Joel Hills Johnson — Witness to the Word of Wisdom Interpretation

In 1833, Joel Hills Johnson was present in Kirtland, Ohio, when the Prophet Joseph Smith received the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom. Johnson's journal provides one of the earliest and most definitive historical records of the Prophet's specific interpretation of 'hot drinks' as meaning coffee and tea. Johnson recorded that he immediately adopted these health principles, abstaining from tobacco, strong drinks, and hot drinks for the remainder of his life. He attributed his physical strength and ability to endure the hardships of pioneer life to this divine guidance and the strict adherence to the inspired wisdom he witnessed being revealed.