Discussion Questions
• Peers, the media, and others often tell us we need to look a certain way. How can following good nutrition standards and the Word of Wisdom help us feel healthy and confident?
• Why do you think the Word of Wisdom promises both physical and spiritual blessings? In what ways have you experienced the promised blessings of the Word of Wisdom?
Excerpt from "The Body Is Sacred," by President Gordon B. Hinckley, November 2006 New Era:
Is observance of the Word of Wisdom necessary? The Brethren have long felt that it certainly must be. Observance of the Word of Wisdom is concerned with the care of one’s body, which, the Lord has assured, is of itself a temple, a tabernacle of the spirit. He has said, “Yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple” (D&C 93:35).
I recall a bishop telling me of a woman who came to get a recommend. When asked if she observed the Word of Wisdom, she said that she occasionally drank a cup of coffee. She said, “Now, bishop, you’re not going to let that keep me from going to the temple, are you?” To which he replied, “Sister, surely you will not let a cup of coffee stand between you and the House of the Lord.” 10
The body is sacred. It was created in the image of God. It is something to be cared for and used for good purposes. It ought to be taken care of, and this thing which we call the Word of Wisdom, which is a code of health, is most helpful in doing that. 11