The Word of Wisdom

Back in the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (early 1830's) it was common for men to use chewing tobacco and smoke at church and other meetings.

Emma Smith, the prophet Joseph Smith's wife was left with the clean up of the vile material that was left behind after the meetings.

She asked Joseph to do something about it. So Joseph inquired of the Lord. In response to this, the Lord gave Joseph Smith the following revelation that now is known as "The Word of Wisdom" or Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants:

1 A Word OF Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—
2 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—
3 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.
4 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—
5 That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.
6 And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.
7 And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.
8 And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.
9 And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
12 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;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
14 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;
15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
17 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.
18 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;
19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
21 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.



As you can see, this revelation not only says what not to do, but it also is very specific about what to do. It speaks of basing your diet on grains, fruits and vegetables, wholesome herbs, and also eating meat sparingly. Doesn't that sound like it came right out of the American Heart Association? After years of scientific study American's have come to the conclusion that this is indeed the basis of a healthy diet. However Joseph Smith in the 19th century had no science to back this up. But he received it from the Lord. In addition the health code prohibits strong drinks of any kind, Tobacco, and "hot drinks." The term "hot drinks" has been clarified by other prophets as Coffee and Tea.

So do Latter-Day Saints who live by this health code show a dramatic increase in health? Yes. In fact not only do they live longer but on average are able to maintain a higher quality of life.

Later prophets have also counseled against illegal drugs and pretty much anything that can be addicting or cause a dependency. This does not include medications prescribed by a doctor.

But please don't think of the Word of Wisdom as just a health code. Instead it is a principle with a promise. Those who live by it are not only blessed with general good health and freedom from addictive substances. They are also blessed with spiritual blessings including, "wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." They are promised that the destroying angel will pass by them. The Lord always attaches a spiritual blessing to His temporal blessings

To become a member of the church through baptism, one must commit to live by the Word of Wisdom. Also, later when you want to experience the blessings of the Temple, you must be living by the word of wisdom to obtain a temple recommend from your Bishop.

In other words, you must refrain from Coffee, Tea, Tobacco (in any form), Alcohol, Illegal Drugs and any other thing that could be harmful to your body. You must try to base your diet on grains, fruits and vegetables, wholesome herbs, and eat meat sparingly.

I promise you that the Lord will bless you if you live by His law of health. The blessings He promises are yours for the taking. Your mind will be more clear and able to receive personal revelation, and hidden treasures of knowledge.

I invite you to live this law and prepare to receive a remission of your sins through baptism into the Lord Jesus Christs church.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Tithing and Fast Offerings

You might have heard that faithful Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) pay one tenth of their annual income in tithes. If you've heard this, you have heard correctly. Why would anyone pay so much toward their faith? Why 10 Percent? Where does the money go? What blessings if any come from it?

I would like to explore these four questions in this post.

1. Why would anyone pay so much toward their faith?

In the book of Malachi in the Old Testament we read:

Mal. 3: 8
8 ¶ Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.


God has created the whole universe. He owns it all. Every day we subsist on the bounty He has provided. The water, the air, the food. It's all from him. Without use of God's creation, we would not have the ability to live to ten minutes. Even more important, is another principle taught by our Lord Jesus Christ:

Matt. 4: 4
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

So God expects us to not only understand that everything in the end is His. But He wants us to understand that we don't only live by the physical things or temporal things in life, but by His word.

He has commanded that we reserve ten percent of the blessings He gives us for the work of the Lord. This allows us to live not just by bread alone, but by faith in the word of the Lord.

Tithing in the end is a principle of faith.


2. Why 10 percent?

The simplest answer to this is that the word "tithe" means "tenth."
In addition to this, the Lord through His modern prophets has clarified this:

D&C 119
4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

"Interest" in this scripture has been shown to mean "increase" by later prophets and apostles.


3. Where does the money go?

If you've grown up in a faith where there is a paid clergy, meaning the local pastor or priest subsists on the donations of the congregation, you might be a little skeptical about the whole principle of tithing. After all, if they live off of your donations, of course they are going to preach about this over the pulpit often.

The Latter-Day Saints have no paid clergy. In other words, individuals don't get paid to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, every Mormon missionary you have seen has either paid their own way to serve a mission, or was helped by friends and family.

Even the Prophets, Apostles, and General Authorities of the Church are not paid from the tithing of the members. Instead all of the money goes toward the operating of the church, including paying for the building and maintaining of chapels and temples, printing materials, and paying those who have a full time job in keeping for instance the accounting, building maintenance, Information systems, etc up to date.

No priesthood authority is paid to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is free, and should be given freely. Latter-Day Saints consider the payment of preachers and pastors as priestcraft.

The Book of Mormon talks about this:

Alma 1:16
16 Nevertheless, this did not put an end to the spreading of priestcraft through the land; for there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor.

This is not to be found among the True Church of Jesus Christ.

4. What blessings if any come from it (Paying Tithing)?

If we go back to our original scripture we cited in Malachi, we could read on:


Mal 3:10-12

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.


I couldn't say it any better than that. There are many blessings that come from paying an honest tithe. Some are temporal, some are spiritual. Tithing is another way you can show the Lord that you really do believe Him. You really do have faith in Him. It is evidence that your faith is real, because it is backed up by righteous works.


Now a word about Fast Offerings:

In addition to paying an honest tithe to God and His church, we have been asked to use the blessings the Lord has given us to help our neighbor. When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment in the law he said:

Matt 22:37-40
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Later in the book of James it says:

James 1: 27
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Hundreds of Years before these two passages, the Lords prophet Isaiah said:

Isaiah 58:6
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?


The Lord in our day has asked that the members of His church use the law of the fast to help fulfill the second great commandment that requires we love our neighbor.

Latter-Day Saints forgo eating two meals on the first Sunday of each month, and then take the Money they would have spent on those two meals and give it into the hands of the local Bishop. The Bishop then see's to it that those who are in need are taken care of. A church member is asked to give at a minimum the amount the two meals would have cost them, but if they can they should give even more generously to see to it that they are practicing "Pure Religion."

Fasting blesses both the recipients of the help, and the one who fasts. By fasting and forgoing food and water for a short period of time, the faster is actual subduing the flesh and allowing the Spirit to more fully take charge in their life. Therefore fasting actually helps to sanctify that person who participates.

Fasting however is not just about going without food and drink. When one fasts they should do so with a purpose. You might have a perplexing problem you are trying to find an answer to. You might need extra help from God. You might know of someone else in distress that needs your faith and prayers. If you fast and pray about the problem, you will receive extra strength from the Lord to help you through the trial. Fasting is another way to show your faith in Jesus Christ. Such faith brings miracles in your life.

In conclusion I would just like to add my testimony that tithing and fasting are wonderful ways to live the first and second great commandment more fully. If lived, they will both be a blessing to you, the Lord's work, and others in need.

The table of the Lord is set and ready for you to feast at. Come and partake of the blessings the Lord is waiting to give you. Come be baptized a member of His church.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


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The Temple

You may have heard about Mormons and Temples. You might have wondered why we build temples. I'll do my best to help you understand.

If you read in the bible, you will find many references to temple worship. When the children of Israel were led out of Egypt by God through his prophet Moses, they were commanded to make a portable temple called the tabernacle.

The tabernacle allowed them to perform special, sacred ordinances commanded by God in the law of Moses. These ordinances were connected to the Aaronic priesthood and were outward expressions that pointed Israel to the eventual coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

Later these ordinances continued with the building of King Salomon's Temple. This temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. Later, it was rebuilt, and by the time of Jesus, King Herod had built it again in great splendor.

When Jesus was crucified the Vail of the Temple was rent apart. This represented Jesus' triumph over sin and His atonement between God and Man. In addition it had another special meaning in that it signified that the door was now open to redeem the dead.

During the three day period between the time of Jesus' death and his resurrection, we learn from the bible that he was preaching to the dead:


1 Pet. 3:18-19
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;


1 Pet. 4: 6
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.


Why would Jesus do such a thing? Hadn't these people already had a chance at salvation?

Consider for a moment how many people have lived on the earth. We know that right now there are over 6 billion people alive today. How many have lived since Adam and Eve? An astounding amount of people have lived on the earth. However many of these people lived their whole lives without even hearing about Jesus Christ.

There are some who would have you believe those who died without accepting Jesus as their savior, or even hearing about him, are eternally damned.

Latter Day Saints believe that everyone will have an equal chance to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even those who have already died without that chance.

The Lord has provided a way for these people to accept the gospel.

There is a great missionary effort going on in the spirit world that was instituted by Jesus himself to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will listen.

But if a person never had the chance in this life, and they accept the gospel in the spirit world, how can they be baptized?

The answer is baptism for the dead. In a sacred holy temple, that has dedicated to the Lord, a worthy person may stand in as proxy for a deceased ancestor and be baptized on their behalf.

The ancestor may or may not accept this ordinance, they have the choice in the matter.

When Paul was teaching about the resurrection, he mentioned that the early church was performing baptisms for the dead:

1 Cor. 15:29
29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

In other words, Paul was saying baptism for the dead would be pointless if their was no resurrection. Paul obviously believed in the resurrection. He also believed in baptism for the dead.

Today, these baptisms are performed in the holy temples of the church that dot the world.

In addition to baptism for the dead, there are other sacred ordinances preformed in LDS temples.

One of the most important is marriage. When one is married in other faiths, they are married until "Death due us part" or "as long as you both shall live."

When you are married in the Temple, you can be married for "Time and All Eternity."

We believe that if you live up to the promises you've made to each other and to God, your marriage and family can be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise together forever.

You don't have to lose your spouse upon death. You don't have to lose your children. Instead, you become an eternal family unit, enjoying all of the happiness and joy that comes with it in heaven together.

The Lord spoke to Joseph Smith and told him the importance of this:

D&C 131:1-4
1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.


While baptism is required to enter the kingdom of God, this kind of eternal marriage performed only to worthy couples in the temple is required to "obtain the highest".

I had the blessing of being married to my bride in a sacred temple of the lord.
We were married in the Bountiful, Utah temple. The picture above is the San Diego Temple.

I testify that temples are the most sacred houses of worship on the earth. What is "bound" in these earthly temples, is truly "bound" in heaven forever.

If I endure in faith to the end, and keep the promises I made in the temple, the grace of Jesus Christ will allow for my wife and children to be sealed to me forever, and I to them.

I also testify that you to can have this blessing, it is open to anyone who accepts the gospel of Jesus Christ and becomes a member of His church.

Through the house of the Lord, the dead are redeemed, individuals are endowed with power from on high, and families are sealed together forever.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Please talk to Missionaries today:

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Priesthood Keys and Authority

There are many references to the Priesthood in the Holy Bible.

We first come across the higher order of the priesthood, of which the King of Salem, Melchizedek was a member:

Gen. 14: 18
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God.

Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. He was the great high priest of that day.

Later in the book of Psalms, it prophesies that Jesus Christ would also be a priest after this order:

Ps. 110: 4
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Paul talks about both the Melchizedek and a lesser Levitical or Aaronic priesthood in Hebrews chapter 7. He makes some important points about them.

1. The Melchizedek priesthood is not a lineal priesthood. Meaning you don't have to come from a specific bloodline to be ordained to it. It is "Without Father, Without Mother". The Levitical or Aaraonic priesthood on the other hand was given to descendants of Aaron and members of the tribe of Levi.
2. The Aaronic Priesthood is a lesser priesthood or the priesthood after "Carnal Commandments" It was the priesthood used to perform the ordinances of the Mosaic law, and the gospel of repentance and baptism taught by John the Baptist.
3. The Melchizedek priesthood is the priesthood used to perform the ordinances of the higher law or the Gospel law.
4. The Melchizedek priesthood has a sacred oath connected to it.


We learn from modern revelation that Jesus not only held the Melchizedek priesthood, but he is the author of it. It his His priesthood.

D&C 107
1 There are, in the church, two priesthoods, namely, the Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood.
2 Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest.
3 Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.
4 But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood.


The Old Testament goes into great detail about how the function of the Aaronic priesthood and about what a holder of this priesthood was supposed to do.

Ex. 28:1
And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

Num. 8: 6, 9-15,
6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
• • •
9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the Lord: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
11 And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord.
12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the Lord, to make an atonement for the Levites.
13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the Lord.
14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.


The scriptures are clear that there is a specific way one receives the priesthood:

Heb. 5: 4
4 And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.


No one is to claim they have the authority or priesthood of God unless they have been called of God... as was Aaron. This is a very important idea. There are many who have claimed to be a priest or a pastor or some other priesthood office just because they have gone to divinity school, or because they "felt" a calling.. but true priesthood holders are called of God "as was Aaron."

How was Aaron called? Aaron was called of God through God's prophet on the earth at that time: Moses. In addition, he was ordained by Moses to this priesthood.

Aaron didn't take this "Honor to himself". In other words, he didn't just claim that he had been called, and then started to minister in his office. He was called by Gods prophet and ordained by the laying on of hands to this office. Moses had received his priesthood from his Father-in-Law Jethro. Moses held the Melchizedek priesthood, for it didn't come to him from his father, or lineage, but his father-in-law.

Joseph Smith received the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist, who visited him as a resurrected being:

D&C 13: 1
1 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.

Later Joseph received the Melchizedek priesthood by the hands Peter, James, and John
who visited him and ordained him. Joseph didn't just claim he was called, he was called God as was Aaron. He received the Priesthood by those who were authorized to give it. Peter, James, and John had received their authority or priesthood from Jesus Christ himself.

So why is this so important? It is important because without the proper authority to minister in sacred things, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints could not claim to be Jesus Christ church on the earth today. In fact, no church can make that claim without the proper authority given from God and the its' priest are called of God "as was Aaron".

If its not God's Priesthood, it's not Gods church. And every ordinance performed in that church from baptism to the laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost would be null and void.

One cannot be properly baptized without the baptizer having the proper authority. And without proper baptism, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5)

There have been different claims about the priesthood from different churches.

Roman Catholics claim an unbroken line of authority from Peter to the present day pope.
Many Protestant faiths claim a priesthood of "believers". Meaning they believe that any believer is automatically given this priesthood.

Latter-day saints believe that a few decades after the original church set up by Jesus and his Apostles there was an apostasy, those who held the keys of the priesthood (The Apostles) were martyred.

While Peter and the other apostles surely ordained others to the priesthood, the keys of that priesthood, which authorize the use of the priesthood, were taken from the earth with the martyrdom of the apostles.

It is not only important to have the priesthood, but also to have the keys that authorize the use of the priesthood on the earth. (Matthew 16:19)

These keys were not passed down in the early church and therefore the authority to use the priesthood was gone. After the apostasy angelic messengers such as Peter, James, John, Elias, Elijah, Moses, and John the baptist appeared and conferred the keys and priesthood on the prophet Joseph Smith, then they were passed down to each prophet and apostle since the organization of the church and remain with the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints today.

While Roman Catholics and Protestant believers have good arguments for their beliefs, our beliefs are based on direct revelation from God. He has been very clear about he priesthood on it's use.

Ours is not just an interpretation of ancient scripture, but divine revelation direct from God about the subject.

Having said that, it might be helpful for some to explore the claims of Roman Catholics and Protestant belief.

Here are a few articles that explore those beliefs further and contrast them with that of the latter-day Saints:

Roman Catholic Views:

No Complete Apostasy
"Gates of Hell"

Protestant Views:

Priesthood of all Believers
No Need for a Priesthood
Jesus is the only Melchizedek Priesthood holder
No need for a restoration of the priesthood


We respect the views of our catholic and protestant friends. However, we also assert that God has revealed the true doctrine of the priesthood along with the priesthood itself and the appropriate keys to use it again in our day through modern prophets.


I testify that to inherit eternal life, one must have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repent of their sins, be Baptized by immersion, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure faithfully to the end of their lives.

I also testify that you must be baptized by one who holds the proper priesthood authority and is worthy to exorcise that authority on your behalf.

The true authority and priesthood is only found within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.

Baptism performed without this authority is not recognized by God, and will have no effect in the next life. I invite you to come to the loving arms of Jesus Christ by being baptized by one of His authorized servants. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Missionaries:

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