Just What is the Word of Wisdom?

by John R. Christopher

This is the first treatise published by Dr. Christopher. In it he expounds upon his personal and religious beliefs of why herbs and a healthy diet should be administered to build a person's body or "Temple."

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Adopted as a baby and suffering from health problems in his childhood, John Raymond Christopher dedicated his life to the study and practice of herbalism.

Christopher developed over fifty herbal formulas, founded the School of Natural Healing in Springville, Utah, and wrote several books and pamphlets on herbalism and natural healing.

Reviews

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this fascinating little booklet. Just when you think you know all there is to know about the Word of Wisdom, then along comes this insightful booklet by LDS herbalist Dr. Christopher. It really has me re-thinking flour as a food, and also eating foods "in their season."

[Jersc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to give this 5 stars, but I wished the author would have put some references to back up some of his claims. I also don't agree that we are supposed to eat all our food raw as he suggests. God gave us a creative spirit and we are to use that in creating dishes that are both wholesome, satisfying, and enjoyable. Many foods would be difficult to digest without cooking, such as potatoes and grains. I do agree with most everything else he says though. We do need to do better at heeding the Lord's counsel in regards to what we put in our temples.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more a thesis than a book; it's only about 25 pages, and published in a pamphlet-type form. It's written by an herbologist, based on his understanding of how the Word of Wisdom should be interpreted. While I found the book interesting, I also found some of his theories to be a little overzealous and don't intend to use his ideas in any gospel discussion. However, it did cause me to look at my own understanding of the Word of Wisdom, and for that I think it's valuable.

[Kevin Weisenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who would like a more definitive answer on the word of wisdom this the book for you. Dr. Christopher's insight is wonderful and the fact that it was, "favorably acknowledged by doctor and Apostle John A. Widstoe" who was considered by most as the foremost expert on the Word of Wisdom of his time gives this work even more creditability.

[Tammy J Rizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter what religion you follow, this book is full of good advice on the benefits of eating whole foods rather than processed ones. It was published in 1941, but don't let that (or the fact that it's geared toward Mormons) put you off; it's still timely and appropriate for everyone, especially in these days of GMO crops and processed foods.

[Semi-Academic Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting perspective from someone with an interesting background

[Dan Almeida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great content but no references which would give some legitimacy to some of his claims.

[Olya Maletina · Rating 4 out of 5]

No references. Other than that it is a great, inspired read