Sacred Texts: Mormons

Doctrine and Convenants: 89. Revelation through Joseph Smith, Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833.

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This is Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a canonized scripture of the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) tradition, presented as a divine revelation received by Joseph Smith in 1833. Known as the "Word of Wisdom," it is a health code framed not as a strict commandment but as inspired guidance adapted for the "weakest of saints." The text prohibits alcohol (except for sacramental use), tobacco, and "hot drinks," while prescribing a largely plant-based diet — wholesome herbs, grains, and seasonal fruits — with meat to be eaten sparingly and primarily in winter or famine. A distinctive organizational element is the specific assignment of grains to particular animals (wheat for humans, corn for oxen, oats for horses), reflecting a premodern agrarian worldview integrated into religious law. The revelation is notably framed as a protective response to the "evils and designs of conspiring men in the last days," giving the dietary rules an apocalyptic and conspiratorial dimension absent from most religious health codes. Saints who follow these prescriptions are promised physical health, hidden spiritual knowledge, and the protection of God — echoing the Passover narrative in which the destroying angel passes over the obedient.

Doctrine and Convenants: 89. Revelation through Joseph Smith, Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833.

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