And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel {oh!?}; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.

Must have been in the winter time.

(Verses 12-13)

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 ^aWord 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 ^aword 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 Doctrine and Covenants

Section 49

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and Leman Copley, at Kirtland, Ohio, May 7, 1831. Leman Copley had embraced the gospel but still held to some of the teachings of the Shakers (United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing), to which he had formerly belonged. Some of the beliefs of the Shakers were that Christ’s Second Coming had already occurred and that He had appeared in the form of a woman, Ann Lee. They did not consider baptism by water essential. They rejected marriage and believed in a life of total celibacy. Some Shakers also forbade the eating of meat. In prefacing this revelation, Joseph Smith’s history states, “In order to have [a] more perfect understanding on the subject, I inquired of the Lord, and received the following.” The revelation refutes some of the basic concepts of the Shaker group. The aforementioned brethren took a copy of the revelation to the Shaker community (near Cleveland, Ohio) and read it to them in its entirety, but it was rejected.

1–7, The day and hour of Christ’s coming will remain unknown until He comes; 8–14, Men must repent, believe the gospel, and obey the ordinances to gain salvation; 15–16, Marriage is ordained of God; 17–21, The eating of meat is approved; 22–28, Zion will flourish and the Lamanites blossom as the rose before the Second Coming.

1 Hearken unto my word, my servants Sidney, and Parley, and Leman; for behold, verily I say unto you, that I give unto you a commandment that you shall go and ^apreach my gospel which ye have received, even as ye have received it, unto the Shakers.

2 Behold, I say unto you, that they desire to know the truth in part, but not all, for they are not ^aright before me and must needs repent.

3 Wherefore, I send you, my servants Sidney and Parley, to preach the gospel unto them.

4 And my servant Leman shall be ordained unto this work, that he may reason with them, not according to that which he has received of them, but according to that which shall be ^ataught him by you my servants; and by so doing I will bless him, otherwise he shall not prosper.

5 Thus saith the Lord; for I am God, and have ^asent mine ^bOnly Begotten Son into the world for the ^credemption of the world, and have decreed that he that receiveth him shall be saved, and he that receiveth him not shall be ^ddamned—

6 And they have done unto the ^aSon of Man even as they listed; and he has taken his power on the ^bright hand of his ^cglory, and now reigneth in the heavens, and will reign till he descends on the earth to put all enemies ^dunder his feet, which time is nigh at hand—

7 I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the ^aday no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.

8 Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under ^asin, except those which I have ^breserved unto myself, ^choly men that ye know not of.

9 Wherefore, I say unto you that I have sent unto you mine everlasting ^acovenant, even that which was from the beginning.

10 And that which I have promised I have so fulfilled, and the ^anations of the earth shall ^bbow to it; and, if not of themselves, they shall come down, for that which is now exalted of itself shall be laid ^clow of power.

11 Wherefore, I give unto you a commandment that ye ^ago among this people, and say unto them, like unto mine apostle of old, whose name was ^bPeter:

12 ^aBelieve on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end;

13 ^aRepent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the holy commandment, for the remission of sins;

14 And whoso doeth this shall receive the ^agift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of the ^bhands of the elders of the church.

15 And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso ^aforbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for ^bmarriage is ordained of God unto man.

16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one ^awife, and they twain shall be ^bone flesh, and all this that the ^cearth might answer the end of its creation;

17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his ^acreation ^bbefore the world was made.

18 And whoso ^aforbiddeth to ^babstain from ^cmeats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God;

19 For, behold, the ^abeasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ^bordained for the use of man for food and for ^craiment, and that he might have in abundance.

20 But it is not given that one man should ^apossess that which is above another, wherefore the ^bworld lieth in ^csin.

21 And wo be unto man that ^asheddeth blood or that ^bwasteth ^cflesh and hath no need.

22 And again, verily I say unto you, that the Son of Man ^acometh not in the form of a woman, neither of a man traveling on the earth.

23 Wherefore, be not ^adeceived, but continue in steadfastness, ^blooking forth for the heavens to be ^cshaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the ^dvalleys to be exalted, and for the ^emountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth—and all this when the angel shall sound his ^ftrumpet.

24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, ^aJacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall ^bblossom as the rose.

25 Zion shall ^aflourish upon the ^bhills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.

26 Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded you; repent of all your sins; ^aask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you.

27 Behold, I will go before you and be your ^arearward; and I will be in your ^bmidst, and you shall not be ^cconfounded.

28 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come ^aquickly. Even so. Amen.