40 years ago today - Jun 18, 1977

First-Presidency-commissioned editorial appears in DESERET NEWS in which the Church "officially" disclaims "fads . . . advocated under the guise of the Word of Wisdom by unauthorized persons with unwarranted claims respecting health." It also "completely" disclaims "any sponsorship or endorsement of such teachers, remedies, foods or fads" that "use other phases of religion . . . to give further appearance of credibility to their projects." The editorial reaffirms the Mormon view of medical care: "To refuse to accept assistance from the highly skilled men and women now available may be to reject the very help that could save a life. Some patients are known to have died from diseases which 'nature remedies' could not relieve but which proven medical practices could have cured . . ."