Church History Matters 203 - Word of Wisdom Command or Counsel? I Church History Matters I Word of Wisdom Series
8 snips
May 5, 2026 A historical deep dive into the origins and cultural context of the Word of Wisdom. Short investigations into Kirtland in 1833, temperance and health reform movements, and regional influences on early practice. Contrasting contemporary observance with how the revelation was first received and discussed among early Latter-day Saints.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Revelation Addressed To Last Days Saints
- Section 89 was given specifically to saints in Ohio in 1833 and framed as guidance for people in the last days.
- Scott notes we shouldn't read contemporary prohibitions back onto earlier dispensations who were not 'in the last days.'
Alcohol Was Ubiquitous In Early America
- Early 19th-century America had rapidly rising alcohol consumption and saw liquor as common and sometimes safer than water.
- Casey Griffiths cites per-capita alcohol increases from 2.5 to 7.5 gallons between 1792 and 1823 and public uses at social events.
Temperance Movement Exploded Before 1833
- The American temperance movement grew quickly and combined medical and moral arguments against alcohol.
- Scott Woodward notes state temperance societies exploded: from dozens to thousands and hundreds of thousands of members by the early 1830s.