in relation to meat which is freely eaten and never gets mentioned. We may wonder why the Mormon God bothered to mention it at all.

 In the real world, a glass of red wine each day is considered healthy. It contains resveratrol which is a strong antioxidant and is heart-healthy and twenty-four ounces of coffee a day; shown to reduce liver cancer and effective with, or with symptoms of, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases; is also considered healthy.

 Emma's original problem with tobacco seems to be the only part of the Word of Wisdom that Smith actually got right. Smoking clearly is not such a good idea. Tobacco has recently been used in experiments regarding cancer treatment, so; who knows, perhaps a good use for it may yet surface. Just not the ones Joseph Smith claimed it should be used for. Smith's revelation stated and Brigham Young affirmed that tobacco was to be used for bruises and sick cattle. To this day, no one has a clue as to what use regarding sick cattle tobacco should be put. How it should be administered to cattle, in what dosage, internally or externally and for what actual sickness, remains a mystery. [ MormonThink editor comment: tobacco has at times been used to treat intestinal worms in cattle ]

 Over the years, as with everything Mormon, the Word of Wisdom has evolved beyond recognition. Today, members abstain from tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco. That now means all types of alcohol. In later years, some years after I joined the Church, all forms of ‘cola' drinks were ‘advised' against. No specific reason was officially given. As chocolate also contains caffeine, I always thought it may be the phosphoric acid that was most harmful in cola drinks but then later, articles started to appear in Church youth magazines that referred to caffeine. I never did understand this idea, but when ‘revealed', my family and I faithfully abstained from cola drinks. The Word of Wisdom was after all, a “law of obedience” so we dutifully obeyed.

Editor's Comments

The Word of Wisdom is sometimes heralded by LDS members as a divine straight-forward principle and even as evidence that the LDS Church is true, since the LDS Church is apparently the only organization that has this knowledge and how could Joseph have known these things before modern science proved them true.

Generally what is taught is that the WOW commandment was given as a direct revelation from God in response to Emma's complaining about the men using chewing tobacco and messing up the floors. It's usually taught that the commandment was then immediately implemented and followed by the members, especially the leaders of the church. And of course no mention is made of Joseph or other church leaders using tobacco or drinking alcohol in any form after the revelation was given. Also, no mention is made that the Church used to produce alcohol, sell alcohol and profit by it for many decades after the WOW revelation was given.

The WOW in general has some things we admire and agree with. None of us finds any redeeming value in tobacco and would just as soon see it removed from society. Although most of us don't drink alcohol, we don't find fault in others that do drink as long as it doesn't adversely affect their lives or other's lives.

Were the Word of Wisdom concepts known before Joseph's revelation?

President Hinckley proclaimed in the December 2005 Ensign (emphasis added):

The code of health followed by Latter-day Saints, which is so widely praised in these days of cancer and heart research, is in reality a revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1833 as "a Word of Wisdom" from the Lord (see D&C 89:1). In no conceivable way could it have come of the dietary literature of the time nor from the mind of the man who announced it. Today, in terms of medical research, it is a miracle whose observance has saved incalculable suffering and premature death for uncounted tens of thousands.

Here is what doctors were saying about health in 1806. It comes from the book MEANS OF PRESERVING HEALTH, AND PREVENTING DISEASES , Dr. Shadrach Ricketson, Printed by Collins, Perkins, and Co , New York, 1806 Ricketson gives his own thoughts on various health issues and quotes several of the well-know physicians of the time: Percival, J. Fothergill, Leake, Willich, Cullen and Rush. We've listed the page numbers for reference. The early 19th century physicians knew a lot more than we give them credit for. The WOW essentially mirrors early 19th century dietary and medical recommendations. Notice how it even specifically uses the terms "hot drinks" and details the reasoning for the whole "eat meat only in winter" idea:

ALCOHOL 31 Wine...when drunk frequently and copiously, it generally, sooner or later, injures the constitution, or renders it subject to inflammatory diseases. It is a powerful stimulant, the long continued use of which, rarely fails to induce debility. Hence, great wine-drinkers, somewhat advanced in life, are generally low-spirited, and often afflicted with a long train of hypochondrical symptoms and incurable diseases... 34 [Concerning distilled spirits] their frequent and excessive use is not only unnecessary, but highly injurious; and has destroyed thousands; perhaps more than either pestilence, famine, or the sword. I need not, therefore, take much pains to show their evil consequences, either in a medical, political, moral, or religious point of view; HOT DRINKS 92 It is supposed, that tea contains a volatile, cordial, or reviving principle; which, if admitted is nothing in favour of its wholesomeness for constant use; for powers of a stimulant nature, when long continued, are sure to be followed by an atonic or debilitated state of the stomach; and, finally, of the whole constitution. Many cheaper and more innocent substitutes may be found in our own country; which, if prepared in a similar manner, should be used rather cool than hot. 99 It is rare to see great and constant drinkers of strong tea and coffee, somewhat advanced in life, who have not some symptoms of weakness, tremors, or indigestion: wherefore, it is judged, that the great number and increase of paralytic, nervous, and hypochondriac diseases are, in part, to be attributed to the frequent and excessive use of those articles, drunk in a hot and strong state. Did women know the train of diseases induced by debility, and how disagreeable these diseases render them to the other sex, they would shun tea as the most deadly poison. No man can love a woman eaten up with vapours... Avoid, likewise, the excessive use of hot drinks , such as coffee, chocolate, and tea, particularly the last, in which the inhabitants of this country indulge more than any other beverage TOBACCO 226 In no one view, is it possible to contemplate the creature man in a more absurd and ridiculous light; than in his attachment to tobacco. This weed is of a stimulating nature, whether it be used in smoking, chewing, or in snuff... The progress of habit in the use of tobacco is exactly the same as in the use of spirituous liquors. The slaves of it begin by using it only after dinner; then during the whole afternoon and evening; afterwards, before dinner; then before breakfast; and, finally, during the whole night. The oil of tobacco is of so active and virulent a nature, that a few drops of it have proven fatal. This plant is possessed of narcotic properties, by which it produces, in those who first begin to smoke it, giddiness, cold sweats, vomiting, purging; MEAT 108 A reason for avoiding much animal food, especially in cities, and during the summer season, is, that a great part of the fresh meat brought to market, becomes overheated and feverish by long keeping...and some, perhaps, has already undergone the incipient stage of putrefaction before it is cooked...It is therefore, recommended to all in hot seasons and climates, to abstain from much animal food ... 119 ...although animal food may be admissible by the human economy...for the most part, a small portion of it only is necessary; that the very temperate and sparing use of it is the surest means of preserving health, and obtaining long life; whilst the large use of it tends to the production of diseases... 114 Melted fat, or the drippings of baked and roasted meat, are equally, if not more, pernicious to the stomach than even stale butter, and both ought to be used only for greasing cart-wheels, and not for injuring human organs.

That was just one example of many publications that represented some educated thinking of Joseph's day prior to Joseph receiving the WOW revelation. Another example is from the Journal of Health , published in Philadelphia in 1830 which condemned the use of the alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea as well as advising against excessive meat eating.

Although believing members herald the WOW as modern revelation unique to Latter-day Saints, the disdain for alcohol by many religious groups preceded the WOW so the LDS church cannot take credit for bringing forth anything unique. Although the WOW has some good advice, the church cannot claim these are revolutionary ideas never known before Joseph presented them before the church. Various temperance organizations were formed before the church adopted the WOW as discussed here:

Temperance Movement - wikipedia

The Cold Water Army

Ohio History

Anti-smoking sentiment had been around long before the WOW such as this tirade by King James 6 in 1604:

A Counterblaste to Tobacco

The term ‘hot drinks' in the WOW perhaps betrays the revelation as not really coming from God as it is subject to different interpretations and therefore not that useful. Also, unfortunately, shortly after this revelation was given, many Latter-Day Saints took the advice literally. They would not boil water which was to be used by humans. You often read of the horrible bouts of dysentery and cholera running rampant through various Mormon settlements after 1830; now you know the reason.

Similarly, we wonder how many saints fall asleep at the wheel on a long trip as they are afraid to take a sip of coffee or take a caffeine ‘stay alert' pill to avoid falling asleep.

Abstaining from Meat

The abstaining from eating meat except in times of famine part of the WOW also detracts from the value of the revelation as it is largely ignored by the church members. In my ward, we have an annual ‘steak fry' which flies in the face of that part of the WOW.

Also, the LDS church owns the largest cattle ranch in the USA, Deseret Cattle Ranch in Orlando, Florida.That seems in direct contradiction to the edict to only eat meat sparingly. Link is here. Link is here.

Benefits of not following the WOW

Although church members often show the benefits of following the WOW, they usually ignore the evidence that shows the benefits of violating the WOW such as studies that show how drinking a small quantity of wine has been shown to improve health. Also, there are as many studies that show beneficial aspects of drinking tea and coffee as there are studies that condemn drinking tea and coffee. Link is here. And this study that shows that heavy drinkers actually outlive non-drinkers .

Not strict until 20th century

The LDS Church didn‘t adopt a strict adherence to the Word of Wisdom until well into the 20th century. Consider this statement from John Taylor in 1886: ―The Word of Wisdom as originally given was sent not by commandment or constraint, but … for the temporal salvation of all Saints in these days … [N]o rule has been formulated, nor law proclaimed, nor counsel given since that time which makes its strict observance necessary to receive ordinances … in the temples. ( The Development of LDS Temple Worship , Devery Anderson, pg 61)

Divine promise

The Word of Wisdom states that it comprises a "principle with promise". The promise given to those who followed the advice of the word of wisdom is as follows:

And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them.

Obviously there are many good members of the church (especially children) that follow the WOW faithfully and still develop health problems. The promise is hollow.

Jesus and wine

Another myth not addressed above is the common assertion often told in church to explain the scriptures where Jesus drank wine which violates the WOW. The response given in the LDS church (and often by other Christian churches) is that the wine Jesus drank was simply grape juice and not regular fermented alcoholic wine. That's simply a fairy tale made up to discourage people from drinking any alcohol or even to show that the WOW is real revelation. The first miracle that Jesus performed was to turn water into wine. There's no evidence to show that he turned water into only grape juice. Also, why would he turn water into wine if he thought drinking wine was evil? Even this pastor says to suggest that the wine Jesus drank was grape juice is insulting to your intelligence:

Link is here.

The Bible and Alcohol: Link is here.

This isn't to say that we think Jesus got drunk but it seems extremely likely he did drink some alcohol as it was simply the custom of the peoples in which he lived – much like many European countries where wine is still drank with most meals today.

What the Word of Wisdom really needed

Perhaps one of the best rebuttals to these "miracle" claims about the Word of Wisdom is to point out that many more lives would have been saved (including especially children), if God could have revealed to Joseph that the people should boil their water before drinking it and thereby avoid contracting the water-borne diseases that killed so many in those days. That would have been truly a marvelous and amazing revelation in those times. Instead, all Joseph got was a rehashing of popular health guidelines that had been published and preached in various forms by various people before the WOW was revealed.

The WOW in general has some things we admire and agree with. In general, people are healthier following its advice. But the way in which it came about does not seem so miraculous. Everything given in the WOW was published years before by early 19th century medical practitioners and advocated by many temperance societies. Also, the church has covered up the fact that in the 1800s, the highest-ranking members of the church frequently violated the WOW including Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Also, never discussed is how the church produced and sold alcohol for decades after the WOW was given. The WOW may have evolved into something almost divine but the origins and early practices of it seem to indicate that it perhaps came from man and not really from Deity.

Supporting the critics:

The Mormon Delusion , Jim Whitefield's website

Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? , Chapter 26, Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Supporting the church:

Rebuttal of the Tanner's book by LDS apologists:

Mormon Expression: Episode 27 The Word of Wisdom for Dummies

• ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Word of Wisdom

The Word of Wisdom is a law of health revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children. On February 27, 1833, as recorded in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord revealed which foods are good for us to eat and which substances are not good for the human body. He also promised health, protection, knowledge, and wisdom to those who obey the Word of Wisdom.

Additional Information

In the Word of Wisdom, the Lord revealed that the following substances are harmful:

Alcoholic drinks (see D&C 89:5-7).

Tobacco (see D&C 89:8).

Tea and coffee (see D&C 89:9; latter-day prophets have taught that the term “hot drinks,” as written in this verse, refers to tea and coffee).

When people purposefully take anything harmful into their bodies, they are not living in harmony with the Word of Wisdom. Illegal drugs can especially destroy those who use them. The abuse of prescription drugs is also destructive spiritually and physically.

The Lord also declared in the Word of Wisdom that the following foods are good:

Vegetables and fruits, which should be used “with prudence and thanksgiving” (see D&C 89:10-11).

The flesh “of beasts and of the fowls of the air,” which is “to be used sparingly” (see D&C 89:12-13).

Grains such as wheat, rice, and oats, which are “the staff of life” (see D&C 89:14-17).

To those who keep the Word of Wisdom, the Lord promised:

“All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

”And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

“And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

”And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them“ (D&C 89:18-21).

The best course is to completely avoid the substances that the Lord prohibits in the Word of Wisdom. Those who have engaged in addictive behaviors can stop and become free from addiction. Through personal effort, strength from the Lord, help from family members and friends, and guidance from Church leaders, anyone can overcome addiction.

See also Obedience; Temptation

—See True to the Faith (2004), 186-88

Scripture References

Additional study materials.

"Observing the Word of Wisdom" Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, Chapter 21

"Living the Word of Wisdom" Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, Chapter 11

"Word of Wisdom" Encyclopedia of Mormonism

"Word of Wisdom" Guide to the Scriptures

Addiction Recovery Program LDS Family Services

"The Word of Wisdom: 'A Principle with Promise' " Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual, Lesson 22

"The Lord's Law of Health" Gospel Principles, Chapter 29

"Living the Word of Wisdom" Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, Chapter 29

"The Word of Wisdom: A Law for the Physical and Spiritual Health of the Saints" Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, Chapter 36

Gospel Essays

Thoughts on the word of wisdom.

I served a mission from 1999-2001 in Southern California.  It was overall an amazing two years, but there was one aspect of that time that always filled me with dread.  I am sure many of the missionaries who served in the days of the “6 Discussions” will agree that the 4th discussion was terrifying.  For those of you who don’t know why, it came down to the final two concepts you teach in that discussion.

• The Word of Wisdom

Having a conversation with someone else about their chastity, especially when we were 19 years old and most of the people we were teaching were well over 35 years old, was not only the most intimidating thing we had to teach, but also it was embarrassing even having to tell someone you were going to teach them about it.  That isn’t to say that it wasn’t rewarding, but it was still terrifying.  

However, the purpose of this post was the second concept, which was much easier to bring up, but held almost as much trepidation for me, the Word of Wisdom.  Now, 16 years later, I feel much differently about both topics than I did as a missionary.  When it comes to the Word of Wisdom, I actually feel more sure about it’s importance now, but I also see it in a completely different way.  I hope in this post to clarify the history of the principle, and hopefully bring to rest some misconceptions and problems that have arisen in Mormon culture over this great  revelation known as the Word of Wisdom.

“The Word of Wisdom doesn’t belong to the order of the eternal Gospel. It is temporal and temporary but no less the will of God. We do not covenant and promise to keep the Word of Wisdom, because our promises and covenants are eternal. But we are bound while we’re here, so it is not secondary in importance.”—Hugh Nibley

In the early 1800’s it was normal for most people to chew and smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, and drink copious amounts of coffee and tea.  There were many small movements of people who believed that it was not good for a person’s health to participate in a variety of things, but these “Temperance Movements” were usually short-lived, and very small in their influence.  They also rarely included much more than encouragement to drink and use tobacco less.  These behaviors were no less a part of the early saints.  Many people have heard the story of how the Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants or Word of Wisdom revelation came to be, but here are Brigham Young’s own words:

“The brethren came to that place from hundreds of miles to attend school in a little room probably no larger than eleven by fourteen.  When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first thing they did was to light their pipes, and while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken.  Often, when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke.  This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy a floor made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the elders in using tobacco, and the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiry.”  (Brigham Young, 12 JD 158, 1868)  School of the Prophets – 1833

It is important to note, that although all of the brethren at the time agreed this was a revelation, and the church body shortly thereafter, the living of the Word of Wisdom was not commonplace among the Saints until well into the 20th century. I think the Lord anticipated this, and as I have studied the revelation there are many small clues that He did know how difficult a task it would be to make this change to the community of the Saints, even stating in the revelation, “adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.”

The revelation is over 180 years old, and it still has such an important impact on Latter Day Saints.  It has blessed our community and made Latter Day Saints among the healthiest and happiest people in the world, less impacted by some of the world’s worst influences.  If studied and lived accordingly, it provides clarity of mind that increases our ability to hear the spirit of the Lord.  However, because it has become a practice that we can appear outwardly good at, it has also become a source of self-righteousness and judgment among the community of the saints. It is not uncommon when talking about someone who may not be active in the church to refer to them as, “drinking and smoking and stuff like that.”  I am guilty of saying that, and sometimes we use the living of the Word of Wisdom as a special badge of worthiness.  I have witnessed members of the church get into heated arguments over how to live the Word of Wisdom, comparing and ranking how they do it over how others do.   

“As long as I keep the Word of Wisdom—that’s the thing,” someone may say, and then preach that and nothing else. That is not the fullness of the Gospel. It is a minimal requirement—a principle with a promise—a first step: No great achievement but you get a reward for it. Others keep it better than we do. For example, on the whole the Seventh Day Adventists are better keepers of the Word of Wisdom than we are, but it’s not the Gospel.” Joseph F. Smith

I hope this post can help others, as my study and research has helped me in truly finding the awesomeness of the Word of Wisdom, and also help us to change our attitudes and our teachings to those who do not live it.

The revelation itself can be broken down into 4 parts.  I plan to discuss and give my thoughts on each of the parts:

• The Order of Healthy and Prudent Living 
• Why the Commandment Part?
• The Promised Results 

The preamble to the Word of Wisdom is the key to understanding the revelation.  In it the Lord highlights the three keys to studying, understanding, and applying the revelation in our lives.  I have underlined the three keys:

“To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint,  but by revelation and the word of wisdom , showing forth  the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all  saints in the last days— Given for a principle with promise , adapted to the  capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints , who are  or can be called saints.  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 89:2-4

Order (method) and Will of God 

The first key for me was realizing that the usage of the word “order” in this instance was in fact referring to a method or pattern.  The Lord is revealing the method and pattern for temporal salvation.  The next part was understanding who this pattern is for.  It is clear that “of all saints” means the community of the latter day saints as a collective whole and the benefits would also be for the whole.  It is not just a list of things for each person to do, or not to do, but it shows an order of things that can be applied in any circumstance we all may find ourselves in.  This key helped me to look at the words looking for a pattern that applied to us now, rather than the specifics that applied then.  

Much like Isaiah’s revelations there was much more to be found in the revelation than the lists of do’s and don’t’s it always appeared to me to be.  

Adapted to the capacity of the weak and weakest of saints

The pattern of the revelation is especially important when coupled with the important clarification from the Lord that these principles were adapted to the weakest, and through implication, all the way to the strongest of the saints.  In other words, the key is that the pattern must be applied by each individual to fit their individual needs.  The revelation was never meant to be a litmus test in which we judge and compare each other’s righteousness.  (i.e. Your abstinence from chocolate because it has caffeine in it shouldn’t matter to me, nor should my partaking matter to you. Since each of us will find the pattern’s application in our own circumstances, we may all end up with differing ideas and beliefs on the matter.)

To warn and protect the saints from evils and designs and conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you:

The third key is found in the interesting language where the Lord says he warned us, and is forewarning us.  He is warning us twice?  As I thought about that a lot, it became clear that the purpose of the revelation was specific to the saints at the time to help them learn to incorporate these patterns into their community.  But there were also future circumstances that this revelation was meant to protect Latter Day Saints from.  It was a dual warning, and 182 years later it is easy to see how the Latter Day Saints have been protected by this revelation.  Consider the following Statistics published by the Church in 2001 (found at http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_dem.html ):

• Utah ranked first for the lowest prevalence of smoking, with 14 percent.
• Utah ranked first for the lowest risk for heart disease, and was 20 percent below the national average.
• Utah ranked first for the lowest number of cancer cases, with 239.5 cases per 100,000.
• Utah ranked first for the lowest number of work days missed within a 30-day period due to physical or mental illness, with an average of under three days per month missed.
• Utah ranked second for the lowest overall death rate, with only 5.6 deaths per 1,000.
• Utah ranked second for lowest number of heart-disease mortalities, and was the most improved state since 1990.
• Utah ranked third for best overall health in 2000, maintaining its high standing in this category during the past decade (second in 1994 and 1996; fourth in 1990; fifth in 1992, 1997 and 1998; and sixth in 1999).
• Utah has by far the lowest rate of alcohol related deaths per fatality. 16% in 2008, and 21% in 2011.  The national average is 36%.
• Consequently has the lowest teen pregnancy rate, the lowest rate of unwed mothers, lowest abortion rate.

*Not everyone in Utah is Mormon nor do all Mormon’s live the Word of Wisdom, however, Mormons made up over 70% of Utah in 2001.

I am not a professional researcher, but it seems clear, at least where there are a large concentration of Mormons, that the revelation has provided an extra level of protection from the ails of the world, while still living our lives within it.  I would bet that if you compared LDS vs. Non-LDS in all of these categories in other geographic areas around the world the statistics would hold up, and may even be more contrasting.

With these three keys in mind, I hope to discuss the remaining 3 parts of the revelation.  

  Order of Healthy and Prudent Living

In my study of the section 89 with the idea that there was a pattern there for me, I found a few principles that I think form the pattern of the type of Lifestyle that the Lord would want:

• Natural things are ordained for our use
• There is a season and a purpose for all things
• All things should be used with Prudence and Thanksgiving

If we assume the three principles above are the pattern, then from there we can use the second key and begin to apply them to our current situation.  We can start asking ourselves questions about how we should live our lives in regards to our Health.

Some examples from the text are very insightful:

“All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals  that run or creep on the earth;” D&C 89:14

Elder John A. Widstoe believed that refined flour was contrary to the Word of Wisdom, even pushing to have its proscription enforced.  Some today believe that refined flour has caused the obesity epidemic due to an increase of sugar into our diets.  

“Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with  thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly ;  And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be  used , only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine .” D&C 89:12-13

President Lorenzo Snow believed the use of meat sparingly was more important in the living of the Word of Wisdom than strong drinks. 

“Meat sparingly. Again, sparing is a good word. It means “sparing God’s creatures.” It is to be used with thanksgiving and not with gluttony, which is one of the national weaknesses.” Hugh Nibley

In both of these examples there were other apostles who did not agree with them, and so we can see how important a role individual adaptation plays in the implementation of the Word of Wisdom.  However, the importance of prudence and thanksgiving in our choices on health, is paramount to our seeking to adapt the pattern to our lives. In order to be living it, we must actually be thinking, praying, and studying what it means for our health and how we should live.  Just doing what is convenient or traditional is not part of the revelation, adapting requires us to search for the pattern and evaluate our lives and make the changes we feel the Lord would want us to, all the while being careful not to force our adaptation on others. 

 Why the Commandment Part?

One of the things that I had very little understanding of before was why, when the revelation says it wasn’t a commandment, it became a commandment at a later date.  I feel as though I understand now, but I think a brief history of how the commandment part came about is helpful.  Here are some brief Historical Highlights that lead to the commandment:

• After 1833 revelation, most members, including leaders, still occasionally participated in Alcohol, Tobacco, Coffee, and Tea.
• 1851 – General Conference – Brigham Young called for a sustaining vote to observe the WoW. Even after, it was not a condition of church membership.
• 1860 – Brigham Young counseled those chewing tobacco in church meetings to at least be discrete and not excessive.
• 1870 – Brigham Young ended the practice of chewing and spitting tobacco in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
• 1880’s – John Taylor started a movement to increase adherence to the WoW. Years later, other issues became more important (e.g. polygamy) and it naturally diminished.
• 1894 – W. Woodruff came out strong when he stated  “The Word of Wisdom applies to Wilford Woodruff, the President of the Church, and it applies to all the leaders of Israel as well as to the members of the Church; and if there are any of these leading men who cannot refrain from using tobacco or liquor in violation of the Word of Wisdom, let them resign and others take their places.  As leaders of Israel, we have no business to indulge in these things.  There may be things contrary to the Word of Wisdom that we indulge in, and that we think we cannot live without; if we cannot, let us die.” (Millennial Star, 11/19/1894)
• No Coffee or Tea – When asked for clarification the church has taken no specific stance on caffeine or decaffeinated coffees or teas. No stance on herbal teas or green teas. Church has said that caffeinated sodas are not against the WoW.
• No Illegal Drugs – Includes abuse of prescribed drugs.
• Present – Required for baptism, missionary work, attending church schools, and Temple Recommend. Violation does not lead to disciplinary action or excommunication.

With that history in mind there are two questions I still needed answers to: 

• Why did it need to become a commandment?
• Why didn’t the Lord want it to be a commandment in the first place?

By the turn of the century many of the original generation of Mormons to be taught the Word of Wisdom were aging, and the leaders of the church were concerned, and in my opinion, inspired to take action so that future generations would be protected from the problems associated with alcohol and tobacco in particular.  It is plain to see the wisdom in tobacco knowing what we know now, with alcohol it easy to see how the Lord was protecting the saints from the problems alcohol would wreak on a faster paced, media driven society.  We have cars, airplanes, bad relationship decisions, and media at our finger tips daily. Alcohol has become a socially acceptable vice that has ruined, and continues to ruin people’s lives.  While it is true that not every drink, nor every person who drinks is evil, the purpose of the revelation was not to designate alcohol evil, it was to protect the community as a whole.  Prohibiting all forms of alcohol consumption was necessary to protect future generations.  

The bigger dilemma involved Coffee and Tea.  I never had good answers as a missionary as to why Coffee and Tea were included in the prohibition.  My confusion persisted until I studied early church history and read that it was common practice, (not unlike energy drinks today), for people to drink coffee and tea 6 or more times a day.  It had become a crutch for the people even though they had counsel for over 80 years that “hot drinks” were not for the belly. The inspired leaders of the church at that time saw the importance of helping future generations avoid those stimulants as crutches for their life and so that was included in the commandment portion of the Word of Wisdom.  

“Why are these things so popular, and why are they bad? The narcotic spirits in these substances are the cause for their being so much liked by those who use them. They are habit-forming. Their most dangerous effects make them that.” Everything that we eat contains poisons, as far as that goes, but these are habit-forming.” Brigham Young 1870 “We can observe that Word of Wisdom.  We receive numerous letters inquiring whether this item or that item is proscribed by the Word of Wisdom.  If we will avoid those things which are definitely and specifically defined, and beyond this observe the spirit of that great revelation, it will not involve a burden.  It will, rather, bring a blessing.  Do not forget: it is the Lord who has made the promise.” Gordon B. Hinckley

Like the Children of Israel before, the saints were not able to overcome their past gods (habits and addictions) and so the Lord instituted a commandment to help protect future generations from the same fate.  When I realized this, it was a very spiritual experience, knowing that I am benefiting from this inspiration in ways I didn’t realize before.  However, it still left the question of why the Lord didn’t make it a commandment immediately unanswered.

“We often make a big fuss about the Word of Wisdom while ignoring the other commandments.” Hugh Nibley

The flip side of outward commandments, is that when, as a group, we become very good at keeping the commandment, we often use it to tout our own righteousness, all the while, having many weaknesses that remain hidden from the outside eye.  The Word of Wisdom has become that for many of us.  We have immediate reactions to those who drink alcohol, coffee, tea, or smoke, and most of those reactions are not loving.  We define obedience to our teenagers in Sunday School, Young Women, and Young Men more often in terms of the living the Word of Wisdom than to loving those who are downtrodden and afflicted. This reinforces both the potential ignoring of more important commandments, and causes us to separate further from those who do not live the Word of Wisdom commandments.  This gulf makes it difficult for us to help those who most need the benefits of the Word of Wisdom, and makes us less likely to adapt the pattern of the word of wisdom to our own lives because we feel “all is well in Zion” due to our living just the commandment part.

It is easy to see why the Lord wanted to avoid the commandment, but I am thankful he did, because it has blessed our community, and me individually.  But what are the promised blessings?

  The Promised Results

“And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;  And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures ; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.  And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.” D&C 89:18-21

Health, Strength, Energy, and Vitality

I have already shown statistics, but would like to emphasize the real importance of choosing to care about your health by using the patterns of the Word of Wisdom.  It will not only give us collectively greater health, strength, energy, and vitality, but it will also teach us moderation, self-discipline, and gratitude.  These things help our minds, and increase happiness.  

“The Lord expects each of us to observe the Word of Wisdom.  What a wonderful thing it is, this Word of Wisdom.  It doesn’t impose burdens on us.  It gives us blessings.  A professor at the University of California at Los Angeles has carried on an intensive study over a period of years, and he has reached the conclusion, and published that conclusion, that the Mormon people, speaking of averages, live 10 years longer than their peers.  What is 10 years of life worth?  Think of it.  Think of the blessings which come to us as a gift of our Father in Heaven…No one can afford to violate the Word of Wisdom.” Gordon B. Hinckley

Wisdom, Treasures of Knowledge, Hidden Treasures (Revelation)

In all of my discussions with my friends, family, and acquaintances, the things almost everyone yearns for the most are answers to prayers, and revelation.  God is stating clearly and resoundingly, that living the pattern of the Word of Wisdom will lead to revelation.  I would suggest that the more we seek to bring our health choices to the Lord and make changes, the more confident we will be in seeking revelation from Him.

“Your body is the instrument of your mind.  In your emotions, the spirit and the body come closest to being one.  What you learn spiritually depends, to a degree, on how you treat your body.  That is why the Word of Wisdom is so important…Do not ignore the Word of Wisdom, for that may cost you the “great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” promised to those who keep it.  And good health is an added blessing. – Elder Boyd K. Packer

Setting Apart from rest of the world like the mark of Israel in time of Moses.

The last verse about the destroying angel passing by us made the least amount of sense to me for the longest time, but as I realized how much the Word of Wisdom was comparable to the way the Lord interacted with the Children of Israel, I started to notice that this promise is so much more than just a reference to not being killed by the destroying angel.  It was meant to represent the way we will be marked by the Lord as his people.  The Word of Wisdom is meant to be a symbol to the world, and it is, that we are Mormon, that we believe in the restoration, and that we believe Jesus Christ lives and guides us even now.  It has been the lead-in to countless conversations in which I can explain what it really means to be Mormon, and what I really believe.  It also has provided respect and confidence from business associates not of our faith.  

“The Word of Wisdom is necessary for unity and cooperation. It’s a form of common sense and honesty. Drugs, luxuries, self-indulgence, fashions and wealth: they all go together. The Word of Wisdom is simply a warning to beware of the world, and although it is a temporal revelation, the keeping of it will help us to keep the more eternal covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father.” Orson Pratt

All of these blessings are invaluable when you look at them individually, but the protective blessings for our future posterity are also amazing. By following the pattern of the Word of Wisdom actively and avoiding the stumbling block of self-righteousness and comparison within the community of the saints and without we can help ourselves and protect future generations. Living the Word of Wisdom is a mark of our convictions, but it is not a mark of our superiority.  I am thankful for the Word of Wisdom and hope that we can all choose to adapt it more fully into our lives.

Related Links:

• https://history.lds.org/article/doctrine-and-covenants-word-of-wisdom?lang=eng
• http://publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1044&index=1&keyword=Word%20of%20Wisdom

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Words of Wisdom: Intro to Philosophy

(5 reviews)

Jody Ondich, Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota

Copyright Year: 2018

Publisher: Jody Ondich

Language: English

Formats Available

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Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Charles Bolyard, Professor of Philosophy, James Madison University on 7/31/23

Positives: a. Coverage of Medieval period is pretty good, though the author lumps in Machiavelli, who is a Renaissance thinker for some reason. b. The index is easy to navigate. Negatives: a. There is no glossary. b. Some of the... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Positives: a. Coverage of Medieval period is pretty good, though the author lumps in Machiavelli, who is a Renaissance thinker for some reason. b. The index is easy to navigate.

Negatives: a. There is no glossary. b. Some of the author’s introductions to texts have inaccuracies. E.g, in the section on Abelard and Heloise, the author writes “Abelard, although known at the time as a leader and philosopher, is only survived by his letters.” This is false, since we have many of his philosophical/theological texts as well. Also, the author misconstrues Anselm’s definition of God a bit: it is “that than which” nothing greater can be thought/conceived, not “that which…” c. The author should clearly indicate when a text is complete or incomplete, and should include clear references to which sections are included if it is incomplete. d. More primary texts make for a more useable textbook, since this allows professors more freedom to pick the particular things they want to use. In the Ancient section, for instance, the complete text of the Apology and Crito, along with the death scene from the end of the Phaedo, would be good. Perhaps some selections from Epicurus would be worthwhile as well. In the Early Modern section, including the complete text of Descartes’ Meditations, selections from Locke on primary/secondary qualities and sensation, and Berkeley’s complete Three Dialogues would round things out nicely. In the Late Modern section, a longer selection from Bentham and a complete verions of Mill’s Utilitarianism would be good. In the Modern section, complete articles, instead of very short excerpts, would be better, as would including a greater array of articles from which to choose.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

No significant problems with the content included.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

The present-day materials (videos, etc.) are a nice touch, and make this more accessible to beginning students. The content is up-to-date as far as it goes, but it needs a greater array of primary texts and articles.

Clarity rating: 5

The author’s introductions to the readings are clearly written and accessible.

Consistency rating: 3

N/A, since this includes readings from many thinkers from many traditions, and consistency across all of them is impossible to achieve.

Modularity rating: 4

The presentation is good overall, but numbering paragraphs would make the parts of the text easier to discuss and assign since there are no page numbers.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This organization is historical, which is easy to understand.

Interface rating: 5

The navigation was straightforward. No issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The textbook is clearly and grammatically written. No issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

It’s impossible to avoid offending some groups when dealing with controversial topics (e.g., whether God exists), but this text does a good job of including different perspectives on things so that a conscientious student will realize that these are texts that are open for critique.

It's good as far as it goes, but it would be more usable with a greater array of (complete) primary texts from which to choose.

Reviewed by Sujung Kim, Associate Professor, DePauw University on 12/2/20

It certainly covers an extremely wide range of areas and ideas. While there are some non-Western examples (Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Rumi, etc.) sporadically, in terms of its cultural representation, the book could have been more comprehensive. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

It certainly covers an extremely wide range of areas and ideas. While there are some non-Western examples (Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Rumi, etc.) sporadically, in terms of its cultural representation, the book could have been more comprehensive.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

I can only comment on the sections regarding eastern philosophy as my area of expertise is Buddhism. Taking the Dalai Lama chapter as an example, what is written is not inaccurate, but also a lot of crucial information--what he represents, why he promotes peace (political tensions between China and Tibet), and what Vajrayana philosophy is--is largely missing.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Including YouTube links and comments on Tweeter makes the book quite relevant and relatable to students. But some bibliographies are quite outdated.

Clarity rating: 4

Highly accessible language is perhaps the strength of this book. I, however, wished that the book could have brought more academic rigor and complex cultural context around major thinkers.

Consistency rating: 4

The chronological organization brings a clear structure and consistency. One minor issue that I had is the inconsistency of the "key takeaway" section. Some have while some have not.

Modularity rating: 5

Another strength of this book is it is readily divisible and digestible. I definitely recommend using this book as a module.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

Some topics are more clearly organized than others. In terms of the overall organization, I don't think this isn't the most logical way of presenting such a wide range of philosophical traditions. But I also recognize that it would be an extremely difficult job to combine all of these contents in a logical, clear fashion.

Interface rating: 3

It took a while for me to get the hang of how to interact with the interface. I wish there was a clear button to go to the next/previous page.

I didn't find any.

As I stated above, the weakest side of this book is too heavy on the Western tradition. I wish there were more presence of the female voices/ideas in Buddhism-related sections.

Reviewed by Bruce Meyer, Adjunct Faculty, Humanities, Middlesex Community College on 6/25/20

The book ranges widely, very widely, from Aesop to Weisel, or as I prefer, from Anscombe to Nietzsche. There is attention given to more legitimate sources of ethical deliberation than most other introductory texts. In addition, the book makes... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book ranges widely, very widely, from Aesop to Weisel, or as I prefer, from Anscombe to Nietzsche. There is attention given to more legitimate sources of ethical deliberation than most other introductory texts. In addition, the book makes plain its orientation to online enhancements from linked sources, which is a good combination. It provides a vetted list of all time greats joined by outsider work, with room for the instructor to add links to study valuable lines of thought (as shown by class interest or the instructor's discretion).

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This is an introductory text, an anthology of primary sources. There is very little commentary. The introductions are usually short and summary. If there is any room left to judge for accuracy, it would have to be on the editorial choices of what to leave in, what to leave out. On that count, she succeeds. Fortunately for all concerned, the author's choices match closely the choices of the whole field of introductory ethics courses, which makes the book acceptable for an introduction to the prospective philosopher; and where the whole field of academic philosophy fails by excluding the outsider, such as Rumi, Kierkegaard, Pascal, and Native Americans, the reader can at least read enough to know that the outsider-sources are worth learning.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Content is up to date in that the book is a collection of canonical philosophy excerpts and links, which make up about two-thirds of the whole. The canonical readings will be relevant to any serious introduction to philosophical ethics. The remaining one-third of the readings are mostly substantive and in my judgment will be resilient and robust, serving well for some time to come. One expects that with each year, a new edition will rotate through much of the newest content, especially in Part VII (Links to Additional Great Resources)--Ashley Judd, Stephen Colbert, TED talks-- and to a lesser extent Part VI (Modern Wisdom). The reviewer wishes that the author had included Anscombe's complete essay, "Modern Moral Philosophy" which explains the dearth of good 20th Century essays.

The writing is clear, deliberate, as complex as necessary and no more.

Consistency rating: 5

As an edited anthology, the sources are all over the map, but the author brings a consistent tone to her selections. If anything, her treatment may lead the reader to think that there is more agreement between contemporaries and the ancients, or the East and the West, than actually exists. For an introductory reader, it is very good in writing tone.

The modularity of the book is, in my opinion, the most advantageous part. The book does allow for a timeline and geographic approach, but little if anything would be lost if the instructor rearranged the readings or selected out parts for special attention. Modularity is not, in itself, a self-evident good, but in this case the modular approach is helpful.

The book takes a chronological approach to the development of ethical thought, which serves the nature of philosophical ethics well. This is because ethics rises from questions that are asked, then answered, then the questions change in part, so the answers change in part, and so forth. The subject really is a Long Conversation, and the organization serves that underlying approach well.

Interface rating: 4

With both Kindle and Apple's Books, version 1.19, there is nothing amiss. It was very easy to go from the table of contents to any point in the text, move a few pages left or right, and jump back to the start. The layout was very attractive as well.

Please avoid trying to read this as a PDF, which was not fun.

I found no grammar issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

There is a serious attempt at opening up the Long Conversation of philosophical ethics to the academic outsiders, including ancient moralists, medieval religion's greats, and a broad sweep of those who are usually neglected.

I think it might have been good for the author to write longer original introductions to each section and each reading. Yet, even so, it's hard to find fault with the links she provides. My suggestion is that the author, or the instructor, would link an introduction from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy or the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy to each reading.

Reviewed by George Zamzow, English Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/23/20

The book is a comprehensive survey of western philosophy, and it includes several texts from other world cultures. read more

The book is a comprehensive survey of western philosophy, and it includes several texts from other world cultures.

I’m not a specialist in philosophy, but I didn't notice anything that was inaccurate

It includes up-to-date authors, including recent texts in diverse genres, including videos.

This is a truly impressive aspect of this text. In presenting some fairly difficult texts, Ondich includes explanations of terminology and context that, in a short space, go a long way toward helping readers understand. The introductions and in-text explanations are elegant, lucid, and quite accessible.

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

I will be using this text as modules, and I think the text can be quite useful to instructors in disciplines other than philosophy. Each chapter can be used as-is, as a standalone module.

I thought the structure was helpful and clear.

Reading the book online, it's beautifully formatted. I haven't checked the downloadable versions.

The prose appears error-free.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

As a white man, I don’t feel I have standing or lived experience to declare whether this text could be culturally insensitive or offensive with any authority. That said, I will offer my thoughts here, for what they’re worth. The book does include perspectives from many different cultures. Considering this text as an intro to western philosophy (in the introduction of this text, Ondich describes it as such), it is quite inclusive. However, the title and premise of the book suggest that it’s a book concerned with wisdom. I think this could be offensive, that a survey of western philosophy is being presented as a compendium of “Wisdom.” Looking at the title of the book, then at the table of contents dominated by western thinkers, I believe the framing of the book (not necessarily the content) is offensive. Again, if we look at this as an intro to western philosophy, I think the author does an admirable job of being inclusive. But looking at it as a compendium of “Wisdom,” I find it offensive. This speaks to broader problems and questions in the discipline of philosophy. For instructors using this book, this issue of framing would be fairly straightforward to address, and the content itself appears to me to be culturally sensitive.

Aside from the issue of the title, introduction, and framing of the book as “Wisdom,” rather than ‘western philosophy,’ this is a beautifully written and compiled text. It’s humbling to see a teacher/author presenting difficult content in a way that’s so very accessible and clear. As an English instructor, I will be using some of the chapters as modules in my courses. Oftentimes, if I use another instructor’s materials, I like to change or replace introductions, explanations, definitions, etc. But Ondich’s writing is so strong, I’ll be able to use these modules as-is, which I’m very grateful for. Thank you to the author for helping me improve my own course without having to do too much work adapting the materials.

Reviewed by Stephen Nelson, Instructor, Northland Community and Technical College on 11/25/19

The scope of this textbook is definitely broad enough for a typical Intro to Philosophy class. It may not be as comprehensive as the average anthology textbook, but those books include way more content than could possibly be covered in a semester.... read more

The scope of this textbook is definitely broad enough for a typical Intro to Philosophy class. It may not be as comprehensive as the average anthology textbook, but those books include way more content than could possibly be covered in a semester. This book contains an appropriate amount of material from a wide enough variety of sources and time periods for it to work as a stand-alone textbook for an Intro course. There is no index or glossary, but the Table of Contents is thorough and intuitive, and throughout the text, dictionary definitions are occasionally included for key terms.

Much of this textbook consists of excerpts of primary readings drawn from reputable translations and sources. The content written by the textbook author is also accurate and objective, grounded in good sources and documentation.

By many respects, the content is relevant and up-to-date, but there are two aspects of this category that are worth noting for instructors considering this text. One is that there are a considerable amount of links embedded in the text, linking to youtube videos and other websites. This supplementary content fills out the content of many sections in ways that would leave them a bit thin if the links went dead, or if students had only the pdf without internet access. It’s very useful to have all of these videos and other resources collected together and integrated into this book, but it will also be a big project to maintain and update all of the links. Another point is that many of the classic texts excerpted here make use of public domain translations that are a bit outdated. These may be classic translations in some respects, and in some cases, they may be the best available openly licensed translations, but with many of the texts, there are more recent CC-licensed translations that may be more approachable to the typical student.

The content written by the textbook author is clear and accessible. Some of the excerpts make use of translations that are not necessarily as accessible to students as other alternatives that could have been used (see my comment on “relevance”).

The content sections throughout the book are organized consistently, the framework of the book is clear and consistent throughout, and key terms are used consistently (both internally and with respect to the field in general).

This textbook appears to have been designed natively for the web, and the individual pages/subsections are nice-sized reading sections. The larger sections are arranged chronologically, and they would be easy to assign in different orders, or used a la carte as modules for other courses (for example, the section on Medieval Materials could be used as a reading packet for a course on Medieval Philosophy alongside other texts). Navigation through the modules is easy and intuitive with the web and epub versions.

This text is very well organized, and the Table of Contents makes it very easy to find sections and topics.

This text appears to be primarily designed for the web, and the interface on the web version is quite good. The design is simple and consistent. The epub and pdf versions appear to be ported from the web version, which works pretty well in the epub version, but it is a bit unwieldy in the pdf version, with occasional breaks across the page of images and graphics. The printable pdf ends up being 513 pages, which is about 4 or 5 times as long as it would need to be if it were reformatted with printing in mind.

I didn’t notice any grammatical errors. The majority of content is excerpted from primary sources, but the content written by the textbook is also well-written.

This text does a good job of including a diverse selection of readings from and information about philosophers of various races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The Introduction includes a statement of the intention to include perspectives that have not traditionally been represented as part of the canon of Western Philosophy, and this is accomplished in a way that seems natural and intuitive.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• I. Classics
• II. Medieval Materials
• III. Spiritual Philosophy and Tales from the World
• IV. Early Modern Wisdom 1500-1750
• V. Late Modern Wisdom 1750-1950 CE
• VI. Modern Wisdom
• VII. Links to Additional Great Resources
• Back Matter

Ancillary Material

• Ancillary materials are available by contacting the author or publisher .

About the Book

Words of Wisdom can come from anyone. In this text we discuss topics ranging from "Are Humans good by nature?" to "Is there a God?" to "Do I have the right to my own opinion?" Philosophy is the study of wisdom, and can emerge in our conversations in social media, in school, around the family dinner table, and even in the car. The text uses materials that are 2,500 years old, and materials that were in the news this year. Wise people come in all shapes and types, and from every culture on earth. We have poetry and folktales, sacred writings and letters. Dialogues and interviews, news columns, Ted Talks, You Tube recordings and even comedy are all a part of the content in this text.You will be most successful reading this on line. The formatting in the downloadable versions is not wonderful. There is work being done by the software, but in the meantime, you will want to use it by clicking here on "read book:".

About the Contributors

Jody Ondich , Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota

Statement on the Word of Wisdom

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In recent publications for Church members, Church leaders have clarified that several substances are prohibited by the Word of Wisdom, including vaping or e-cigarettes, green tea, and coffee-based products. They also have cautioned that substances such as marijuana and opioids should be used only for medicinal purposes as prescribed by a competent physician.

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What is the Spiritual Gift of the Word of Wisdom? (1 Corinthians 12:8)

Wisdom is directive; knowledge is informative.

Wisdom and knowledge are interdependent; however, wisdom needs knowledge upon which to act. Knowledge must be directed by wisdom. Words of wisdom are also associated with the knowledge of Scripture that produces conviction, unanimity, and progress. It opens hearts and opens doors, through timings and direction, for what is needed to the next stage of the journey we are on.

All Spiritual Gifts Flow Together

The wonderful thing is that you will find that all the revelatory gifts of the Spirit can flow through and into one another, especially when you are ministering to another person. What often happens is the word of knowledge, “the revealing of information, primarily past or present in someone’s life” is presented.

Then from that position, the Holy Spirit “the wisdom of God” is given to show how to bring freedom or how to move through the situation to bring clarity and solutions . When this happens, you know the gifts are in operation because this is not known by human means, but purely by a supernatural download from above.

My Definition of a Word of Wisdom in Simple Terms

A word of wisdom is simply the wisdom of God. It is the supernatural impartation of facts, guidance, and solutions. This spiritual gift works in unity and interactively with the other revelatory gifts such as the word of knowledge and the gift of discernment. It is the supernatural solution to trouble or dilemmas. Or it can be as simple as the solution/application required to the “Word of Knowledge” previously received.

A word of wisdom ( 1 Corinthians 12:8 ) will give you the ability to be able to properly apply the knowledge that you may already have on a particular situation. Therefore, we all need words of wisdom from the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. When this wonderful gift is operating, we will know how to handle complex types of problems or issues that occur at a moment’s notice in our own life or the lives of others.

Some Practical Examples

Here are some specific examples where we could receive a word of wisdom directly from the Holy Spirit:

• Your boss has just given you a new tough assignment and you are not sure how to get the job done properly. You will now need God’s knowledge and wisdom on how to get this new assignment successfully completed.
• Your finances have taken a major hit due to a crisis and you will now need God’s guidance and wisdom on how to keep yourself out of debt and to get back on track.
• Someone has given you a list of all their current issues and life problems. You need God’s wisdom to reveal the true state of their situation and give you a hopeful, heavenly, creative solution to give them the confidence to move forward.
• Your company has been asked to provide a solution to a client with a problem that presently has no answer. You need wisdom on what they have provided you to bring a clear picture to the table of what to do.

As you can see, there are literally an infinite number of possibilities of when you will need God’s wisdom. You are created to be in tune with His Spirit as you take the time to allow Him to speak.

A Personal Experience From My Own Life

I have seen this gift operate several times in my own life. For example, I hit a crisis in my own business back in the UK with a major global corporate client. In my mind, there was no way of gaining the products that I needed to fulfill a very large contract. This happened due to a weather delay in shipping from Canada to the UK.

In the industry I was in, I knew that if I missed the deadline then there would be serious repercussions. I sat nervously at my office desk with my head in my hands thinking about how I am going to get out of this one. Then, all of a sudden, I had a light bulb moment on the inside with a radical idea. Not to bore you with all the details, so I’ll cut a long story short. After getting this revelation, I never missed a beat and was able to bring a short-term solution to the client before the major shipment turned up.

Again, I can tell you now, I was not that intelligent to think of this idea; however, I now know the Holy Spirit has always gone before us all into our futures knowing what we need and when we need it! At the time I thought I was just amazing! LOL. But as time went on, I truly knew this was the wisdom of God being downloaded to me.

Learn the practical differences between Words of Knowledge, Words of Wisdom, and Prophecy and how to better hear God and operate in these gifts!

We All Need God’s Wisdom

Since our own human intelligence is somewhat imperfect and pretty limited in its ability to apply the “perfect wisdom from above” ( James 3:17 NKJV ), we all need the wisdom of God flowing through our lives on a regular basis. This will enable us to handle and overcome the many adversities that get thrown our way without any notice.

Be sure to stay tuned. The next spiritual gift we will start to discuss is the Gift of Faith .

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Introduction

  what is important about being human.

How should we live?   Who decides that? Is there a goal to life?  Does God exist? What makes Evil?  Are people selfish?

How do we find answers to these questions?

This book is a collection of materials that can help students in search of Wisdom discuss important questions and ideas.  It is not a complete collection of all the writings that could be considered Philosophy or Wisdom, of course.  It is, instead, a tasting of differing approaches to the big questions of, “how should we live and why?”, and “what is important about being human?”.

I have tried to include materials from varied cultures, many eras, and diverse perspectives.  This is not altogether simple to do, as there is so much available that one might almost be buried alive in marvelous material!  But Philosophy is not just the field of study involving a focus on Western white men who tell us what to think.  Philosophy is the study of wisdom, and wisdom comes in many shapes and perspectives.  The Western white men had tons of wisdom and we have those men generously represented here.  Many other people of varied genders, races, ages and eras also have wisdom to share,  make us think, and to make us wonder.  So  pieces of a few other remarkably well known writers will be included that are not considered traditional Philosophers.  This is still very much a book of Western Philosophy.  It just includes material that has influenced the West from other parts of the globe and non-traditional sources.

You will find, in this book, everything from short essays to news columns, interviews and comedy,  dialogues and letters.  You will certainly encounter Aristotle and Socrates, but you will also find Aesop, Peggy Orenstein, Elie Wiesel,  fairy tales, the Dalai Lama, Stephen Colbert, and Rumi.  Among many others!

You might enjoy watching this brief set of comments from Oxford University Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah on what philosophers do.

What Do Philosophers Do?

My hope for this book of materials was to provide a diversity of ideas found in centuries of human reflection on the meaning of life, and how one acquires Wisdom, and thus provide the opportunity for students to think and talk and explore.  There are some big ideas involved in living and living well.  Those ideas provide for exciting discussions.

Jody Ondich

Lake Superior College, Duluth, MN

Copyright 2018

Words of Wisdom: Intro to Philosophy Copyright © 2018 by Jody L Ondich is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Essay on Wisdom: Top 4 Essays on Wisdom

• Essay on Wisdom

Essay on Relationship Between Wisdom and Knowledge

Essay on wisdom is power, essay on true wisdom come from experience.

Wisdom is one of the highest forms of human characteristics. Through wisdom, virtues can be brought to life. The beauty of wisdom is that it is not dependent on the theories that are written in books, or the curriculum in the schools and colleges. It is not something that can be transferred just by talking about it. Wisdom is how life shapes us. It is about the impacts that we have upon our soul while going through all sorts of pleasant and unpleasant experiences of life.

Various Versions But One

Many philosophers, religious institutions, and educationalists have defined wisdom in their own definite ways. Some try to relate it to the right way of living, some say that wisdom is acknowledging and being answerable to God for all the deeds. It has also been known to associate with decision-making between right and wrong, habits like speaking truth, following the moral values.

Intelligence is Not Always Wisdom

Although, on a more spiritual note, or a generic note, as we may say, wisdom is not confined to some rules or paths. A collection of experiences and virtues shape our wisdom. One may have a wide range and depth of knowledge but that doesn’t necessarily make her/him wise.

Illustrations

There are so many beautiful illustrations reflecting light on the uniqueness and significance of wisdom. It is very simple and possible for almost anybody to learn to fire a gun. But not everybody is capable of making the right decision about when to and when not to fire the gun. This decision-making requires wisdom.

The Importance of Wisdom

But why so much fuss about wisdom? How does it make our life different or change it? Well, wisdom takes us above the loop of feelings, emotions, and the whirlpools of envy, restlessness, and anger. It brings peace to the heart and to the mind as well. It is only through wisdom, that one may realize that forgiving others bad deeds, ignoring their faults, and being kind and accepting to all is the highest and truest virtues of all human beings.

Wisdom is the germination of the seeds of empathy, compassion, and kindness. It is the eruption of unconditional love toward every soul, whether human beings, animals, or trees. Wisdom gives us the ability to see the beauty and real power of nature. In true words, this is the real way of being close to God.

It is only through wisdom that one understands and realizes that religions, rules of worshipping, and confining God to being a particular person or version are nothing but just a human way of interpretation of the power of nature. To a wise person, they look mere concepts to him and he/she is able to go beyond these things. The definition of God, the right path, the understanding of the whole universe changes to him. Wisdom gets us out of the chains of the societal norms and allows us to look past them. It shows us the real purpose of life and gifts us with the power to attain and live with that true purpose.

Many of us may get confused when asked about the difference or relationship between wisdom and knowledge. On the surface level, both look similar, if not the same. But the thing is, wisdom is more abstract in nature and knowledge is somewhat technical.

Knowledge comes from reading, exploring, learning, and educating oneself. In order to increase the knowledge, one can turn toward reading more books or learning and specializing in a skill. In other words, it is measurable up to a certain extent.

Wisdom is what life and its experiences teach us. Being wise is not the same as being intelligent. It is about much more than just the skills and mastery of a subject. In fact, wisdom is about human virtues, that makes us different from other animal species. These virtues are developing empathy, having compassion and kindness, becoming more self-aware of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings.

Wisdom and Knowledge

The difference between the two is very subtle. However, if put into simpler words, it is not that difficult to understand either. One can gain knowledge and know what is right and wrong, what is healthy and what is unhealthy, how to perform a task, how to drive, how to cook. All these things can be learned and specialized in. But, the ability to decide what is right and what is wrong, the capacity to choose the right and skip the wrong, comes from wisdom.

In another way, the ability to use the learned knowledge in the best and most ethical way is called wisdom. Knowing how to use the knowledge is wisdom. Knowledge can be given but wisdom cannot. Knowledge can be learned but wisdom can only be attained.

An example would be the best way to understand the concepts deeply. So, for instance, all kinds of thoughts, whether positive or negative, healthy or toxic, happy or sad come to our mind. We feel them and know that these feelings are a very natural part of human beings. This is knowledge. But understanding, observing, and staying aware and detached of these thoughts requires wisdom. Wisdom takes us to a much higher level and answers the riddle of why we are feeling in a particular way and whether we should act on those feelings or not. That judgment call depends on our wisdom.

There have been many philosophical, religious, and educational versions and definitions of wisdom and knowledge. Nonetheless, all lead to the same conclusion. Everybody knows and has been taught about the right way of living but not all can do it really. That is where a fine demarcation comes between knowledge and wisdom. To be able to apply the knowledge, to be able to think, and acknowledge why things are the way they are, makes us wise.

Thus, it is only through wisdom that we begin to behave beyond the petty attributes like self-obsession, jealousy, anger and instead, learn to grow as a human being filled with compassion, empathy, acceptance, and love for all.

The human race has wondered and marveled for a long time for its distinguished ability to behave and think differently than other animal species. We have highly evolved emotional, mental, and social etiquette. But is that the end of the list? Of course not. There is something very peculiar about us which makes us stand out as a species, which transforms us from Homo Sapiens into human beings. And that is called wisdom.

Seeking Wisdom

There is a reason why people do not find peace in spite of being surrounded by all kinds of materialistic pleasures. There is also a reason why many people living a highly comfortable and rich life, leave it just like that and set out to explore something that is still unknown to them.

In India, such ways of life are not new to us. We have always been surrounded bys saints and celibates. The culture in India has long been enriching. It has always focused less on physical pleasures and more on the seeking nature within us. After a certain point, we all begin to realize that the worldly amusements can only satisfy us on a superficial level but cannot quench our soul. For our spiritual growth, something deeper is needed.

What is not Wisdom

All around us, we see the world burning with feelings of competition, unsparing greed, unforgiveness, jealousy, anger, and what not. And this is not the story of those who lack basic amenities to a dignified life. This is the case of people who have everything in abundance but peace and gratitude.

Wisdom takes us from this path of uncertainty and shallowness and brightens up with the light of truth. And that same truth would liberate us. This is the power of wisdom. Wisdom is not restricted to listening to some discourses or following the religious rites and rituals. It is about realizing the darkness of greed, that the constant need for competing with each other is nothing but just a bottomless pit. A whirlpool of desires.

Wisdom is Empowering

Through our experiences comes a realization that the peace of our mind is in our hands. This is the most empowering thing that can happen to us and no book can teach this to us. It is like reaching and activating the seeds and portals of consciousness which were dormant within us till now. The whole phenomenon enriches us at a much deeper level and calms down the inside chaos. After which, we start to see the beauty in everything and learn to accept life the way it is. Our heart is filled with forgiveness and compassion.

Wisdom frees us from the chains of a limited mind so that we do not remain the slaves of our own desires. Books can teach us what is just and what is unjust. But the power of standing and walking down that just path is provided by our wisdom. This spiritual and emotional advancement is irreplaceable and can only become possible through wisdom.

They say that life changes you and shapes you like nothing else can. That there is a great difference between knowing something and living it. Well, it is quite true in the case of wisdom. True wisdom comes only from experience.

What the Life Phases Teach Us

Let us recall how we felt when we were just a kid. Life looked so uncomplicated and manageable at that time. Then, came teenage. Our own definition of life was metamorphosed a bit. We realized that after all, life is not that simple. It is not confined to having your favorite meals and dresses.

When we crossed teenage and entered into adulthood, even the young age years looked dreamy and we again felt that life is more than just having a relationship. It is more about making yourself independent, taking care of ourselves and our loved ones. Being responsible and accountable for our decisions and choices topped the list of our way of living.

How Experience Shapes Us

We all travel different paths of life. The ups and downs of our lives are unique. It is interesting to observe that same event or experience can be perceived in a completely non-identical way by two different persons. The impacts and effects of a trauma, a joy, or any other major change of events may not be the same for both of them. This is the reason, even after going through the same phases and stages of living in this world, we may end up having dissimilar perceptions of life.

Wisdom is Independent

There is no specific set of rules to becoming wise. What’s more intriguing is that having the same age, gender, or ethnicity does not make two people wise in the same way. Wisdom is independent of these factors. A person may attain wisdom at the age of 20, that doesn’t in any way mean that another person of age 40 would be double wise.

True Wisdom

Truth is, true wisdom can only be attained through experiencing life and that means having experienced it in its fullest form. Understanding that life is not always about being happy, satisfaction, or running for temptations. In fact, sorrow, pain, tragedy, self-restraint are a part of it. True wisdom teaches us that if life has to be embraced, then, the only way to do that is through acceptance, self-observation, and with full consciousness.

With practice, wisdom takes us above the basic instincts. It doesn’t let us be reduced to mere puppets in the hands of our instant gratification. Wisdom gives our mind the power to differentiate between justified and unjustified and act accordingly. Experiencing the bright and dark, both faces of life, are we filled with love, kindness, compassion, and non-judgment toward others and also ourselves. And there is no shortcut to that. Every event in the life has a purpose. It is trying to teach us something. Opening our mind and soul to it fully is what wisdom teaches us.

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Daniel Wong

50 Words of Wisdom Every Student Needs to Hear

Updated on January 31, 2023 By Daniel Wong 60 Comments

I completed my formal education some years ago.

Thinking about the 17 years I spent in school, I realise that I would have had a more fulfilling time if I’d been wiser.

It takes time to acquire wisdom. To help students through this process, I decided to write this article, in which I’ll share 50 words of wisdom every student should hear.

If you apply the advice in this article, I’m confident that you’ll become a happier and more successful student.

(Download the free PDF below to learn 10 bonus tips.)

Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus  10 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

1. Don’t take your parents for granted. Your parents may nag you, and you may feel as if they don’t understand you. But they love you unconditionally, so appreciate them as often as you can.

2. Getting a bad grade isn’t the end of the world. In a few years, you won’t even remember most of your grades. If you get a bad grade , learn from your mistakes and prepare better for the next exam.

3. Use the Internet as a tool for education more than entertainment. The Internet can keep you entertained for hours. But with sites like Udemy , Udacity and How Stuff Works , the Internet can also make you a far more educated person.

4. Stress is a fact of life, but it should never become a way of life. This means that it’s normal to feel stressed and tired once in a while. But if you feel stressed and tired almost every day, then you need to reevaluate your life to see what you ought to be doing differently.

5. Learn to manage your money. As a student, you probably don’t have tons of money. That’s a good thing, because you can learn to spend, save, invest and give with little risk. Learn money management skills while you’re still young!

6. Make sleep a priority. Research has proven that sleep is essential for health and brain function . Make it a priority to get eight hours of sleep a night , and you’ll be a happier and better student.

7. Ask for help when you need it. There’s no shame in asking for help. If you can’t find the answer on Google, don’t hesitate to ask your teachers or parents. They’ll be more than willing to assist you.

8. Write things down. Your brain isn’t a perfect storage device, so write things down. Use a notebook or an app like Google Keep to ensure that you don’t forget anything important. If you write things down, you’ll be a more organised and effective student .

9. If you need motivation to study, go to the library. When you’re surrounded by people who are studying, you’ll feel inspired to study . Don’t underestimate the effect your environment has on your motivation. This study tip is extremely valuable!

10. Learn to embrace challenges rather than avoid them. Choose to see challenges as fun opportunities to learn. Even if you can’t overcome the challenge, you would have still grown as a person.

11. Don’t blame others. I used to blame my teachers, parents and peers for almost every problem I faced. Don’t be like me. The sooner you stop blaming others, the sooner you’ll learn to take full responsibility for your life.

12. Go to every single class. If the class is boring, see it as an opportunity to improve your ability to focus . If the class is about a topic you’ve learned before, see it as an opportunity to review the information.

13. Be grateful. Grateful students are happy students. No matter what situation you’re in, there’s always something to be thankful for: school, friends, family, food, health, nature, technology, etc.

14. Don’t take shortcuts. It’s tempting to take shortcuts, but resist the urge to do so. The more shortcuts you take, the less you’ll learn and the less you’ll grow as a person. Don’t shortchange yourself.

15. Be kind to yourself. Do you ever tell yourself that you’re lazy, ugly, dumb or irresponsible? Would you ever say those things to your best friend? Be kind to yourself, and learn to become your own best friend. In fact, research has proven that self-compassion is a key component of success .

16. Spend more time thinking about others than yourself. If you spend most of your time thinking about yourself, you’ll be unhappy. No matter how many good things there are going on in your life, you’ll be tempted to ask yourself questions like “Why can’t I be as popular as her?” or “Why are my parents so strict?” Instead, focus on helping others and you’ll be a happier student.

17. Say no without feeling guilty. Leading an effective student life is all about knowing what your priorities and values are. If there are activities or opportunities that aren’t aligned with your priorities, say no with confidence.

18. Don’t rely on others for things that are your own responsibility. I used to rely on others to remember things or run errands on my behalf. But I now realise that this was irresponsible behaviour. Don’t rely on other people for things that you should handle yourself.

19. Exercise regularly. Exercise is good for your body and your brain . So if you think you don’t have time to exercise, you actually don’t have time not to exercise. Exercise will make you a healthier and more effective student.

20. Don’t try to remember things; make them impossible to forget. One of the most important traits to develop when you’re in school is dependability . To become a dependable student, make it impossible to forget things, e.g. submitting homework, bringing a textbook to school, asking your parents to sign a consent form. Use a diary, sticky note or app to ensure that you don’t forget.

21. Ask yourself throughout the day, “What’s important now?” We often do what we feel like doing at the moment – even if that behaviour isn’t in our long-term interests. To fight this tendency, ask yourself, “What’s important now?” The answer will usually be clear.

22. Look for the good in every situation. For example, I once read about a woman who was exhausted after working at a restaurant for 14 hours straight in a day. She exclaimed, “I’m tired, but it feels so good to have spent all my energy doing something meaningful like work!” With an attitude like that, you’ll be a winner in life for sure.

23. Celebrate the successes of others. Your life as a student may feel like a competition, but it isn’t. Celebrate the accomplishments and successes of your peers, and don’t be a sore loser.

24. Don’t feel as if you need to have it all figured out. As a teenager, I used to think that I would have everything figured out by the time I finished school. But I still don’t feel as if I have everything figured out, and I don’t think I ever will. Life is a continual journey of learning and maturing – learn to enjoy the journey!

25. Spend time with people who have the same (or similar) values and goals as you. All of us are influenced greatly by the people we surround ourselves with. Choose to surround yourself with people who will inspire you to become a better person and student.

26. No experience in life is wasted. To paraphrase Tony Robbins, cultivate the belief that life is happening for you, not  to  you. If you believe that life is happening for your good, you’ll be able to see even challenges and frustrations in a positive light.

27. Don’t expect to become an educated person just by going to school. School is a crucial part of your education, but it’s just one part. Why? Because there are many skills you won’t master through formal education alone, e.g. persuasion, negotiation, design thinking, adaptive thinking. Take a proactive approach toward learning these types of skills through these must-read books for students , videos, online courses and real-world experiences.

28. Say “thank you” and “sorry” often. Don’t just say these words for the sake of saying them. If you mean it when you say “thank you” and “sorry”, you’ll build stronger relationships with both your friends and family.

29. Don’t worry about being popular or cool. Popularity is overrated. Responsibility, duty, excellence, kindness, courage and generosity aren’t – so focus on these instead.

30. Be curious. For most of my life as a student, I only learned information that was going to be tested on the exam. But later on, when I became a curious student who wanted to learn about all kinds of things, I started to enjoy school more. Not only that, I started to enjoy life more, because I realised that there’s so much beauty in the world around us. Start becoming more curious today!

31. Every choice you make shapes your character, so choose wisely. As a student, you make hundreds of choices every day: what to eat, how to spend your money, who to talk to, what clothes to wear, how hard to work, etc. Every decision shapes your character and destiny, so don’t take it lightly.

32. 90% of success is doing what others aren’t willing to do. Most students aren’t willing to do the extra assignment, proofread the essay one more time, put their tablet away when it’s time to focus, or delete the distracting apps on their phone. Be the student who is willing to do those things – and more. If you adopt this mindset in life, you’re almost guaranteed to become successful.

33. You’re never too young to make an impact. As a student, I thought of myself as a “kid” who couldn’t make an impact. But just look at these children and teenagers who are making huge contributions to the world. No matter how old you are, believe you can contribute, and start small in whatever way you can.

34. Assume the best of others. Many disagreements arise because we assume the worst of others. We assume that others are selfish and inconsiderate. But this is rarely true. If you assume the best of others, you’ll make an effort to understand their perspective. This, in turn, will enable you to resolve conflicts more quickly.

35. Invest in the relationships that matter most. Relationships must be nurtured – this takes time. List the people who mean the most to you. Make an intentional effort to invest in these relationships, at least on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

36. The grass isn’t greener on the other side; the grass is greener where you water it. (This is my shortened version of a quote from Robert Fulghum.) Do you ever think to yourself, “If only I went to a different school… If only I were born in a different city… If only I were better-looking…”? If so, remember that the grass is greener where you water it. “Water the grass” by choosing to have a positive attitude and by taking action, instead of complaining.

37. Everything worth doing takes time and effort. This applies to grades, relationships, career, character, and more. If you want to go somewhere meaningful and rewarding in life, there are no shortcuts.

38. Compliment others sincerely. Do this as often as you can, preferably daily. This is a simple way to appreciate others and make their day just a little bit brighter.

39. Forgive others and yourself. If you do this, you won’t be filled with anger and resentment. If you extend forgiveness freely, your life will be more peaceful and joyous.

40. To be successful, you must learn how to deal with negative emotions. When you’re feeling frustrated, angry, disappointed or sad, you’re more likely to make bad decisions. You can’t avoid all negative emotions, but you can learn to manage them so they don’t derail you.

41. Become reasonably good at public speaking. I’m not saying that everyone should become a professional speaker. But I am saying that over the course of your life you’ll have many opportunities to speak in public. So you might as well become proficient at it sooner rather than later (or never).

42. Attitude matters more than intelligence or talent. As Zig Ziglar once said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” Intelligence and talent play a part in how successful you become as a student and in life. But attitude matters much more. Start cultivating a positive and resilient attitude today.

43. Be present. When I was a student, I spent far too much time thinking about my past mistakes and worrying about the future. I spent far too little time in the present: living in the moment, appreciating the small things, being 100% focused, seeing the beauty in what I was learning, cherishing relationships. Wherever you are, be present.

44. Show your parents respect and appreciation. This might be hard for you to do, especially if you think your parents are unreasonable or overbearing. But I encourage you to do it anyway. First of all, it’s the right thing to do. Second of all, when parents don’t receive respect and appreciation from their children , they tend to become even more unreasonable and overbearing. So it’s in everyone’s best interests that you show your parents respect and appreciation.

45. Fear should usually be seen as a signal to advance, not retreat. Most of the time, when we feel afraid our life isn’t actually in danger. Common fears include public speaking, failure, rejection, and the fear of learning . As such, fear should usually be seen as something to move towards, because in doing so you’ll experience personal growth.

46. Don’t watch TV. Studies show that watching too much TV is linked to depression. Watching some TV won’t hurt you, but if you decide not to watch TV at all, you’ll have more time for meaningful and productive activities. If you need to de-stress, check out this list of science-backed ways to do so.

47. Pay attention in class. If you do this, you won’t need to spend so much time studying because you would have already understood most of the concepts taught in class. If you have trouble paying attention, I recommend that you improve your focus gradually. For example, you could start by setting a timer for 10 minutes, as a reminder that you’ll pay attention for just 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes are up, you can allow yourself to be distracted for a minute or two before you start another 10-minute “focus session”. Every day, increase the length of the “focus session” by one minute.

48. When faced with a problem, ask yourself, “What is one thing I can do now to improve the situation ?” I’ve underlined those three words/phrases for good reasons. When you focus on just one thing you can do, you won’t feel overwhelmed. When you focus on what you can do now , you’ll be more motivated to take action right away. And when you focus on what you can do now to improve the situation , you’ll almost certainly be able to think of at least one productive action to take. Ask this powerful question whenever you’re faced with a problem, and you’ll become a more effective student and person.

49. Looking successful is different from being successful. Looking successful is about prestige, popularity, status and accomplishments. Being successful is about purpose, relationships, character and contribution. As a student, ensure that you’re working towards being successful, not just looking successful.

50. Focus on progress, not perfection. There’s no such thing as a perfect student. After all, we’re flawed human beings. If you aim to achieve perfection, you’ll be disappointed, and you may lose motivation. On the other hand, if you focus on progress, you’ll realise that getting better is its own reward. This is the key to being an effective, fulfilled student.

I don’t claim to be the wisest person around, but I hope you’ve found this article useful.

(Download the free PDF below to learn 10 additional tips.)

It took me many years to learn these lessons , and I know I still have much more wisdom to acquire.

Don’t feel as if you need to put all the tips into practice right away. Instead, revisit this article periodically and focus on just one tip a week.

It will make a huge difference in the long run. Wishing you all the best!

If you like this article, please share it with your friends.

November 29, 2017 at 4:07 pm

really useful tips to all people not only to students.

November 29, 2017 at 4:30 pm

Thank you Devika. Glad you like the article.

September 16, 2018 at 12:28 pm

I loved these inspirational and very helpful quotes!!

May 28, 2021 at 11:40 pm

Hellow! I’m 25- year- old University-going boy. I have grown in a very disturbing atmosphere at home but I have never spoken about it openly. But today I have gathered enough courage to seek your advice and guidance.

I’m the eldest son of the family and I have a younger brother who is 20 years old. We belong to nzena class family.

Although it might seem my parents do not discriminate between me my jnr brother but their behaviour speaks otherwise. They are already grooming my jnr brother to take care of the family business when he grows up and therefore, they have planned where he would be sent for higher studies which of course is some fancy University abroad. But when it comes to my studies, which I’m very good at, my parents have this attitude that study as much as you want, but one day you will get a good job and live your life’. They never mind spending on me, and luxurious items that I want. But when it comes to studies, their attitude is totally different. After completing my schooling, which l did with HND second class lower, I wanted to take up engineering because I want to be engineer.

I am really very frustrated at their attitude and there have been days when I had told them about my feelings. How I feel by cheated or how they discriminate between me and my brother. They think that I am over-reacting and pay no attention to what I said. Please tell me how do I make my parent realise that they are wrong? How do I tell them that I want to build a career

January 23, 2023 at 3:50 pm

understand that ur family can’t be you ur bro or sis can’t be you so be self made person whatever they av they search for there own and you can search for your be independent person and follow ur dreams ,,,,,,,,,

November 29, 2017 at 5:01 pm

Daniel, very insightful and practical. It is uplifting and takes us in right direction. Thanks for such wonderful messages.

November 29, 2017 at 5:17 pm

You’re most welcome, Prassad!

May 15, 2023 at 12:32 am

These is just the perfect words that I have been looking for to share with my students

I will be glad to get more helpful quotes from you

November 29, 2017 at 6:17 pm

Very Helpful, Thanks alot!

November 29, 2017 at 6:31 pm

You’re welcome, Aisha.

November 30, 2017 at 12:35 am

really helpful…thank you Daniel.

November 30, 2017 at 8:52 pm

You are welcome, Ray.

November 30, 2017 at 9:02 pm

Thanks a lot it was very helpful.

December 1, 2017 at 9:11 am

I’m glad you liked the article, Emagurehor.

December 2, 2017 at 2:14 pm

Thanks for the words! It is insightful!

December 2, 2017 at 2:23 pm

You’re welcome, Julian!

October 5, 2019 at 4:14 am

As a student I will say a big thank you to you because this really makes me to be a happy student .

December 3, 2017 at 6:18 pm

Great article!! thanks!!

December 4, 2017 at 9:32 am

It’s my pleasure!

December 4, 2017 at 2:17 am

Thank you Daniel.I really liked the article. I’m the mother of a 12yr old girl and I felt that these words of wisdom can do her a world of good if she is willing to have the time and patience to read,understand and apply them in her life. And I’m learning too!!

December 4, 2017 at 9:33 am

Thanks, Sujata. I hope your daughter manages to apply the principles.

December 14, 2017 at 8:39 am

Great Article. I got many things.Thank you for sharing this.

December 14, 2017 at 9:13 am

You are welcome, Ayeshani.

December 16, 2017 at 3:57 pm

Thank you. Your posts r just awesome.they inspire me a lot.thnx

December 16, 2017 at 4:45 pm

You’re welcome!

June 17, 2020 at 1:24 am

September 4, 2018 at 12:11 pm

It’s really useful thanku so much! Now I’ve learnt many life lessons and I would definitely appreciate what I have now

October 7, 2018 at 1:13 am

Thank you mor and more. for your efforts to share us this AMAZING article. actualy it’s changed my life when I read it.

March 1, 2019 at 3:49 am

thanks alot you motivate the life of every student

March 7, 2019 at 7:53 pm

thank you so much i love it …..

March 14, 2019 at 3:50 pm

I think I am in love with these words thank you for sharing

March 21, 2019 at 4:33 pm

I Love This..Thanks

May 17, 2019 at 11:43 pm

Thanks your words are very inspiring to me.

May 23, 2019 at 1:19 pm

I’m so inspired the message is so marvelous I’m moved and it’s easy to follow the tips on a daily basis thanks so much.

June 3, 2019 at 6:00 pm

I was trying it in 3 times I like the Explanation of it

June 30, 2019 at 9:13 pm

Great work Daniel !

Thanks for sharing.

October 15, 2019 at 6:00 am

October 19, 2019 at 5:44 pm

All tips is very important and is words that need very person who have real aim, or real future.

October 29, 2019 at 5:39 pm

Thanks for those wonderful wisdom words. May Almighty God bless you.

December 1, 2019 at 5:54 am

Indeed sir, your messages have been helpful in my life. You indeed help me to focus on the progress and not d results. Thanks a lot sir and keep helping by sending more!

December 9, 2019 at 9:38 am

This is great information – really good tips for life in general. We are always students in life….constantly learning and growing (and hopefully evolving) Thank you for your service

December 22, 2019 at 4:47 am

Thank you for those words. They were really inspiring; they even gave me more motivation to be persistent toward my goals. May God bless you.

January 25, 2020 at 4:29 am

Thanks sir this is a great worlds that can change person over night

March 3, 2020 at 3:13 am

Thank you Sir for those wise tips . This has truly been an eye opener , I cannot wait to share this with everyone..

July 27, 2020 at 5:28 pm

I am inspired by you

October 15, 2020 at 5:11 am

This quote teach us a lot of lesson thank you sir. I love this wise words.

February 20, 2021 at 9:39 pm

Excellent tips! Thank you so much!

February 24, 2021 at 3:55 am

Thank you very much

March 19, 2021 at 10:27 pm

Thank you, I learned many things

March 21, 2021 at 3:39 pm

I think these are the best tips and advice. I was invited to motivate students but I had no content. But this answered everything.

June 13, 2021 at 12:27 pm

I really appreciate this… It will help me together with my fellow students and friends whom I will share with.. Thank you so much for your advice😍

September 12, 2021 at 11:29 pm

Was reading your 50 words of wisdom every student needs to hear in preparation for a talk to welcome new students to our institution. Found them very meaningful and apt for new comers to the college. would like to know more about your affiliation and growth as a motivational author more that the description given as a learning a teen expert. wishing you the very best for publishing more of your thoughts that would motive young minds.

September 28, 2021 at 6:43 pm

Very useful really. Thank you so much indeed

May 9, 2023 at 11:44 pm

Thank you so much I am writing a speech for a school project and you really inspired me!

May 21, 2023 at 11:32 pm

I really like this because is gave my students confidence

June 7, 2023 at 3:42 pm

Thank you for this Mr. Daniel Wong. Can I use this to inspire my students?

June 7, 2023 at 3:48 pm

You’re welcome. Yes, sure. Please just let your students have the link to the article too so they know where to find it online.

October 31, 2023 at 1:10 am

This article is very inspiring

April 15, 2024 at 10:36 pm

Thanks a lot this has been of much help to me. May God bless you Mr.Mr . Daniel Wong

May 2, 2024 at 5:05 am

Thanx am a fm2 stdent i promise to follow the advice byeee

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Essay on Wisdom

Students are often asked to write an essay on Wisdom in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Wisdom

Understanding wisdom.

Wisdom is a special kind of knowledge. It’s not just about knowing facts, but understanding life. Wisdom helps us make good choices and learn from our experiences.

Wisdom and Age

People often link wisdom with age. As we grow older, we experience more, which can lead to greater wisdom. But age doesn’t guarantee wisdom. It’s about learning from experiences.

Wisdom and Education

Education can provide knowledge, but wisdom comes from applying that knowledge in real life. It’s about understanding, not just remembering facts.

Importance of Wisdom

Wisdom is important because it guides us in life. It helps us make good decisions, understand others, and live a meaningful life.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on Wisdom

250 Words Essay on Wisdom

Wisdom is often mistakenly conflated with intelligence or knowledge. However, it is a distinct concept, characterized by a deep understanding of life’s complexities, an ability to make sound judgments, and a capacity for empathy and compassion. Unlike intelligence, which is largely innate, wisdom is typically acquired through experience and introspection.

The Components of Wisdom

Wisdom can be broken down into three key components: cognitive, reflective, and affective. The cognitive component involves an understanding of life and its uncertainties. The reflective component pertains to the ability to look inward and understand one’s own behavior and motivations. The affective component is characterized by empathy and compassion for others.

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom is not necessarily tied to age. While age can bring experiences that contribute to wisdom, it is the quality of these experiences, and one’s reflection on them, that truly matters. Young individuals can be wise beyond their years, while some older individuals may lack wisdom.

The Value of Wisdom

In a rapidly changing world, wisdom has never been more valuable. It allows us to navigate life’s complexities with grace and resilience, fostering personal growth and societal progress. Wisdom also promotes empathy and understanding, vital for bridging divides in our increasingly interconnected world.

In conclusion, wisdom is a multifaceted concept that transcends mere intelligence or knowledge. It is a profound understanding of life and humanity, honed through experience and introspection. In a world fraught with uncertainty, the pursuit of wisdom is a worthy endeavor.

500 Words Essay on Wisdom

Introduction.

Wisdom, a term frequently used yet often misunderstood, encapsulates a profound understanding of life, its intricacies, and its interconnectedness. Unlike knowledge, which is the accumulation of facts and data, wisdom is an ability to apply knowledge in a meaningful and beneficial way. It transcends the boundaries of academia and delves into the realm of experiential learning and deep reflection.

The Nature of Wisdom

Wisdom is often associated with age, as it is perceived that life experiences contribute to its development. However, it is not merely a byproduct of time but rather a result of how one processes and learns from experiences. It is the ability to discern and judge which aspects of that knowledge are true, right, lasting, and applicable to one’s life.

Wisdom is also characterized by its universality. It transcends cultural, social, and geographical boundaries. The wisdom of understanding human emotions, for instance, is applicable across cultures and societies. It underlines the shared human experience and our collective struggle to make sense of the world.

Wisdom and Emotional Intelligence

The relationship between wisdom and emotional intelligence is profound. Emotional intelligence, the ability to understand, use, and manage our own emotions in positive ways, contributes significantly to wisdom. It allows us to empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict, which are all hallmarks of wisdom.

Wisdom, in this context, is not just about intellectual understanding but also about emotional resilience. It involves the ability to navigate through the complexities of our emotions, to learn from our failures and to find meaning in our experiences.

Wisdom in the Digital Age

In the digital age, where information is readily available, the distinction between wisdom and knowledge becomes even more critical. The internet offers an abundance of information, but wisdom is required to sift through this vast sea of data and extract what is truly valuable.

The digital age also presents new challenges to wisdom. In an era dominated by short-term gratification and superficial engagement, wisdom calls for deep reflection, long-term thinking, and genuine connection. It encourages us to question, to seek understanding, and to engage with the world in a meaningful way.

In conclusion, wisdom is a complex and multifaceted concept that encompasses deep understanding, emotional intelligence, and the ability to apply knowledge in a meaningful way. It is a critical skill in our modern world, helping us navigate through an abundance of information and make sense of our experiences. Wisdom is not just about knowing; it’s about understanding. It is not just about facts; it’s about meaning. It is not just about information; it’s about insight. In essence, wisdom is the compass that guides us through the labyrinth of life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Winter
• Essay on I Chose Teaching as a Profession
• Essay on I Chose Nursing as a Profession

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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Buddhism’s Core Beliefs: a Path to Enlightenment

This essay about Buddhism’s core beliefs explores the fundamental teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, and how they guide practitioners towards spiritual awakening. It discusses the Four Noble Truths, which outline the nature of suffering and the path to its cessation, and the Noble Eightfold Path, a guide to ethical and mental development. Key concepts such as karma, impermanence, and no-self are examined, along with the importance of meditation, compassion, and wisdom. The essay also touches on the various branches of Buddhism and how the tradition adapts to contemporary issues, emphasizing its relevance and enduring appeal in the modern world.

How it works

Buddhism, established over 2,500 years ago by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, stands as one of humanity’s most profound and impactful spiritual systems. Its teachings, often construed as a roadmap to enlightenment, center on fostering wisdom, moral integrity, and cognitive discipline. Buddhism has permeated diverse cultures and societies, adapting to local customs while preserving its fundamental tenets. At its essence, Buddhism revolves around a framework aimed at comprehending the essence of human existence and transcending the scourge of suffering.

The Four Noble Truths serve as the bedrock of Buddhist philosophy.

The First Noble Truth, acknowledging the ubiquity of suffering (dukkha), elucidates that life, in its entirety, is entwined with affliction and discontent. Suffering extends beyond mere physical anguish, encompassing emotional and psychological turmoil. This cardinal truth invites individuals to introspect on their own suffering experiences and the essence of their existence.

The Second Noble Truth identifies craving or attachment (tanha) as the genesis of suffering. According to the Buddha, our yearnings and attachments to ephemeral phenomena are the primal sources of our suffering. These cravings manifest diversely, ranging from the pursuit of sensory gratification to the yearning for existence or nonexistence, and attachment to material possessions and interpersonal relationships. Grasping the transient nature of these desires is pivotal to addressing the root cause of suffering.

The Third Noble Truth offers solace, proclaiming the possibility of cessation of suffering. This cessation, termed nirvana, epitomizes the ultimate aim of Buddhist practice. It signifies liberation and emancipation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, known as samsara. Attaining nirvana is not an abstract or distant objective but a tangible prospect demonstrated by the Buddha’s own enlightenment.

The Fourth Noble Truth delineates the path to the cessation of suffering, known as the Noble Eightfold Path. This path serves as a pragmatic blueprint for moral and intellectual development, aiming to emancipate individuals from attachments and delusions. The Noble Eightfold Path comprises eight interrelated practices: Right Understanding, Right Intent, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. Collectively, these practices shepherd individuals toward ethical living, cognitive lucidity, and, ultimately, enlightenment.

Right Understanding entails comprehending the Four Noble Truths and the fabric of reality, serving as the cornerstone for all other path practices. Right Intent focuses on nurturing affirmative intentions and attitudes, such as compassion and renunciation of deleterious desires. Right Speech underscores the significance of truthful, benevolent, and constructive communication. Right Action encompasses ethical behavior and abstention from actions that inflict harm on others. Right Livelihood advocates selecting an occupation that neither harms others nor impedes societal well-being.

Right Effort involves fostering diligent and tenacious commitment to personal evolution. It encompasses thwarting unwholesome mental states, relinquishing arisen unwholesome states, nurturing wholesome states, and perpetuating wholesome states. Right Mindfulness epitomizes the practice of being cognizant and present in each moment, involving impartial observation of one’s thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Right Concentration pertains to cultivating profound meditative states and mental acuity, precipitating profound insights and, ultimately, enlightenment.

Intrinsic to Buddhist practice is the doctrine of karma, elucidating the principle of moral causality. Karma posits that our volitional actions, whether virtuous or malevolent, engender consequences that shape our future experiences. This conviction underscores the imperative of ethical conduct and individual accountability in shaping one’s destiny. By fostering virtuous actions and intentions, Buddhists endeavor to fashion a propitious future and advance on their spiritual journey.

Another pivotal tenet in Buddhism is the doctrine of impermanence (anicca). Buddhism espouses that all conditioned phenomena are subject to incessant flux and transience. Acknowledging the ephemeral nature of reality assists practitioners in disentangling from attachments and cultivating a more equanimous perspective on existence. This perception of impermanence is intimately intertwined with the concept of no-self, or anatta, which posits the absence of a permanent, immutable self or soul. Instead, what we perceive as the self constitutes a continuum of ever-changing physical and mental processes.

Meditation constitutes a pivotal practice in Buddhism, aimed at fostering mindfulness and concentration. Through meditation, practitioners aspire to tranquilize the mind, glean insights into the nature of reality, and nurture virtues such as compassion and benevolence, denoted as metta. Diverse Buddhist traditions proffer an array of meditation techniques, yet the ultimate objective remains consistent: attaining a state of inner tranquility and clarity conducive to enlightenment.

Vipassana, or insight meditation, stands as one of the most renowned meditation modalities, focusing on attaining profound comprehension of reality’s fabric. This practice entails observance of the breath, corporeal sensations, thoughts, and emotions with detached awareness. Another prevalent practice is Samatha, or serenity meditation, which endeavors to cultivate concentration and serenity by directing focus onto a singular object, such as the breath or a visual stimulus.

Compassion constitutes another cornerstone of Buddhist ethics. Compassionate conduct entails extending kindness and empathy to all sentient beings, acknowledging their suffering, and endeavoring to assuage it. This ethos finds embodiment in the Bodhisattva ideal, particularly conspicuous in Mahayana Buddhism, where adherents pledge to attain enlightenment not solely for personal gain but for the welfare of all sentient beings. This altruistic aspiration underscores the interconnectedness of all life and the primacy of selfless service.

The cultivation of compassion is often complemented by the practice of loving-kindness meditation, entailing cultivation of sentiments of affection and benevolence toward oneself and others. This practice serves to dismantle barriers of animosity, rancor, and malevolence, fostering a sense of kinship and empathy with fellow beings. The aspiration to assist all sentient beings in attaining enlightenment epitomizes the profound commitment to compassion and altruism central to Buddhist practice.

Buddhism also underscores the significance of wisdom, termed prajna. This wisdom transcends mere intellectual apprehension, representing profound experiential insight into the veritable nature of reality. It entails apprehending phenomena as they genuinely exist, beyond illusions and misconceptions. Wisdom is nurtured through study, contemplation, and meditation, deemed indispensable for liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Cultivation of wisdom empowers practitioners to surmount ignorance and delusion, perceived as the foundational causes of suffering.

One of the seminal teachings related to wisdom is the concept of dependent origination, or pratityasamutpada. This doctrine expounds on the arising and cessation of all phenomena contingent upon causal conditions. Grasping dependent origination enables practitioners to discern the interconnectedness of all phenomena and relinquish the fallacious notion of an independent, self-contained self. This insight engenders profound understanding of the nature of suffering and the path to liberation.

Buddhist practice transcends meditation and ethical conduct; it encompasses engagement with the community and the world. The Sangha, denoting the community of practitioners, assumes a pivotal role in nurturing individual practice and fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual encouragement. Comprising monastic communities, lay practitioners, and spiritual mentors, the Sangha furnishes guidance and support on the spiritual path.

Buddhist teachings exhort adherents to engage in acts of generosity, termed dana, involving provision of material assistance, time, and energy to others. Generosity is viewed as a conduit for nurturing selflessness and engendering positive karma. Moreover, it serves to foster interconnectedness and interdependence, as practitioners recognize their shared humanity and the significance of mutual support.

Buddhism has undergone adaptation to diverse cultural milieus and evolutionary changes, spawning an array of schools and traditions. Prominent branches of Buddhism encompass Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Each tradition boasts distinctive practices and doctrines, yet they all converge on the foundational principles of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the cultivation of wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental fortitude.

Theravada Buddhism, colloquially dubbed the “Teaching of the Elders,” predominates in regions such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. It accentuates fidelity to the Buddha’s original teachings and emphasis on meditation and monastic discipline. Mahayana Buddhism, known as the “Great Vehicle,” holds sway in East Asian nations like China, Japan, and Korea. Comprising diverse schools such as Zen and Pure Land, Mahayana Buddhism prioritizes the Bodhisattva ideal and the cultivation of compassion and wisdom. Vajrayana Buddhism, or the “Diamond Vehicle,” enjoys prominence in regions like Tibet and Bhutan, featuring esoteric practices and rituals aimed at expedited enlightenment.

Despite variances among these traditions, they all underscore the significance of personal practice and inner metamorphosis. Buddhism impels individuals to shoulder accountability for their spiritual evolution and to embody the teachings in their quotidian lives. This pragmatic and experiential approach has fueled the enduring allure and relevance of Buddhism in the contemporary epoch.

Buddhism confronts both challenges and prospects in modern society. Globalization, environmental degradation, and social inequity necessitate adaptation of the teachings to address these pressing concerns. Many Buddhists are actively engaged in social and environmental advocacy, drawing on the principles of compassion and interconnectedness to advocate for a more equitable and sustainable world.

Buddhist teachings furnish invaluable insights and practical tools for navigating the intricacies of contemporary existence. Emphasis on mindfulness, ethical conduct, and cultivation of wisdom and compassion offers a holistic blueprint for personal and communal well-being. As Buddhism evolves and adapts to contemporary exigencies, its timeless precepts endure as founts of inspiration and guidance for myriad individuals across the globe.

In summation, Buddhism’s core tenets revolve around comprehending and transcending suffering, ethical living, the transitory nature of existence, the absence of a permanent self, the doctrine of karma, and cultivation of wisdom and compassion. These teachings proffer a profound pathway to spiritual illumination, guiding practitioners toward lives suffused with mindfulness, moral rectitude, and inner tranquility. As Buddhism evolves to embrace contemporary contexts, its eternal principles serve as beacons of wisdom and solace for multitudes worldwide.

This exposition serves as a springboard for reflection and further exploration. For bespoke guidance and assurance of adherence to academic standards, consider consulting professionals at EduBirdie.

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The Gospel Coalition announces its 2024 essay contest, inviting young adults (ages 16–22) to explore and write about God’s faithfulness, their relationship with technology, and their heart for full-time ministry in our secular age.

Winning authors will receive a prize, and their essays will be published on TGC’s website. In addition, every writer who submits an essay will receive a coupon code for $50 off the Gen-Z registration for our TGC25 conference .

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Each 800–1,000 word essay must be original, previously unpublished, and must respond to one of the following three prompts. With each of these prompts, contestants should draw from their own experiences and convictions, and use Scripture to support their conclusions. (Want examples? Read the winning essays from 2022 and 2023 .) Contestants must give permission to TGC to publish their work, and each essay will be judged by TGC’s editorial team.

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1. When did the Lord love you by not giving you what you wanted?

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