1/1/19

THE WORD OF WISDOM: Principle with Promise

by Mildred Nelson Smith


From the day more than thirty years ago when a specialist shook his finger at me and said of my friend who was mentally ill, "Take her away and get her some food. I’ve seen dozens like her!" I knew I had to know more about foods and their potential. When I became aware that the things I was learning at university were expositions of information revealed by the Lord through His prophet Joseph Smith in the Word of Wisdom, I was dedicated to learning all that I could from both sources and sharing that which I learned with all who wanted to know.


As I have taught throughout the intervening years, people have constantly asked where they could find the information written down for reference. I could cite them to some scattered articles and to fairly reliable current information but not to a complete work for ready reference. When members of the First Presidency asked me to update a booklet that I had written for the Church a number of years ago, I proposed doing the more complete work. To this proposal they graciously agreed.


I am constantly thrilled and humbled that the love and concern of our heavenly Father caused Him to anticipate our need for direction through the maze of information offered us in the field of nutrition and health and to fill that need so concisely in the Scriptures.


The promises are great. They include healthy bodies, minds that function optimally, and immunity from destructive diseases. Modern research is continuing to illuminate the processes by which these promises are implemented. I believe that to live long and healthfully while feeding all the peoples of the world, we must adopt the Word of Wisdom way of life. The book is devoted to the understanding of the revelation with its promises and the investigation of the implementation of its instructions.

The 1977 edition is half price through December 31, 2020.