“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
And so it is. Our bodies are sacred. A body is a temple. God has given us bodies so that we might eventually “receive a fulness of joy” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:33), and one of the ways we receive joy is by having the companionship of the Holy Ghost. But the Spirit does not–indeed, He cannot–dwell in unclean temples. In order to more fully have the Spirit of the Lord with us (and thus receiving more of the light and truth and daily guidance that we need in our mortal sojourn), we must take care of our bodies.
Because God is loving, He gives commandments to help us know how we can have His Spirit to be with us. One of these commandments is called the Word of Wisdom. This commandment is a basic code of health. It was received by revelation to Joseph Smith, the first prophet and founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in 1833. The Word of Wisdom teaches that we are not to take harmful substances into our bodies. These include coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs.
The Word of Wisdom, however, is not only a commandment about what we shouldn’t eat, but also teaches what we should take into our bodies. Healthy foods, such as grains, fruits, and herbs are given for the benefit of man. The “flesh . . . of beasts and of the fowls of the air . . . are to be used sparingly,” but are “ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving” (Doctrine and Covenants 89:12).
There is a connection between physical and spiritual health. It is difficult for the spirit to thrive if the body is unhealthy. The Lord said, “[N]ot at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal . . . for my commandments are spiritual” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:34-35). Temporal commandments effect spiritual things. Many commandments seem to be only temporal, but everything the Lord commands is essentially spiritual. All commandments strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated”–which law is that “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (Doctrine and Covenants 130: 20-21). Furthermore, the Lord said,
And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you;
Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation.
I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:8-10)
By obeying the Word of Wisdom, God’s children will receive blessings. Here is one of the blessings that obedience to the Word of Wisdom is predicated:
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;
And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.�
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. (Doctrine and Covenants 89:18-21)