Section 89
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 89, universally known within Mormonism as the 'Word of Wisdom,' was dictated by Joseph Smith in 1833. Historically prompted by the use of chewing tobacco among early church leaders during meetings, the text outlines a specific dietary and health code. It explicitly prohibits the consumption of wine and strong drink (except for sacramental use, which must be homemade), tobacco, and 'hot drinks' (later interpreted by LDS leadership exclusively as coffee and tea). Conversely, it prescribes the use of wholesome herbs, fruits, and grains as the 'staff of life.' Notably, the text commands that meat ('flesh of beasts') be used sparingly and only in times of winter, cold, or famine. The revelation concludes with profound promises for those who obey these dietary laws: physical health ('health in their navel and marrow to their bones'), spiritual enlightenment ('wisdom and great treasures of knowledge'), physical endurance, and divine protection ('the destroying angel shall pass by them'). While verse 2 explicitly states this was given 'not by commandment or constraint,' subsequent LDS history saw this text evolve into a strict, mandatory commandment required for temple entry and full fellowship, making it one of the most visible cultural and theological boundary markers of modern Mormonism.
Key Figures
- The Lord: The claimed divine author of the revelation who dictates the dietary laws and promises the associated blessings.
- Joseph Smith: The prophet who received and recorded the revelation on behalf of the church.
- Conspiring men: Unnamed individuals in the 'last days' whose 'evils and designs' prompted the Lord to issue this warning.
- Destroying angel: An agent of divine judgment who is promised to pass over those who obey this dietary code, echoing the Exodus narrative.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
The Word of Wisdom (Dietary Law)
Assertion
God has ordained a specific dietary code for the last days that prohibits alcohol, tobacco, and hot drinks, while restricting meat and emphasizing grains and herbs.
Evidence from Text
That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good... tobacco is not for the body... hot drinks are not for the body or belly. (v. 5, 8, 9)
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, the New Covenant explicitly abolishes Old Testament dietary restrictions and warns against the institution of new ones. Jesus Christ declared all foods clean (Mark 7:18-19), emphasizing that spiritual defilement comes from the heart, not the stomach. The Apostle Paul strongly reinforced this, warning in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 that teachings which 'command to abstain from meats' (foods) are 'doctrines of devils,' because God created food to be received with thanksgiving. Furthermore, Colossians 2:16-23 commands believers not to let anyone judge them in meat or in drink, stating that such regulations have an 'appearance of wisdom' (ironically mirroring the title 'Word of Wisdom') but are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. D&C 89 represents a regression to a works-based, flesh-focused regulatory system that contradicts New Testament Christian liberty.
Conditional Spiritual Protection and Enlightenment
Assertion
Obedience to this specific dietary code results in receiving hidden treasures of knowledge and causes the destroying angel of judgment to pass over the believer.
Evidence from Text
And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings... shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge... 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. (v. 18-19, 21)
Evangelical Comparison
This doctrine presents a severe Christological and Soteriological conflict with Evangelicalism. By promising that the 'destroying angel shall pass by them' based on their adherence to a dietary code, D&C 89 replaces the atoning blood of Christ with human works. In the biblical Exodus narrative referenced in verse 21, the angel of death passed over the Israelites solely because of the blood of the substitutionary Passover lamb applied to their doorposts (Exodus 12). The New Testament explicitly identifies Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). Protection from divine wrath is granted by grace through faith in Christ's finished work (Romans 5:9), never through abstaining from hot drinks or tobacco. Additionally, true spiritual wisdom and 'hidden treasures of knowledge' are found in Christ Himself (Colossians 2:3), not earned through dietary asceticism.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
D&C 89 reinstitutes an Old Covenant-style dietary law, attaching profound spiritual blessings and protection from divine judgment to what one eats and drinks, directly contradicting New Testament teachings on Christian liberty and justification by faith alone.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 89 and Evangelical Christianity is profound, centering on the doctrines of Christian liberty, justification, and the sufficiency of Christ. D&C 89 establishes a neo-Levitical dietary code, prohibiting specific substances and restricting others, and explicitly ties obedience to this code to spiritual outcomes: receiving 'hidden treasures of knowledge' and having the 'destroying angel' pass by. This violates the Evangelical pillar of Sola Fide (Faith Alone) and the sufficiency of Christ's atonement. In biblical theology, the Passover lamb (whose blood caused the destroying angel to pass over) is a direct type of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). To suggest that abstaining from coffee, tea, or tobacco provides the spiritual protection that only Christ's blood can secure is a severe Christological error. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul explicitly warned the early church against false teachers who would 'command to abstain from meats [foods], which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving' (1 Timothy 4:3), and insisted that believers let no one judge them regarding food or drink (Colossians 2:16). D&C 89 reverses the freedom of the New Covenant, placing believers back under a yoke of dietary legalism.
For All Ages
Imagine if someone told you that to be safe from God's punishment and to be truly wise, you had to stop drinking tea and coffee, and only eat meat in the winter. That might sound like a healthy diet, but it's not how God saves us. The Bible says that Jesus already took our punishment when He died on the cross. What we eat or drink doesn't make God love us more or less. Jesus said it's what comes out of our hearts—like our words and thoughts—that matters, not what goes into our stomachs.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Adds new, binding dietary laws that contradict the New Testament's explicit abrogation of food laws.
Christology / Sufficiency of the Atonement
Replaces the blood of the Passover Lamb (Christ) with dietary obedience as the mechanism to make the 'destroying angel' pass by.
Christian Liberty
Violates Colossians 2:16 and 1 Timothy 4:1-5 by judging believers based on food/drink and commanding abstinence from things God created to be received with thanksgiving.
Sola Fide
Makes the reception of spiritual wisdom and divine protection contingent upon the 'works' of dietary compliance.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Temporal salvation"
In This Text
Physical preservation, health, and deliverance from earthly destruction or the 'destroying angel' through dietary obedience.
In Evangelicalism
Evangelicals generally do not separate salvation into 'temporal' and 'spiritual' categories in this manner. Salvation is holistic deliverance from sin and God's wrath through Christ.
"Sacrament"
In This Text
The LDS ordinance of the Lord's Supper, which D&C 89 says should use pure, homemade wine (though modern LDS use water).
In Evangelicalism
An ordinance instituted by Christ (Communion/Lord's Supper). Evangelicals do not require the wine to be 'of your own make' to be valid.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: The text speaks of 'temporal salvation' (v. 2), which includes physical health, endurance, and preservation from the 'destroying angel' (v. 21).
How Attained: Attained by strict obedience to the dietary prohibitions and prescriptions ('keeping and doing these sayings', v. 18).
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on one's personal performance in abstaining from the prohibited substances.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. Romans 14:17 states, 'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.' D&C 89 makes spiritual standing and divine protection a matter of eating and drinking.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Do not drink wine or strong drink (except for sacraments)
- Use only pure, homemade wine for the sacrament
- Do not use tobacco for the body (only for bruises and sick cattle)
- Do not consume hot drinks
- Use wholesome herbs and fruits in their season with prudence and thanksgiving
- Use the flesh of beasts and fowls sparingly
- Only use meat in times of winter, cold, or famine
- Use grain as the staff of life for man and beasts
Implicit Obligations
- Maintain strict control over bodily appetites to ensure spiritual worthiness
- View the physical body as a vessel that must be kept pure from specific substances to receive revelation
Ritual Requirements
- When assembling to offer sacraments, use pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make (v. 5-6)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I noticed in verse 2 it says the Word of Wisdom was given 'not by commandment or constraint.' How did it transition into being a strict commandment required to enter the temple?
- In Mark 7:18-19, Jesus said that nothing entering a person from the outside can defile them, declaring all foods clean. How do you reconcile Jesus's teaching with the restrictions in the Word of Wisdom?
- Verse 21 mentions the destroying angel passing by, which reminds me of the Passover in Exodus. In the Old Testament, what caused the angel to pass by, and how does that point to what Jesus did for us?
- The text says meat should only be eaten in winter, cold, or famine. Why is the restriction on coffee and tea strictly enforced for temple recommends, but the restriction on meat is generally not?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Destroying Angel Passing By
The desire to be safe from God's righteous judgment (the destroying angel) is a universal human need. In the Exodus story, the Israelites weren't saved because they ate a certain diet; they were saved because they hid under the blood of a spotless lamb. Jesus is the ultimate Lamb of God. We don't need to rely on our own ability to keep a health code to be safe from judgment; we can rest entirely under the protective blood of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The Word of Wisdom places a heavy burden of behavioral performance on the believer. Because adherence is required for temple entry (and thus, eternal exaltation and family sealing in LDS theology), a simple mistake or moment of weakness (like drinking a cup of coffee) can result in profound spiritual anxiety, feelings of unworthiness, and the fear of losing eternal blessings.
Verse 21 introduces the fear of the 'destroying angel' for those who fail to keep these sayings. This creates a paradigm where God's protection is conditional upon flawless dietary compliance, removing the peace and assurance that comes from resting in Christ's finished work.