Section 80
Overview
Section 80 of the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants (known in modern LDS scripture as Section 89) introduces the 'Word of Wisdom.' Given in February 1833 in Kirtland, Ohio, the text is framed as a revelation showing the 'order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints.' Interestingly, the 1835 text explicitly states it is given 'not by commandment, or constraint,' adapting to the 'weakest of all saints.' The revelation warns against the designs of 'conspiring men' and establishes specific dietary prohibitions and prescriptions. It forbids the consumption of wine and strong drink (except for sacraments, which must be homemade pure wine), tobacco (relegated to treating bruises and sick cattle), and 'hot drinks.' Conversely, it ordains the use of wholesome herbs, fruits, and grains as the 'staff of life.' Meat (flesh of beasts and fowls) is permitted but strictly advised to be used 'sparingly' and ideally only in times of winter, cold, or famine. The text concludes with profound theological promises for those who keep these sayings: physical vitality ('health in their navel'), spiritual enlightenment ('hidden treasures' of knowledge), endurance, and a specific promise of divine protection—that the 'destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them.' This links a dietary code directly to the biblical imagery of Passover and divine preservation.
Key Figures
- The Lord: The divine author of the revelation who dictates the dietary laws and guarantees the associated promises.
- Conspiring men: Unnamed individuals in the 'last days' whose evil designs necessitate this divine warning regarding food and drink.
- Destroying angel: A divine executor of judgment, referenced from the Exodus narrative, who is promised to pass over those who obey this dietary code.
- Children of Israel: The historical Israelites referenced as a typological parallel for the Saints receiving divine protection.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Temporal Salvation through Dietary Observance
Assertion
God's will for the physical and temporal preservation of believers involves strict adherence to a specific dietary code.
Evidence from Text
...showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days.
Evangelical Comparison
This text introduces a concept of 'temporal salvation' achieved through dietary compliance. In contrast, Evangelical Christianity, based on the New Testament, teaches that dietary restrictions of the Old Covenant were shadows fulfilled in Christ (Colossians 2:16-17). Jesus explicitly taught that nothing entering a person from the outside can defile them spiritually (Mark 7:15-19), and the Apostle Paul warned against teachings that command abstaining from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:1-4). The Evangelical baseline views physical health as a matter of general wisdom and stewardship, not a codified system of spiritual or temporal salvation.
Spiritual Epistemology Tied to Physical Diet
Assertion
Adherence to this dietary code unlocks profound spiritual wisdom and hidden knowledge.
Evidence from Text
And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings... shall find wisdom, and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures
Evangelical Comparison
The text asserts a direct causal link between abstaining from certain substances (alcohol, tobacco, hot drinks) and receiving 'great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures.' In Evangelical theology, spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God are mediated through the illumination of the Holy Spirit as the believer engages with the closed canon of Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:10-13, Psalm 119:130). Tying divine revelation and spiritual insight to physical dietary works introduces a mystical or ascetic element that is foreign to the biblical doctrine of grace-based illumination.
Conditional Divine Protection (The Destroying Angel)
Assertion
Believers are spared from divine judgment (the destroying angel) by keeping this dietary code.
Evidence from Text
...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.
Evangelical Comparison
This is the most theologically significant claim in the text. By invoking the Passover imagery ('as the children of Israel'), the text replaces the blood of the Passover Lamb with human adherence to a dietary code as the mechanism for escaping the 'destroying angel.' In Evangelical theology, the Passover lamb is a direct type and shadow of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7: 'For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed'). Deliverance from God's wrath is achieved 'Once for all' through faith in Christ's shed blood (Romans 5:9), entirely apart from human works or dietary compliance. Substituting dietary obedience for the blood of the Lamb fundamentally alters the basis of divine protection and atonement.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text shifts the basis of divine protection and spiritual enlightenment from the finished work of Christ and the illumination of the Holy Spirit to human adherence to a specific dietary code.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap lies in the text's soteriological and epistemological framework. While the text frames itself as 'temporal salvation,' it attaches massive spiritual weight to dietary works. By promising that the 'destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel,' the text directly appropriates the ultimate biblical type of substitutionary atonement (the Passover) and applies it to dietary compliance. In Evangelical theology, the Passover lamb is Christ, and deliverance from the destroying angel (God's wrath) is secured solely by faith in His blood (Sola Fide, Sola Gratia). Furthermore, the text violates the Evangelical understanding of Christian liberty and the New Covenant. Christ declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), and Paul explicitly warned against ascetic dietary regulations as a measure of spirituality (Colossians 2:16-23). By reintroducing a codified dietary law and linking it to 'hidden treasures' of knowledge, the text creates a works-based mysticism that detracts from the sufficiency of Christ and the finality of biblical revelation (Sola Scriptura).
For All Ages
Imagine you are playing a game where you need a special shield to stay safe from danger. In the Bible, Jesus is our shield. Because of what He did on the cross, we are completely safe from God's punishment just by trusting Him. But in this text, it says you get the shield by eating the right foods and avoiding things like coffee, tea, or alcohol. It changes the rule from 'trusting in Jesus for your shield' to 'earning your shield by following a special diet.' It makes our safety depend on what we eat instead of what Jesus did.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
Introduces new, extra-biblical revelation that binds the conscience of believers regarding diet and spiritual promises.
Christology / Sola Fide
Replaces the blood of the Passover Lamb (Christ) with dietary obedience as the means to escape the destroying angel.
Christian Liberty
Contradicts New Testament teachings that abolish dietary laws (Mark 7:19, Colossians 2:16, 1 Timothy 4:1-4).
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Salvation (Temporal)"
In This Text
Physical preservation, health, and protection from earthly destruction or the destroying angel.
In Evangelicalism
Deliverance from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
"Sacrament"
In This Text
A ritual offering to God, specifically requiring pure, homemade wine.
In Evangelicalism
An ordinance instituted by Christ (Communion/Lord's Supper) to remember His death until He returns.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In this specific text, salvation is framed as 'temporal'—meaning physical health, endurance, and preservation from the destroying angel.
How Attained: Attained by strict obedience to the dietary prohibitions and prescriptions outlined in the revelation.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance of protection and health is based on the believer's successful adherence to the Word of Wisdom.
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide regarding divine favor and protection. While it speaks of 'temporal' salvation, the spiritual promises attached (hidden knowledge, escaping the destroying angel) are earned through works (diet), whereas biblical salvation and divine favor are unmerited gifts received by faith alone (Romans 3:24-28).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Do not drink wine or strong drink (except for sacraments).
- Use pure wine of your own make for sacraments.
- Use strong drinks only for the washing of bodies.
- Do not use tobacco for the body or belly (use only for bruises and sick cattle).
- Do not consume hot drinks.
- Use wholesome herbs and fruits with prudence and thanksgiving.
- Use the flesh of beasts and fowls sparingly.
- Use meat only in times of winter, cold, or famine.
- Use grain as the staff of life.
Implicit Obligations
- Maintain vigilance against the 'evils and designs' of conspiring men.
- Cultivate agricultural self-sufficiency (making own wine, growing herbs/grains).
- Walk in obedience to all other commandments to activate the promises.
Ritual Requirements
- Offer up sacraments before the Lord using pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- In the text, it promises that the destroying angel will pass by those who keep this dietary code, just like the children of Israel. When you read the original story in Exodus 12, what was it that actually caused the angel to pass over their homes?
- How do you reconcile the promise of 'hidden treasures of knowledge' through diet with Jesus's teaching in Mark 7 that nothing entering a person from the outside can defile them?
- The introduction explicitly says this was given 'not by commandment or constraint.' How does that impact how you view its strict enforcement today?
- If the Apostle Paul warned in 1 Timothy 4 against teachings that command people to abstain from certain foods, how should we evaluate new revelations that do exactly that?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Destroying Angel Passing By
The desire to be safe from divine judgment is universal and valid. We can bridge from this text's mention of the Passover to the true fulfillment of the Passover. Just as the Israelites could not save themselves by their own good works but had to rely entirely on the blood of the lamb painted on their doorposts, we must rely entirely on the blood of Jesus Christ to be saved from judgment.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
Believers are burdened with the belief that their physical health, spiritual insight, and divine protection are contingent upon their strict adherence to a dietary code. This creates a constant need to monitor consumption to ensure they remain worthy of God's promises.
The threat of the 'destroying angel' implies that failure to adhere to these dietary laws removes God's protective hand, leaving the believer vulnerable to physical or spiritual destruction.
Adhering to a strict, extra-biblical dietary code creates a strong 'us vs. them' mentality, isolating believers from the broader Christian community and society, and fostering a sense of spiritual superiority based on diet.