The Word of Wisdom is “a principle with promise”—and the promise includes wisdom, knowledge and physical health. (Doctrine and Covenants 89:3,19). This week’s lesson reminds us that it’s given to us as individuals, but the outcome of obedience (or disobedience) can impact entire families, for generations.
Much of what happens to our bodies in mortality does not reflect our choices. “I refer to these truths as the ‘realities of mortality.’ If we are to gain the fullest blessings and benefits from our mortal experience, we must understand and embrace these revealed realities. Failure to understand or, worse, knowingly ignoring them will result in our time on earth being misspent, underutilized, and perhaps utterly wasted.” (Elder Paul B. Pieper of the Seventy, 2013)
In the simplest of terms, our bodies belong to us. Caring for them is a deeply personal matter. However, from He who created them, we know some important things to avoid and include in how we do that. Further wisdom tells us the promises and blessings of these, and other “words of wisdom” extend to our families, loved ones and beyond.