D&C 89 - 92

"...all they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow, and the rains descend, and beat upon their house." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 90:5)

The Word of Wisdom as it has come to be known was an oracle given at a time when many of the saints questioned whether the Prophet should delve in temporal matters. I'm sure for many of the saints that this was a difficult revelation. Many had developed habits and addictions to common vices. Just arbitrarily quitting was probably very difficult. Most of the saints probably had gained testimonies of spiritual things of this latter day work, but to suddenly be questioned in what they eat and drink was a new thing. Maybe that is why it was given as a "word of wisdom" as a test, so to speak, to see which saints would be obedient to the Lord's counsel without it really coming to them as a commandment - for it was "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."(Doctrine and Covenants Section 89:3)

Many consider the Word of Wisdom to be a revelation of "don'ts", but there appears to be more 'do's" than "don'ts". As much as this revelation is a temporal revelation of health, I perceive it is more of a revelation to be free from the vices that control man. I believe the Lord knew the minds of men and their greed to optimize income. And as such, he explains -

"...In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 89:4)

All one has to do is look at modern day advertising schemes, promotions, habits, addictions, health problems, litigation, and modern testimonies to recognize that this was divine revelation given to a true prophet in an era when none knew of or even perceived of the conspiracies yet to come. Another testimony that Joseph Smith was the true prophet of the restoration.

Again!

"...all they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow, and the rains descend, and beat upon their house." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 90:5)