Following and believing in prophets - as times change

I want to briefly go over how it's okay that things change, and the Word of Wisdom seems like a good place for doing that.

We know it was given because early members of the church did smoke and drink, or it wouldn't have come up. We don't necessarily know about tobacco in earlier times, but certainly wine is mentioned often in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and while there are occasionally mentions of the negative effects of drinking too much, alcohol is not described as inherently evil.

So, it is reasonable to look at our abstinence today as part of our covenant for this time and place, and we adapt to it without constantly needing to rewrite it. There is no mention of recreational drug use, but as we understand the purpose of the law, it's a very logical extension.

One thing to remember is this point that I periodically return to, in that not everything we do has to be personally for us. Verse 3 kind of points that out:

"Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints."

There are members who would probably be fine drinking alcohol, just as there are people outside of the church who sometimes drink and sometimes don't, and for whom it does not become an issue. On my mother's side (in Italy), wine and coffee are pretty standard with meals, and they overall have good health and longevity and they do pretty well with it.

There are people for whom it is a big issue. On my father's side, I know of a few drinking problems, and that's with no one ever really talking about it. I have strong reactions to pretty basic medications, and am quite probably among the weakest of the saints for that issue. That covenant has protected me.

We don't usually know who would have an issue and who wouldn't, but there are other valuable things that come with abstaining. There is freedom from addiction, and the heartaches that can bring, but there is also a clear head, and one less thing interfering with listening to the Spirit. Because there is no using alcohol to lower inhibitions, we have to learn to deal with the inhibitions. We can't deaden our emotions that way, so perhaps we are more likely to deal with them. There is even the simple lesson of obedience that comes with keeping a commandment that is not cool.

It is not hard to believe that there is more benefit to abstaining from alcohol in this modern society, with so much leisure time, and advertising, and less physical labor, than there would have been many centuries ago.

Whether is is offering sacrifices, or paying tithing, or living the United Order, there are similar lessons, but perhaps better tailored for the time. If we are going to believe in revelation and divine leadership, then it makes sense that things can change and evolve. It also makes sense that we can gain individual reassurances, and we will be spending more time on that next week.