Interesting note of trivia: In 1965, the First Presidency (including David O. McKay) signed letters approving the consumption of Decaf Coffee. "For your information please be advised that the drinking of a beverage made from the coffee bean, from which the caffeine and deleterious drugs have been removed, is not a violation of the Word of Wisdom...". These letters were never read over the pulpit as they were only sent in response to questions sent to Salt Lake, but they did approve of the redistribution of this information.
But, three years later to be inside Kirtland Temple, and twelve years later, be crossing frozen rivers and hardships we cant imagine, some were healthier than before because they held the Word of Wisdom ... a little bit
1) when it comes to drinking or eating. Moderation in all things. Too much or too little of something is not good. 2) we should be eating or drinking things that are good for us. Coffee and tea, regardless of what people think coffee is actually not good for us, just like Soda, kool-aid, or other high sugar drinks. Coffee is clinically not healthy and too much coffee can cause hyper activity, loss of focus, a sudden crash in productivity when you stop drinking it. 3) Eat that which is in season or what can be grown or preserved properly out of season. 4) just because it's not listed, doesn't mean it's okay and just because a leader of the church does something doesn't mean it's okay to do. They are men after all and are subject to sin as much as everybody else. Justification is a great path to hell, but it doesn't mean that not following this to the letter of the law will put you there. What will put you there is the willingness to disobey the laws of God regardless as to what you think is okay or not. 5) you aren't going to get a list of what is okay and what is not okay, because he who is commanded in all things is an Unwise and Slothful servant. As far as that destructive angel is concerned - one of the leading causes of death and illnesses is due to unhealthy eating practices. You want to survive a pandemic better, eat healthy. You want to get over a sickness quicker, eat healthy. You want to perform better, eat healthy. But that's not only just eating healthy, but working out. You don't have to go into extreme weight lifting and looking like those body builders isn't necessarily healthy
I love your humility. Good video. D&C Section 89 is not a commandment and does not mention coffee or tea. Verse 17 allows the consumption of mild drinks made of barley and other grains. This is beer. In 1841 Joseph Smith wrote in his journal about a man preaching temperance in the extreme. Joseph rebuked the idea, calling it pharisaical, hypocritical and not edifying. Obviously, Joseph had no intention of making the word of wisdom a commandment. He was against it. Also, Jesus drank wine. We cannot therefore say we are living a higher law. On the contrary, surely we are living a lower law. I love the church, I love the leaders of the church and I see their good intentions. However, I'm concerned that the rigid 1921 policy is overbearing and accusatory. I agree, we should not be addicted to anything but making it a strict commandment perhaps has negative consequences. The church should teach correct principles and then allow us to govern ourselves.
Read the revelation. It refers to hot drinks. In the early 1800s that was interpreted to be tea and coffee, not even iced. The reason we don't drink the stuff is because they say don't do it so we dont.
Not true. Not drinks, even soup, was considered "harmful." Studu why the 'revelation" " came to pass". I don't drink either, o don't when like soda, but it was not given for any task reason other than control. Study or history not just apologetic and silly answers.
@@tawneenielsen4080 I would love to know where the idea that any hot beverage including soup, was harmful, comes from? Do you have any further info on this?
@@ThisistheWay-CameronLDS George Q. Cannon specifically spoke against soup, which is recorded in the Journal of Discourses. (JD. V.12:221&223. George Q. Cannon 7 Apr 1868), but there are other writings during that time of saints who also understood the commandment to mean that they should abstain from hot chocolate and soup as well as tea and coffee.
Excellent. The word of wisdom is meant to be a statement of guidance, not by commandment or constraint. With regards to Coffee and Tea.. no such restriction is mentioned, It says' Hot Drinks'.. Hot drinks would include 'Hot water". and there is wisdom in this.. The CDC even came out in the past 10 years or so , saying exactly that .. that we should avoid 'Hot drinks'.. The reason is that the "HOT" of the drink is carcinogenic. It fires up the body's inflammation response and that leads to esophageal cancer. Where this part of the Word of Wisdom became associated with Tea and Coffee, is part of the Churches historical 'Culture'.. and not any thing specific to doctrine. But kudos' this this content author's explanation of the over arching meaning of the WoW.. If there is anything substance in your life that is beginning to control you, or is detrimental to your health.. that should be avoided. Whether it's Coffee, Tea, Mountain Dew. or any caffeinated and addictive drinks.. or Burgers and fried food , or sugar laden processed foods. As for changes in the WoW.. I don't think there needs to be changes in the WoW.. but how it's interpreted by the Church could use an adjustment. Typically it's been used as a code of Prohibition with in the church. Prohibiting Coffee, Tea, Wine, Alcohol and Tobacco etc. But the text it self doesn't forbid all these things. And like mentioned above it doesn't mention Coffee and Tea, but instead HOT Drinks, and it should be noted that Hot drinks in Joseph Smiths day , would have included "Hot Chocolate'.. Chocolate houses were a big thing in the early 1800's . Wine and Beer for instance is not forbidden, but is to be used with caution. Hard drinks , typically interpreted as Hard Alcohol is forbidden. Yet the total prohibition of all alcohol , wine and beer included, occurred when the nation went into "Prohibition'.. So the church followed suit, and when the country came out of prohibition, the church remained with a prohibition stance on alcohol. And the justification for the prohibition has been a creative interpretation of the Word of Wisdom, and that's where I think there needs to be an adjustment. It should be viewed in the spirit and intent that the code was given originally.. and not prohibition. for instance, obedience to the WoW is not whether or not you have a glass of wine or cup of coffee, but whether or not the substances are controlling you? Equal consideration should be given to things like excessive consumption of meat.. or processed sugar foods. If someone is refraining from all alcohol but is consuming vast quantities of Mountain Dew and heading quarter pounders every day.. maybe they aren't abiding by the WoW.. but again, not by command or constraint.
Well, here's what I would say about "hot drinks" if you eat or drink something hot is can lead to burns and infections. Any sort of wound along the digestive track is not easily healed and can lead to more damaging situations. Since the digestive track is not lined with as many pain/pleasure receptors in comparison to the skin it's hard to tell that you have a wound along that area. Take eating a hot pizza sure the mouth gets burned and you end up losing a layer of skin because of it, but when you have a hot drink you can also end up with your body going numb to the sensation to let you know something is wrong. While this would be an extreme case, but that case with woman who had hot coffee spilled on he leading to not only 2nd degree burns, but burns so bad that she had to go through skin graphs because of it. Those responsible for making the coffee also tried to pin the whole situation on her even through they were the ones responsible for the temperature upon which they serve the coffee. So, when it comes to hot drinks we should be aware that any damage done along our digestive track can take longer to heal and one needs to have a special diet to heal from that isn't really pleasing or appetizing. Not to mention that the acid in our stomach can hinder the healing process as well as the intestines are absorbing nutrients as well as keeping waste out of the body and to compromise that system with a wound can lead to other internal or external damage.
@@JamesSamford-f7x Good stuff .. I would say that eating "Hot" things is a little different than Hot Drinks.. Since it's very hard to "Eat" something hot.. Eat a hot piece of pizza, and you not likely get it down very far .. it will have burned the roof of your mouth before it gets very far and you'd more than likely spit it out.. Liquids on the other hand can make it down your esophagus more easily.. no chewing involved. And it should be noted that your mouth does heal quite quickly. that can't necessarily be said for the esophagus or stomach.
Well said. Verse 17 allows for mild drinks made of barley, which of course is beer. Joseph Smith had wine sent to Carthage jail during his final days on earth to help them cheer up. Joseph Smith's journal writings make it clear he was against making the word of wisdom a rigid commandment.
@@darthbanana7 says' who? You? The scripture is not specific.. and yes I know leadership has "Interpreted" it to mean coffee and tea but the leadership never asserts that Thus saith the Lord, Hot Drinks means Coffee and Tea. Hot chocolate is a HOT drink.. Hot Postum is a HOT drink.. Hot Water is a HOT drink. And even the WHO in 2016 has acknowledged the HOT drinks are not good.. (Hot drinks including Hot water) Therefore this interpretation that is backed up by Science.. So you can continue with the belief that the revelation referred to an the unspecified 'Substance' of coffee and tea, rather than the explicitly specified 'Temperature" of the drink. . but I would submit that if you fancy drinking Hot Chocolate, you are technically not following the Lords admonishment found in the Word of Wisdom.. but it's not a command or constraint.. it's a "Word of Wisdom"
The reason lds prohibited coffee was due to the regional, cultural baggage of coffee at that time. It was consumed in social settings like taverns where people also drank alcohol, and the temperance movement was gaining steam in the United Stated which sought to bring about teetotalism. Coffee was seen as associated with sin and vice. Thus coffee, a fairly innocuous beverage, and certainly productive to consume, was prohibited.
Thank you for bringing up the historical "coincidence" that actually led to this so-called revelation. On a similar, historical note, the Word of Wisdom did not become a commandment until AFTER the prohibition came into effect; Black men were not allowed the priesthood and black families were not allowed in the temple until a decade AFTER the Civil Rights Act; And the partial nudity and death oaths of the temple were not removed until AFTER a survey was sent out to members asking their opinion. Revelation indeed.
"Cant" is a misnomer. Of course we can do anything the rest of the world does. "Dont" is more accurate . We CAN do anything, but we DONT because we were told not to. Our faith drives these things and the blessings we get far outweigh doing such things. We have the choice either way though.
Of course, our agency is integral to our opportunity to be obedient. We can choose to be obedient or disobedient to any one of the commandments... However, I think you can appreciate I was going for a more "clickbaitey" title 😉🤣
It’s not a misnomer except if you intentionally misunderstand the claim. “Can’t” obviously means “can’t without sinning” which is a non trivial distinction between what LDS adherents are permitted to do and other Christian sects.
Herbal and fruit teas (tisanes) are accepted by almost all members. It is the tea plant (black tea, green tea, chai, etc.) that is specifically prohibited according to the current interpretation (which has been the always been the case, so far).
I know the whole premise was to answer the coffee question....but could it not also include sugar? Food and drink in the 1800s are extremely different than the foods and drinks available to us today. Sugar and sweeteners and chemicals in our food are harming us. Is someone who doesn't drink coffee or teas but eats only highly processed sugary foods and is overweight and unhealthy, living the word of wisdom?? I believe we have focused a little too much on clarifying the drink aspect that we have overlooked the counsel to eat Healthy foods, to get adequite excersice, to sleep in a healthy pattern( not too little or too much) are all parts of this Word of Wisdom. Too many people focus on need to be specific when instructed by the Lord. There are too many ways we can be deceived and enslaved for God to specify a list in its entirety. Generalities are good because the world changes. We have an opportunity to focus on what you have taught....a principle of not only health but protection and blessing. We are led by the spirit to live the principle, not to focus on debating semantics.
My thoughts exactly. Not that it’s sinful to eat junk food or drink caffeine, but honestly shouldn’t we try not to? Shouldn’t we try to get our bodies in a state of strong homeostasis through exercise, sleep, hydration, etc? The word of wisdom is about keeping our bodies healthy as much as we can, despite other physical challenges we may encounter in life. With a healthy body, we have an ideal vessel through which the Spirit can work, and we can be more apt to respond to new light and knowledge. The added energy we get from living the WoW is also what we need to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause, doing many things of our own free will, and bringing to pass much righteousness.”
@Konorsaja I totally agree. Health and safety is the principle and the blessing. We are given principles so we can govern our action through choice and not be mandated and commanded in all things. Our own free will and choice is so important. The very thing the Word of wisdom is trying to preserve.
What's the wisdom of the word ? Stay away from things that hurt when you have to quit ... (like money ?") Temporal salvation is more than healthy bodies ... what things are generationally unhealthy. Three years before the Temple of Kirkland, the Word of Wisdom. We were taught how to use tobacco to treat bikes of snakes or spiders or stings of bees and wasps. We were taught about what to wash our bodies. This was common knowledge of our native American neigjbors.
You forgot to mention the word of wisdom, if you believe it was a true revelation from God, was given NOT by commandment or constraint (D&C 89:2) yet members think it's an actual commandment from God. It was also never meant to be a constraint to enter the temple and was always meant simply as "words of wisdom", like health advice. Also, you keep expanding the definition and intent of the word of wisdom based on personal bias. No where does it discuss the 'addiction' side of substances or even caffeine. The word of wisdom doesn't mention tea and coffee at all, which were so common and prevalent during that time. If Joseph Smith meant to include coffee and tea, he would have done so. Instead, he only mentioned "hot drinks" so now you have members misinterpreting what he meant by hot drinks. I know members who won't even eat hot soup because they think it's against the word of wisdom. If you truly want to know where the word of wisdom came from, study the Graham Diet Movement by Sylvester Graham. Joseph Smith literally plagiarized and cherry-picked ideas from the Graham diet, which was a popular diet fad during the time and location of Joseph Smith. It would be like a prophet writing down the Adkins diet when it was so popular and then members following that diet for hundreds of years because they falsely believe it was a "commandment". The word of wisdom is NOT a commandment, he literally wrote the opposite in verse 2 and made it crystal clear. Joseph Smith continued to drink coffee, tea, and even alcohol after he wrote the word of wisdom. They drank ALOT of wine in the temple so it clearly was never meant to be a commandment. When I'm asked the same question from non-members "why can't mormons drink coffee?", I tell them the truth. Because a prophet after JS died completely misunderstood what was meant by "hot drinks" in the word of wisdom and avoiding hot drinks was a health fad at that time in the early 19th century. The early saints did not follow the word of wisdom.
Sorry, the Exodus is just not historical. It is not until the iron age (1000 BCE) when the bible starts to contains historical events. Everthing before (and including) the bronze age collapse, is not historical (the conquest, exodus, abraham, tower of babel, the flood, the garden of eden, etc). These stories were developed during or shortly after the Exile.
I have to give bonus points to Dan McClellan who is one of the few Mormon scholars who are academically honest. When do we plan on execommunicating him?
Great explanation! Thanks!
Thank you! Beautifully described.
Interesting note of trivia: In 1965, the First Presidency (including David O. McKay) signed letters approving the consumption of Decaf Coffee. "For your information please be advised that the drinking of a beverage made from the coffee bean, from which the caffeine and deleterious drugs have been removed, is not a violation of the Word of Wisdom...". These letters were never read over the pulpit as they were only sent in response to questions sent to Salt Lake, but they did approve of the redistribution of this information.
President Nelson clarified, tea and coffee still prohibited
But, three years later to be inside Kirtland Temple, and twelve years later, be crossing frozen rivers and hardships we cant imagine, some were healthier than before because they held the Word of Wisdom ... a little bit
1) when it comes to drinking or eating. Moderation in all things. Too much or too little of something is not good.
2) we should be eating or drinking things that are good for us. Coffee and tea, regardless of what people think coffee is actually not good for us, just like Soda, kool-aid, or other high sugar drinks. Coffee is clinically not healthy and too much coffee can cause hyper activity, loss of focus, a sudden crash in productivity when you stop drinking it.
3) Eat that which is in season or what can be grown or preserved properly out of season.
4) just because it's not listed, doesn't mean it's okay and just because a leader of the church does something doesn't mean it's okay to do. They are men after all and are subject to sin as much as everybody else. Justification is a great path to hell, but it doesn't mean that not following this to the letter of the law will put you there. What will put you there is the willingness to disobey the laws of God regardless as to what you think is okay or not.
5) you aren't going to get a list of what is okay and what is not okay, because he who is commanded in all things is an Unwise and Slothful servant.
As far as that destructive angel is concerned - one of the leading causes of death and illnesses is due to unhealthy eating practices. You want to survive a pandemic better, eat healthy. You want to get over a sickness quicker, eat healthy. You want to perform better, eat healthy. But that's not only just eating healthy, but working out. You don't have to go into extreme weight lifting and looking like those body builders isn't necessarily healthy
Then those same wives and mother's gasped in horrors when the Word of Wisdom continued, " ... and hot drinks are not for the belly."
People use to drink super hot beverages as a medicine during that time period. It was never coffee and tea.
I drink both tea and coffee in moderate amounts and I am heathy. I agree if people drink 3-6 or 7 cups of black coffee will harm our health.
I love your humility. Good video.
D&C Section 89 is not a commandment and does not mention coffee or tea.
Verse 17 allows the consumption of mild drinks made of barley and other grains. This is beer.
In 1841 Joseph Smith wrote in his journal about a man preaching temperance in the extreme. Joseph rebuked the idea, calling it pharisaical, hypocritical and not edifying. Obviously, Joseph had no intention of making the word of wisdom a commandment. He was against it.
Also, Jesus drank wine. We cannot therefore say we are living a higher law. On the contrary, surely we are living a lower law.
I love the church, I love the leaders of the church and I see their good intentions. However, I'm concerned that the rigid 1921 policy is overbearing and accusatory.
I agree, we should not be addicted to anything but making it a strict commandment perhaps has negative consequences. The church should teach correct principles and then allow us to govern ourselves.
Read the revelation. It refers to hot drinks. In the early 1800s that was interpreted to be tea and coffee, not even iced.
The reason we don't drink the stuff is because they say don't do it so we dont.
Not true. Not drinks, even soup, was considered "harmful." Studu why the 'revelation" " came to pass". I don't drink either, o don't when like soda, but it was not given for any task reason other than control. Study or history not just apologetic and silly answers.
@@tawneenielsen4080 I would love to know where the idea that any hot beverage including soup, was harmful, comes from? Do you have any further info on this?
@@ThisistheWay-CameronLDS 89:9 And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
@@ThisistheWay-CameronLDS George Q. Cannon specifically spoke against soup, which is recorded in the Journal of Discourses. (JD. V.12:221&223. George Q. Cannon 7 Apr 1868), but there are other writings during that time of saints who also understood the commandment to mean that they should abstain from hot chocolate and soup as well as tea and coffee.
@@tawneenielsen4080Soup is not a beverage.
Excellent.
The word of wisdom is meant to be a statement of guidance, not by commandment or constraint. With regards to Coffee and Tea.. no such restriction is mentioned, It says' Hot Drinks'.. Hot drinks would include 'Hot water". and there is wisdom in this.. The CDC even came out in the past 10 years or so , saying exactly that .. that we should avoid 'Hot drinks'.. The reason is that the "HOT" of the drink is carcinogenic. It fires up the body's inflammation response and that leads to esophageal cancer. Where this part of the Word of Wisdom became associated with Tea and Coffee, is part of the Churches historical 'Culture'.. and not any thing specific to doctrine.
But kudos' this this content author's explanation of the over arching meaning of the WoW.. If there is anything substance in your life that is beginning to control you, or is detrimental to your health.. that should be avoided. Whether it's Coffee, Tea, Mountain Dew. or any caffeinated and addictive drinks.. or Burgers and fried food , or sugar laden processed foods.
As for changes in the WoW.. I don't think there needs to be changes in the WoW.. but how it's interpreted by the Church could use an adjustment. Typically it's been used as a code of Prohibition with in the church. Prohibiting Coffee, Tea, Wine, Alcohol and Tobacco etc. But the text it self doesn't forbid all these things. And like mentioned above it doesn't mention Coffee and Tea, but instead HOT Drinks, and it should be noted that Hot drinks in Joseph Smiths day , would have included "Hot Chocolate'.. Chocolate houses were a big thing in the early 1800's .
Wine and Beer for instance is not forbidden, but is to be used with caution. Hard drinks , typically interpreted as Hard Alcohol is forbidden. Yet the total prohibition of all alcohol , wine and beer included, occurred when the nation went into "Prohibition'.. So the church followed suit, and when the country came out of prohibition, the church remained with a prohibition stance on alcohol. And the justification for the prohibition has been a creative interpretation of the Word of Wisdom, and that's where I think there needs to be an adjustment.
It should be viewed in the spirit and intent that the code was given originally.. and not prohibition. for instance, obedience to the WoW is not whether or not you have a glass of wine or cup of coffee, but whether or not the substances are controlling you? Equal consideration should be given to things like excessive consumption of meat.. or processed sugar foods. If someone is refraining from all alcohol but is consuming vast quantities of Mountain Dew and heading quarter pounders every day.. maybe they aren't abiding by the WoW.. but again, not by command or constraint.
Well, here's what I would say about "hot drinks" if you eat or drink something hot is can lead to burns and infections. Any sort of wound along the digestive track is not easily healed and can lead to more damaging situations. Since the digestive track is not lined with as many pain/pleasure receptors in comparison to the skin it's hard to tell that you have a wound along that area. Take eating a hot pizza sure the mouth gets burned and you end up losing a layer of skin because of it, but when you have a hot drink you can also end up with your body going numb to the sensation to let you know something is wrong. While this would be an extreme case, but that case with woman who had hot coffee spilled on he leading to not only 2nd degree burns, but burns so bad that she had to go through skin graphs because of it. Those responsible for making the coffee also tried to pin the whole situation on her even through they were the ones responsible for the temperature upon which they serve the coffee. So, when it comes to hot drinks we should be aware that any damage done along our digestive track can take longer to heal and one needs to have a special diet to heal from that isn't really pleasing or appetizing. Not to mention that the acid in our stomach can hinder the healing process as well as the intestines are absorbing nutrients as well as keeping waste out of the body and to compromise that system with a wound can lead to other internal or external damage.
@@JamesSamford-f7x Good stuff .. I would say that eating "Hot" things is a little different than Hot Drinks.. Since it's very hard to "Eat" something hot.. Eat a hot piece of pizza, and you not likely get it down very far .. it will have burned the roof of your mouth before it gets very far and you'd more than likely spit it out.. Liquids on the other hand can make it down your esophagus more easily.. no chewing involved. And it should be noted that your mouth does heal quite quickly. that can't necessarily be said for the esophagus or stomach.
Well said. Verse 17 allows for mild drinks made of barley, which of course is beer.
Joseph Smith had wine sent to Carthage jail during his final days on earth to help them cheer up.
Joseph Smith's journal writings make it clear he was against making the word of wisdom a rigid commandment.
Hot drinks means coffee and tea
@@darthbanana7 says' who? You? The scripture is not specific.. and yes I know leadership has "Interpreted" it to mean coffee and tea but the leadership never asserts that Thus saith the Lord, Hot Drinks means Coffee and Tea. Hot chocolate is a HOT drink.. Hot Postum is a HOT drink.. Hot Water is a HOT drink. And even the WHO in 2016 has acknowledged the HOT drinks are not good.. (Hot drinks including Hot water) Therefore this interpretation that is backed up by Science.. So you can continue with the belief that the revelation referred to an the unspecified 'Substance' of coffee and tea, rather than the explicitly specified 'Temperature" of the drink. . but I would submit that if you fancy drinking Hot Chocolate, you are technically not following the Lords admonishment found in the Word of Wisdom.. but it's not a command or constraint.. it's a "Word of Wisdom"
Women sustained the first part of the Word of Wisdom gladly
The reason lds prohibited coffee was due to the regional, cultural baggage of coffee at that time. It was consumed in social settings like taverns where people also drank alcohol, and the temperance movement was gaining steam in the United Stated which sought to bring about teetotalism. Coffee was seen as associated with sin and vice.
Thus coffee, a fairly innocuous beverage, and certainly productive to consume, was prohibited.
Thank you for bringing up the historical "coincidence" that actually led to this so-called revelation.
On a similar, historical note, the Word of Wisdom did not become a commandment until AFTER the prohibition came into effect;
Black men were not allowed the priesthood and black families were not allowed in the temple until a decade AFTER the Civil Rights Act;
And the partial nudity and death oaths of the temple were not removed until AFTER a survey was sent out to members asking their opinion.
Revelation indeed.
"Cant" is a misnomer. Of course we can do anything the rest of the world does. "Dont" is more accurate . We CAN do anything, but we DONT because we were told not to. Our faith drives these things and the blessings we get far outweigh doing such things. We have the choice either way though.
Of course, our agency is integral to our opportunity to be obedient. We can choose to be obedient or disobedient to any one of the commandments... However, I think you can appreciate I was going for a more "clickbaitey" title 😉🤣
It’s not a misnomer except if you intentionally misunderstand the claim. “Can’t” obviously means “can’t without sinning” which is a non trivial distinction between what LDS adherents are permitted to do and other Christian sects.
Only a fool wants to drink a scalding anything, broth, soup or saki ...
That is true... 🤣
Is herbal tea also not allowed?
Herbal tea is very healthy. I drink a lot of it. It’s just tea from tea leaves that are high in caffeine.
Herbal and fruit teas (tisanes) are accepted by almost all members.
It is the tea plant (black tea, green tea, chai, etc.) that is specifically prohibited according to the current interpretation (which has been the always been the case, so far).
I know the whole premise was to answer the coffee question....but could it not also include sugar? Food and drink in the 1800s are extremely different than the foods and drinks available to us today. Sugar and sweeteners and chemicals in our food are harming us. Is someone who doesn't drink coffee or teas but eats only highly processed sugary foods and is overweight and unhealthy, living the word of wisdom?? I believe we have focused a little too much on clarifying the drink aspect that we have overlooked the counsel to eat Healthy foods, to get adequite excersice, to sleep in a healthy pattern( not too little or too much) are all parts of this Word of Wisdom.
Too many people focus on need to be specific when instructed by the Lord. There are too many ways we can be deceived and enslaved for God to specify a list in its entirety. Generalities are good because the world changes. We have an opportunity to focus on what you have taught....a principle of not only health but protection and blessing. We are led by the spirit to live the principle, not to focus on debating semantics.
My thoughts exactly. Not that it’s sinful to eat junk food or drink caffeine, but honestly shouldn’t we try not to? Shouldn’t we try to get our bodies in a state of strong homeostasis through exercise, sleep, hydration, etc? The word of wisdom is about keeping our bodies healthy as much as we can, despite other physical challenges we may encounter in life. With a healthy body, we have an ideal vessel through which the Spirit can work, and we can be more apt to respond to new light and knowledge. The added energy we get from living the WoW is also what we need to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause, doing many things of our own free will, and bringing to pass much righteousness.”
@Konorsaja I totally agree. Health and safety is the principle and the blessing. We are given principles so we can govern our action through choice and not be mandated and commanded in all things. Our own free will and choice is so important. The very thing the Word of wisdom is trying to preserve.
What's the wisdom of the word ? Stay away from things that hurt when you have to quit ... (like money ?") Temporal salvation is more than healthy bodies ... what things are generationally unhealthy. Three years before the Temple of Kirkland, the Word of Wisdom. We were taught how to use tobacco to treat bikes of snakes or spiders or stings of bees and wasps. We were taught about what to wash our bodies. This was common knowledge of our native American neigjbors.
Soda is unheathy drink.
Can’t is the wrong word to use. we can if we don’t care about a temple recommend or following the words of wisdom.
@@KB-nv4bl very true and a good point! We have agency in all commandments.
Can't? How about "choose not to" 😉
Exactly... However I needed something a little more click baitey... 😉😅
You forgot to mention the word of wisdom, if you believe it was a true revelation from God, was given NOT by commandment or constraint (D&C 89:2) yet members think it's an actual commandment from God. It was also never meant to be a constraint to enter the temple and was always meant simply as "words of wisdom", like health advice. Also, you keep expanding the definition and intent of the word of wisdom based on personal bias. No where does it discuss the 'addiction' side of substances or even caffeine. The word of wisdom doesn't mention tea and coffee at all, which were so common and prevalent during that time. If Joseph Smith meant to include coffee and tea, he would have done so. Instead, he only mentioned "hot drinks" so now you have members misinterpreting what he meant by hot drinks. I know members who won't even eat hot soup because they think it's against the word of wisdom. If you truly want to know where the word of wisdom came from, study the Graham Diet Movement by Sylvester Graham. Joseph Smith literally plagiarized and cherry-picked ideas from the Graham diet, which was a popular diet fad during the time and location of Joseph Smith. It would be like a prophet writing down the Adkins diet when it was so popular and then members following that diet for hundreds of years because they falsely believe it was a "commandment". The word of wisdom is NOT a commandment, he literally wrote the opposite in verse 2 and made it crystal clear. Joseph Smith continued to drink coffee, tea, and even alcohol after he wrote the word of wisdom. They drank ALOT of wine in the temple so it clearly was never meant to be a commandment. When I'm asked the same question from non-members "why can't mormons drink coffee?", I tell them the truth. Because a prophet after JS died completely misunderstood what was meant by "hot drinks" in the word of wisdom and avoiding hot drinks was a health fad at that time in the early 19th century. The early saints did not follow the word of wisdom.
Sorry, the Exodus is just not historical. It is not until the iron age (1000 BCE) when the bible starts to contains historical events. Everthing before (and including) the bronze age collapse, is not historical (the conquest, exodus, abraham, tower of babel, the flood, the garden of eden, etc). These stories were developed during or shortly after the Exile.
I have to give bonus points to Dan McClellan who is one of the few Mormon scholars who are academically honest. When do we plan on execommunicating him?