D&C 89

The Lord commanded in what is now known as the Word of Wisdom -

"...inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father..." (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 89:5)

Even though social drinking is a common practice, few would argue that it can lead to poor judgment and consequences. The First Presidency published over 60 years ago -

"Over the earth, and it seems particularly in America, the demon drink is in control. Drunken with strong drink, men have lost their reason; their counsel has been destroyed; their judgment and vision are fled; they reel forward to destruction.

Drink brings cruelty into the home; it walks arm in arm with poverty; its companions are disease and plague; it puts chastity to flight; and it knows neither honesty nor fair dealing; it is a total stranger to truth; it drowns conscience; it is the bodyguard of evil; it curses all who touch it.

Drink has brought more woe and misery, broken more hearts, wrecked more homes, committed more crimes, filled more coffins, than all the wars the world has suffered. . . .

But so great is the curse of drink that we should not be held guiltless did we not call upon all offending Saints to forsake it and banish it from their lives forever. . . .

For more than half a century President [Heber J.] Grant has on every appropriate occasion admonished the Saints touching their obligation to keep the Word of Wisdom. He has told them what it means to them in matters of health, quoting the words of the Lord thereon. He has pointed out that treasures of knowledge, even hidden knowledge, would come to those who lived the law. He has, over and over again, shown what it would mean financially to every member who would keep the law, what it would mean financially to our people and what it would mean in ending human woe, misery, sorrow, disease, crime, and death. But his admonitions have not found a resting place in all our hearts.

We the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, now solemnly renew all these counsels, we repeat all these admonitions, so we reinvoke obedience to God's law of health given us by God himself." (Message of the First Presidency, Oct. 3, 1943.)

As we observe the poverty and severe social problems in some inner cities, we realize that the main cause has much to do with drinking and drugs. Our government spends billions in assistance to support these people. But in order to be politically correct, does very little with alchohol consumption. I personally don't believe they can or should. But many of teh social problems in this country would be solved if the people would avoid the consumption of alchohol.