This week’s study of Doctrine and Covenants 89-92 reveals profound truths about how the Lord prepares His people for both temporal and eternal purposes. These four revelations, given within just over two weeks in early 1833, work together to establish patterns that still guide the Church today: health as a foundation for revelation, priesthood keys that ensure divine authority, discernment in an age of mixed truth and error, and unity among the Saints.

Wisdom as the Tree of Life: Understanding the Deeper Pattern

Before examining the specific promises of D&C 89, we must understand that this revelation represents far more than a health code—it embodies divine wisdom in its fullest sense. The Hebrew title “Word of Wisdom” (chokmah) connects directly to the personified Wisdom of Proverbs, who declares herself to be the Tree of Life: “She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her” (Proverbs 3:18).

Philo of Alexandria and the Four Rivers of Wisdom

Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE - 50 CE), the great Jewish philosopher who bridged Hebrew scripture with Greek philosophy, provided profound insights into the nature of divine wisdom that illuminate our understanding of the Word of Wisdom. Writing during the time of Christ, Philo interpreted the Garden of Eden allegorically, seeing it as a pattern for the human soul’s relationship with divine wisdom.

According to Philo, Eden was divided into four quadrants by intersecting rivers, with the Tree of Life placed at the center—the navel of creation. He taught that these four rivers represented the four cardinal virtues that flow from divine wisdom:

Prudence (Phronesis) - The river that “appoints what is to be done”
Courage (Andreia) - The river that determines “what is to be endured”
Temperance (Sophrosyne) - The river that discerns “what is to be chosen”
Justice (Dikaiosyne) - The river that governs “what is to be distributed”

These four virtues, flowing from the Tree of Life at Eden’s center, create the pattern for righteous living. Remarkably, D&C 89 contains all four elements: prudence in our choices, courage to resist social pressure, temperance in consumption, and justice in how we treat our bodies as temples.

The Celestial Hierarchy of the Word of Wisdom

Just as the Savior taught that His laws operate on telestial, terrestrial, and celestial levels—moving from “thou shalt not kill” to “love your enemies”—the Word of Wisdom functions as a three-tiered law that can elevate us through the degrees of glory:

Telestial Level (Good): Avoiding Harmful SubstancesAt the basic level, we abstain from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, and harmful drugs. This protects us from addiction, illness, and the spiritual dulling that comes from substance abuse. We avoid what conspiring men would use to enslave us physically and spiritually.

Terrestrial Level (Better): Actively Choosing HealthMoving beyond mere avoidance, we embrace the positive aspects: eating herbs and fruits “in the season thereof,” consuming meat “sparingly,” making grain the “staff of life,” and approaching all consumption “with prudence and thanksgiving.” We exercise, get adequate rest, and treat our bodies as temples through active stewardship.

Celestial Level (Best): Wisdom and Self-Regulation for RevelationAt the highest level, we understand that physical discipline enhances spiritual receptivity. Every food choice becomes an opportunity for self-mastery. Every meal begins with gratitude that sanctifies consumption. We develop the spiritual sensitivity to discern what enhances our capacity to receive revelation versus what diminishes it. Physical temperance becomes the foundation for spiritual temperance in all areas of life.

This progression mirrors Philo’s understanding of wisdom flowing from the Tree of Life at Eden’s center. When we place divine wisdom at the center of our lives—the navel of our spiritual existence—the four rivers of virtue naturally flow outward, creating patterns of prudent choice, courageous obedience, temperate consumption, and just stewardship.

The Physical Foundation of Spiritual Power

What stands out most powerfully in D&C 89 is the Lord’s declaration that this law is given for “temporal salvation” (v. 2), yet the promises are deeply spiritual—wisdom, hidden treasures of knowledge, and divine protection. This isn’t coincidental. The body and spirit are “inseparably connected” (D&C 93:33), and what we do to one affects the other.

When Emma Smith complained about tobacco stains on the floor of the School of the Prophets, she probably didn’t realize she was prompting a revelation that would become one of the most distinctive markers of Latter-day Saint identity. But the Lord used this practical concern to teach a profound principle: our physical choices either enhance or diminish our capacity for spiritual communication.

The Hebrew phrase translated as “health in their navel and marrow to their bones” (v. 18) speaks of vitality flowing from the very core of our being. Ancient peoples understood the navel as the center of life force and marrow as the essence of strength. When we honor our bodies as temples through Word of Wisdom obedience, we’re not just avoiding harmful substances—we’re optimizing our spiritual receptivity.

Protection from Conspiring Men

The Lord’s warning about “evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days” (v. 4) has proven remarkably prescient. In 1833, tobacco was widely considered harmless, even medicinal. The tobacco industry wouldn’t systematically hide cancer research for another century. Yet the Lord saw through the eventual conspiracies of Big Tobacco, knowing that financial interests would one day put profit above human welfare.

This principle extends far beyond the substances specifically mentioned in section 89. We live in an era of sophisticated manipulation—from social media algorithms designed to create addiction, to complicated situations with political, financial, corporate, food, and health institutions that frequently prioritize market share over humanities welfare. The Word of Wisdom teaches us to be discerning consumers, asking not just “Is this legal?” but “Will this enhance my capacity to receive revelation?”

Keys That Never Fail

Section 90’s promise that the keys of the kingdom will “never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come” (v. 3) provided crucial stability during a period of intense opposition. This assurance that divine authority would remain unbroken has been repeatedly tested and vindicated throughout Church history.

The section also establishes a vital principle about how we receive divine guidance: we must not treat the “oracles of God” as “a light thing” (v. 5). In our age of information overload, this warning is particularly relevant. We can become so accustomed to prophetic counsel that we stop truly hearing it, like background noise. The Lord promises that “all things shall work together for your good” (v. 24), but only if we receive His words with the reverence they deserve.

Vienna Jaques provides a beautiful example of faithful response to prophetic direction. When called to consecrate her property and move to Missouri, she obeyed promptly and lived the rest of her 96 years as one who was “faithful, and not idle” (v. 31). Her story reminds us that following prophetic counsel often requires sacrifice but leads to lasting fulfillment.

Discerning Truth in an Age of Information

Section 91’s brief instruction about the Apocrypha contains principles urgently needed in our digital age. The Lord acknowledges that these books contain “many things that are true” but also “many things that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men” (v. 1-2). The key to navigating this mixture? “The Spirit manifesteth truth” (v. 4).

Understanding the Apocrypha: What Joseph Was Considering

The Apocrypha (from Greek apokryphos meaning “hidden things”) consists of books written primarily during the intertestamental period (roughly 400 BCE to 100 CE) that bridge the Old and New Testaments. These texts were included in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) and later in Jerome’s Latin Vulgate, but their canonical status was debated by early Christians and remains disputed today.

Major Apocryphal Books Include:

1 & 2 Maccabees - Historical accounts of Jewish resistance under Antiochus IV
Tobit - A moral tale about faithfulness and divine intervention
Judith - Story of a heroic Jewish woman who saves her people
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) - Wisdom literature similar to Proverbs
Wisdom of Solomon - Philosophical reflections on divine wisdom
Baruch - Prophetic text attributed to Jeremiah’s scribe
Prayer of Manasseh - King Manasseh’s repentance prayer
Additions to Daniel - Including Susanna, Bel and the Dragon
Additions to Esther - Expanding the canonical narrative

Why the Controversy?

The canonical status of these books divided along cultural lines. Eastern Orthodox churches generally accept most of them, the Roman Catholic Church officially canonized them at the Council of Trent (1546), while Protestant reformers rejected them based on their absence from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). The Church of England’s Thirty-Nine Articles (1563) declared them “good and useful for reading” but not authoritative for doctrine.

Joseph Smith would have encountered the Apocrypha in the King James Version available to him, where they appeared between the Old and New Testaments in many editions. As he worked on his inspired translation, questions naturally arose about whether these disputed books deserved the same attention as canonical scripture.

Credible Sources for Studying the Apocrypha:

Academic Translations:

New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha - Widely used scholarly translation. Click on Bible Book List, and you will find the texts. The New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) has the one of the most academically reliable translations.
Oxford Annotated Apocrypha - Excellent scholarly commentary
Harper Collins Study Bible with Apocrypha - Comprehensive study notes

Online Resources:

Early Christian Writings - Free access to multiple translations
Bible Gateway Apocrypha Section - Searchable NRSV Apocrypha
Jewish Virtual Library - Historical context from Jewish perspective
Pseudepigrapha.com - Broader collection including non-canonical texts

Academic Study:

The Oxford Handbook of the Apocrypha - Scholarly examination
Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha - Peer-reviewed academic research
Dead Sea Scrolls Online - Related intertestamental texts

Historical Context Resources:

Britannica: Intertestamental Period - Historical background
Jewish History: Second Temple Period - Cultural context
Ancient History Encyclopedia: Hellenistic Judaism - Religious development

The Principle of Spiritual Discernment

What makes D&C 91 so relevant today isn’t primarily the question of the Apocrypha’s canonicity, but rather the principle it establishes: when encountering any text that mixes truth with error, “the Spirit manifesteth truth” (v. 4). The Lord’s approach was neither wholesale acceptance nor total rejection, but discernment. “Whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom; and whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefited” (v. 5-6).

This revelation came as Joseph was working on his inspired translation of the Bible, wondering whether to include the disputed Apocryphal books. The Lord’s response was essentially: “Use your spiritual discernment. Those who are enlightened by the Spirit will obtain benefit; those who aren’t, won’t.”

Modern Application Beyond Ancient Texts

Today we encounter far more complex information challenges than Joseph faced. Social media feeds us carefully curated content designed to confirm our biases. Artificial intelligence can create convincing but false images, videos, and text. Traditional authorities in media, academia, and government have lost much of their credibility. In this environment, the ability to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) through spiritual discernment becomes essential.

Unity in Temporal and Spiritual Things

Section 92’s brief call for Frederick G. Williams to join the United Order represents a profound principle often overlooked in our individualistic culture. The Lord wanted His leaders to be “equal in earthly things” (D&C 78:6), not because temporal equality is an end in itself, but because unity in temporal matters facilitates unity in spiritual things.

The United Order experiment of the 1830s ultimately failed because the Saints weren’t ready for such a high law. But the principle remains: our relationship with material possessions affects our spiritual relationships. When leaders are unified temporally, they can focus on spiritual purposes without the distraction of financial disparity or competition.

Modern applications might include generous fast offerings, ethical business practices, and treating temporal stewardships (like callings) as opportunities for consecration rather than personal advancement.

Living the Promises Today

These revelations work together to paint a picture of Saints who are physically healthy, spiritually discerning, unified in purpose, and protected by divine authority. The promises in D&C 89:18-21—physical health, hidden treasures of knowledge, supernatural endurance, and divine protection—aren’t just future rewards but present possibilities for those who live these principles with faith.

The Word of Wisdom isn’t ultimately about rule-following but about optimizing our capacity to receive revelation. When we can “run and not be weary, and walk and not faint” (v. 20), we’re better able to fulfill our divine missions. When we eat “with prudence and thanksgiving” (v. 11), we transform ordinary meals into moments of gratitude and mindfulness.

Perhaps most importantly, these revelations teach us that the Lord cares about every aspect of our lives—what we eat, how we lead, what we study, and how we relate to each other temporally. There is no separation between “secular” and “sacred” in the kingdom of God. Everything can be sanctified when done with the right spirit and according to divine principles.

As we apply these teachings, we join the ranks of Saints throughout history who have found that obedience to divine law leads not to restriction but to liberation—freedom from the deceptions of conspiring men, freedom to receive revelation, and freedom to participate in building Zion through unity and consecration.

Key Takeaways

Physical obedience enhances spiritual capacity - The body and spirit are inseparably connected; what we do to one affects the other’s ability to function optimally.
Divine authority provides unwavering guidance - Priesthood keys ensure we always have access to revelation, but we must receive prophetic counsel with proper reverence.
Spiritual discernment is essential for truth - In an age of information overload and sophisticated deception, the Spirit remains our most reliable guide to truth.
Additional Resources
The Scripture Citation Index
Doctrine & Covenants Stories
Scripture Stories Coloring Book - D&C
Liahona, For the Strength of Youth, Friend
Saints
The Gospel Learning and Teaching email subscription
Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources
Joseph Smith Papers
Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers
Joseph Smith Papers Podcasts
Mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Accounts of the First Vision
Prophets of the Restoration
Gospel Topics Essays
Gospel Topics and Questions
Church History Topics
Answers to Church History Questions
Global Histories
Saints, Volume 1
Saints, Volume 2
Revelations in Context
Joseph Smith’s Revelations
Joseph Smith Papers Podcasts
Church History Topics

Maps:

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Joseph Smith Papers

Joseph Smith's Residences

The Scriptures, Mapped

&quot;A Principle with Promise&quot;

“A Principle with Promise”

Additional Resources

Historical Context Resources

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Weekly Insights Article: “A Principle with Promise”

Doctrine & Covenants 89-92 | August 18-24, 2025

“A Principle with Promise” - Living the Lord’s Law of Health