Words of Wisdom for the New Year

Townhall.com ^ | January 5, 2020 | Kathryn Lopez

[Kaslin]

It's a presidential election year, as you no doubt can't escape knowing. The anger and conviction during such tumultuous times can be quite overwhelming.

Speaking of being overwhelmed, my office tends to be overrun with books. I've purged many times -- we've had at least two moves in my 20-some years here. For some reason, two oldies rose to the top of a pile on the first day back in the new year. "What's Wrong With the World" by G.K. Chesterton and "My Love Affair With America" by Norman Podhoretz. They clearly have something to offer us in this agitated era.

Chesterton writes: "This is the arresting and dominant fact about modern social discussion; that the quarrel is not merely about the difficulties, but about the aim. We agree about evil; it is about the good that we should tear each other's eyes out ... We forget that, while we agree about the abuses of things, we should differ very much about the uses of them."

He goes on: "The only way to discuss the social evil is to get at once to the social idea." "We can all see the national madness; but what is the national sanity? I have called this book 'What Is Wrong with the World?' and the upshot of the title can be easily and clearly stated. What is wrong is that we do not ask what is right."

In his ode to America, Podhoretz celebrates the best of the United States, which includes his public primary school teachers who used traditional Christmas carols as part of their instruction. This is part of our culture after all, and joy is not to be withheld from children, so they can come to know it's possible, whatever their beliefs about the nature of God might be or come to be. We pay lip service to not "imposing," and yet we do impose in all kinds of ways as a culture of increasing ideological tyranny. It is out of respect for another that you share something meaningful, while not demanding submission! Liberty means many things, including an unrestricted flow and exchange of ideas.

This is something to think about as serious and real intolerance -- racial, religious and cultural -- is on the rise in this country.

Podhoretz writes that our country "declared its independence as a nation by an appeal to 'the law of Nature and Nature's God,' and the Constitution its founders wrote and ratified for that new nation uses the word 'blessings' in its very first paragraph. The particular blessings to which they referred were those of liberty, to 'secure' which to themselves and their posterity they created the Constitution that set the United States of America on its course."

My National Review colleague Richard Brookhiser, too, writes in his new "Give Me Liberty: A History of America's Exceptional Idea": "Our concern for liberty shapes how we live in society and what we know ourselves to be in the order of things: how we relate to each other and what God has made us. Americans are free and equal men and women, marked for liberty at birth. Ignorance and vice may obscure and sometimes even steal our birthright, but we work, stolidly or heroically, to reclaim it."

How about resolving to make this election year different? Reject cynicism and rage. Renew and rebuild what's been best about us. To do right in every scenario before us -- as a matter of civics and daily life.

[Elsie]

Words of Wisdom for the New Year

Well; the Mormons have them in their scripture; but they do not line up to well with how they actually get practiced.

---

 

THE
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

SECTION 89

 

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833. HC 1: 327–329. As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result. The first three verses were originally written as an inspired introduction and description by the Prophet.

 

1–9, Use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks proscribed; 10–17, Herbs, fruits, flesh, and grain are ordained for the use of man and of animals; 18–21, Obedience to gospel law, including the Word of Wisdom, brings temporal and spiritual blessings.

 

 

---

 

  1 A Word OF Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—

  2 To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the Word OF Wisdom, showing forth the order and ^bwill of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—

  3 Given for a principle with ^apromise, adapted to the capacity of the ^bweak and the weakest of all ^csaints, who are or can be called saints.

 

 

 

  4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of ^aevils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of ^bconspiring men in the last days, I have ^cwarned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word OF wisdom by revelation—

  5 That inasmuch as any man ^adrinketh ^bwine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.

  6 And, behold, this should be wine, yea, ^apure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.

  7 And, again, ^astrong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.

  8 And again, tobacco is not for the ^abody, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.

  9 And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.

 

 

 

  10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome ^aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

  11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with ^aprudence and ^bthanksgiving.

  12 Yea, ^aflesh also of ^bbeasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used ^csparingly;

  13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be ^aused, only in times of winter, or of cold, or ^bfamine.

  14 All ^agrain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;

  15 And ^athese hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.

  16 All grain is good for the ^afood of man; as also the ^bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—

  17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.

  18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, ^ashall receive ^bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;

  19 And shall ^afind ^bwisdom and great ^ctreasures of ^dknowledge, even hidden treasures;

  20 And shall ^arun and not be ^bweary, and shall walk and not faint.

  21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the ^adestroying angel shall ^bpass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

---

The Official Scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Rights and use information. Privacy policy.