The "Why" Behind Living the Word of Wisdom

Today I received an email from a very nice reader Charly who brought up some good questions about the "why" behind why I personally live the Word of Wisdom. I wanted to post my answer to his/her question here so that others who might also be curious might understand a little more about why the Word of Wisdom law is something I choose to follow. Below is Charly's comment and question. Thank you again Charly for commenting! :-)

"I came across your blog looking for examples of those who abstain from alcohol, yet try to twist the NT (New Testament?) account around their beliefs. I'm something of a teetotaler myself, but I'm only mildly religious, and don't choose my lifestyle because of any particular dogma.

You are free to believe whatever you want, of course, but I just wanted to ask, do you choose to follow the Word of Wisdom because of some kind of naturalist explanation ("it's a good way to live!"), because you think God told you to, or what? You say if "everyone just had one sip/one puff, then it'd be OK." Well, trust me, I've had the occasional cocktail with dinner when I came of age, and I'm not headed to any AA meetings. Do what you want, but don't live your life out of fear! Jesus DID drink booze, as did the founder of your Church, and the Mormon community in the mid-nineteenth century. But I guess if your saccharine sweet blog with your Swedish Jesus pictures makes you happy, have at it, sistah."

Dear Charly,

Thank you so much for your comment on our blog. I really appreciate your question and loved that it made me dig deeper into my own beliefs and where those beliefs come from. I also appreciate you sharing some of your own thoughts about drinking and the Word of Wisdom I enjoy so much learning from others like you and being able to share our different thoughts and experiences in life.

I guess when it comes down to it, I live the word of wisdom for several reasons 1) Because I believe it was revealed by God through his prophet Joseph Smith. Now this may seem really ludicrous to some, but let me try to explain where I am coming from.

As a child I was taught to pray and did so simply because it was what we did in our family. However, as I aged and matured I started to realize how real God was in my life and started to have experiences in prayer where I truly felt that God knew me, that I was his daughter, and that he cared about the ins and outs in my life. I remember one particular time during my teenage years when I had been making some choices I knew were wrong in my life. I felt awful inside and not at peace in my life and sincerely desired to change, but I was terrified that God would be so disappointed in me and therefore my reaction was to want to hide from him because I felt so ashamed of what I had done. However, I had been taught about repentance as a child and knew that I needed to pray and seek the Lords help so that I could have the strength to change.

I can't explain the feelings I experienced but it was almost as if I could feel a warm blanket being wrapped around me, or that God had reached down and held me in a tight hug. I knew then that the atonement of Jesus Christ was real, as in only a matter of minutes of praying I went to feeling heavy and burdened, to feeling happy and light, free from the guilt and burdens I had previously been experiencing. I felt such an outpouring of love that it consumed my whole body. It was an incredible experience and one I have thought back to often and felt over and over again in my life as I've prayed for comfort, guidance and or repented for something I have done wrong.

So prayer and the Atonement of Jesus Christ has become a big part of me and I truly believe God is our father in heaven, and that he loves us as a parent loves a child, only he does so unconditionally and perfectly, and because of the personal experiences I've had with prayer, I believe God will help us through this life. With that said, I also believe that God reveals to us what his truths are so that we may make right choices in our lives, and live our lives in a way that will qualify us to return to live with God someday and inherit all that he has. Our Heavenly Father has a plan for us. Christ is a huge part of that plan and our lives have purpose and meaning. And I believe God uses prophets on the earth today to reveal his truths to us. So that we may know the things we should be doing in our lives. The things that will bring us happiness and help us to feel joy, and the things that will help us return to God and eventually inherit all that our Father has.

And THAT is why I believe in the Prophet Joseph Smith. I have read the Book of Mormon which we (Mormons) believe Joseph translated from an ancient record buried for hundreds of years. The Book of Mormon is an account written by prophets of old about another people who were also visited and taught by Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is a 2nd witness to the Bible and helps teach us Christs gospel and Gods plan. However, I just don't believe the Book of Mormon is true simply because I have read it many times. I believe it is true because I have felt in my heart that it is true. I have prayed about it, read from its pages daily, lived its teachings, and felt that same warmth fill my soul witnessing to me that it contains Christs gospel and is from God. I have felt peace in my life, direction, and answers as I've read from its pages and prayed for help understanding the things our Heavenly Father would have me know and do.

If Joseph Smith was a fraud and not the prophet he claimed to be, than the Book of Mormon is also a fraud, and the Church of Jesus Christ which Joseph organized through the power of God is also a fraud.

However, IF Joseph was a prophet and he did indeed translate ancient records written by Gods prophets (The Book of Mormon), and received revelation for us today (the Word of Wisdom) and other laws, than I believe I should obey those revealed truths, because I know that God will bless me for having faith in him and doing that which he has revealed.

So it is because I have felt in my heart that Joseph was a prophet that I choose to live the word of wisdom. It is because I believe each of us can know truth if we sincerely pray for it with an intent to follow that which we seek, that I choose to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and follow its teachings. I have personally prayed about these things and even though I don't understand everything or have a worldly reasonable explanation for obeying everything taught in our church, I also know that I am happier when I do and that living the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in our church will continue to help me progress into the person I want to be and can be.

So far in my life, nothing taught in our church has been to my detriment. On the contrary, as I've obeyed the different laws and principles taught I have found more clarity, more purpose, and more happiness in my life. I have had more opportunities to love, to serve, and to become a better person. I have developed better control over myself and the temptations that are before me. I have learned to give more of myself, to be more charitable, to be healthier. I have learned to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, and friend.

The way I figure it, if at the end of my life I find out that everything the Chuch of Jesus Christ has taught me is untrue, then I will still be WAY better off and a better person than if I were to try figuring things out on my own. But luckily for me, I do believe it is true, in fact I know it is for I have felt it over and over and over in my life and experienced more blessings and happiness than I ever imagined from following the laws and principles taught. I'm a much better and happier person because I am trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and I hope only to continue to chip off more rough edges over the course of my life to become the person God would have me be. Its a process, but one I'm committed to endure to the end of.

Thank you Charly for your wonderful question and for sharing your own experiences and thoughts. I appreciate them greatly and would love to hear more about where things look from where you stand. Thanks again for commenting. I hope you will continue with us on our spiritual journey! :-)

Sarah