203 - Word of Wisdom Command or Counsel? I Church History Matters I Word of Wisdom Series

Church History Matters

Scripture Central

Religion & Spirituality:christianity, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this exciting new series, hosts Scott Woodward and Casey Griffiths dive into one of the most talked-about and most requested topics from listeners of the show: the Word of Wisdom. First revealed to Joseph Smith in 1833 as a revelation from the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants Section 89), the Word of Wisdom began as loving counsel for the Saints and has grown into a vital commandment and covenant marker for Church members around the world. Scott and Casey explore the origins of the revelation in Kirtland, the cultural context of health reform in early America, and the Lord’s counsel regarding strong drinks, tobacco, hot drinks, wholesome herbs, grains, and meat. They also trace how the Word of Wisdom gradually evolved from inspired advice into a standard for temple worthiness and full fellowship in the Church. Why do some things seem emphasized more today than others? How did early Church leaders and members understand and live this law? And what does the Word of Wisdom teach us about obedience, revelation, and caring for both body and spirit? Join Scott and Casey for a fascinating historical and doctrinal journey through one of the most recognizable and sometimes misunderstood principles of the restored gospel. Whether you’ve wondered about coffee, tea, health practices, or the deeper spiritual purpose behind this commandment, this episode offers context, clarity, and powerful insight.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Why has the word of wisdom been observed differently over time?
0:04.7	Is the word of wisdom a commandment for all time, or is it a commandment just for our time?
0:09.5	But a living church also depends on living revelation.
0:12.0	The core doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ are relatively few in number.
0:17.8	That not only was alcohol used as a disease preventative, but that quote, it was also
0:22.7	regarded as a necessary beverage. It wasn't just about alcohol either. The physiological health
0:28.3	reform movement was also growing throughout the country. Did they just quit cold turkey? Did they
0:34.3	just start living the word of wisdom right away the matter was taken up and joked
0:38.6	about this is not a commandment but is wisdom it's a principle hey this is a really smart thing to do
0:44.4	but i'm not commanding you to do this something has seriously shifted between then and now
0:52.7	hello scott welcome back yes excited for a new series man and now. Hello, Scott. Welcome back.
0:55.2	Yes.
0:56.0	Excited for a new series, man.
0:58.5	Yeah.
0:59.2	Yeah.
0:59.8	And this series is on our most requested topic.
1:05.0	We have listeners contact us and say, hey, could you talk about this?
1:07.9	Could you talk about this?
1:08.8	And actually keep a whiteboard in my office of topics. And it's going to take forever to get them all crossed off. But this was the most
1:16.2	requested one. The word of wisdom. The history of wisdom. Yeah, we're not completely sure why,
1:23.9	but a lot of you out there have asked us if we could do a deep, deep, deep dive on the
1:30.9	history of the Word of Wisdom. So for all of you who asked for it, here we go.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Scripture Central, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Scripture Central and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.