Im inclined to believe its accurate, based on what Hyrum is teaching, but its a later recollection, so do with it what you will. thesis, Brigham Young University, August 1972). Strong drink, the revelation says simply, is not good. Similarly spare explanations are given for the injunctions against tobacco and hot drinks.25 The revelation can be understood more as an arbiter and less as a participant in the cultural debate. In the eighteenth century, coffee was considered a luxury item, and British-manufactured tea was much preferred. George Q. Cannon, "Word of WisdomFish CultureDietetic". And, yes, coffee and tea have caffeine. Thus, Joseph Fielding Smith's remarks apply to those under the current standards and laws. Does it repel angels like garlic does vampires? This doctrine was firmly in place in Joseph Smith's day.[5]. Lyman Beecher, a leader in this reform movement, advocated even more extreme measures, endorsing full abstinence from alcoholic beverages. I say it does refer to tea and coffee., after the publication of the Word of Wisdom, the same excuse was made, by some of the people, for drinking tea and coffee that is now made that hot drinks did not mean tea and coffee. By 1833, coffee had entered largely into the daily consumption of almost every family, rich and poor. The Baltimore American called it among the necessaries of life. [17] Although coffee enjoyed wide approval by the mid-1830s, including within the medical community, a few radical reformers such as Sylvester Graham and William A. Alcott preached against the use of any stimulants whatsoever, including coffee and tea. A statement released Thursday from the church reads: "The Word of Wisdom is a law of health for the physical and spiritual benefit of God's children. "[53] In 1868, apostle George Q. Cannon said, "We are told that flesh of any kind is not suitable to man in the summer time, and ought to be eaten sparingly in the winter. In the past, a number of church leaders have discouraged the use of such products. On a Sabbath day, in the July following the giving of the revelation, when both Joseph and Hyrum Smith were in the stand, the Prophet said to the Saints: I understand that some of the people are excusing themselves in using tea and coffee, because the Lord only said hot drinks in the revelation of the Word of Wisdom. Brigham Young, Discourse, Feb. 8, 1868. "[8][9][10] This resolution was accepted unanimously by the council. The Word of Wisdom rejected the idea of a substitute for alcohol. In the words of one authority, alcohol stupefies their feelings, benumbs their moral sensibilities, weakens the powers of digestion, and in course brings on dispepsia, than which a more formidable disease hardly afflicts the human race (On Drunkenness, Connecticut Herald, Feb. 21, 1826, 1). Latter-day Saint magazine clarifies Word of Wisdom on coffee, tea D&C 89:2. In 1812, the Congregational and Presbyterian churches in Connecticut recommended strict licensing laws limiting the distribution of alcohol. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, But when you read this section, youll notice that the revelation does not specifically mention the words. I say it does refer to tea and coffee.[11]. Some Latter-day Saints followed the Word of Wisdom more strictly than others, but dont be surprised when you hear about Joseph Smith drinking whiskey in Liberty jail, or when you see coffee, tea, and alcohol on the packing list of the pioneers. Were just looking at why the Church interprets hot drinks in D&C 89 as a reference to only coffee and tea. [25] The church, however, has never prohibited the use of refined flour. [25] When Joseph F. Smith succeeded Snow as president of the church in 1901, he preached regularly against the "unnecessary destruction of life", and emphasized kindness to animals and the important stewardship humans have toward them. Joseph Smith gave us the word of wisdom "To be sent by greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days" (D&C 89) And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly. The Doubling Down of the LDS Church: The Word of Wisdom Ain't - MRM Colloquially, in every day speech, we often refer to any plant that we dip in warm or hot water, let it soak until the water is infused with the juices and flavors of the plant matter, and then drink as "tea." But this is actually incorrect, an error that is at the heart of many of the problems we have with understanding this prohibition. Brigham Young, Discourse, December2, 1867; February 8, 1868, Papers of GeorgeD. Watt, shorthand transcribed by LaJean Purcell Carruth, Church History Library, Salt Lake City. Hopefully, this answered some of your questions. [20] Instead, the revelation encouraged the consumption of basic staples of the kind that had sustained life for millennia. Starbucks does offer some non-coffee drinks, including hot chocolate and lemonade. Frequently Asked Questions - Word of Wisdom Book The Puritans called alcohol the Good Creature of God, a blessing from heaven to be imbibed in moderation. [2], As practiced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Word of Wisdom explicitly prohibits the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee (with tea and coffee being labeled as hot drinks), and recreational drug use, and encourages healthy practices such as nutritious eating, the sparing use of meat, regular exercise, proper hygiene, and getting sufficient rest. Any beverage that contains ingredients harmful to the body should be avoided. James Covel and the Cares of the World, I Quit Other Business: Early Missionaries, Religious Enthusiasm among Early Ohio Converts, Man Was Also in the Beginning with God, Our Hearts Rejoiced to Hear Him Speak, Mercy Thompson and the Revelation on Marriage, Susa Young Gates and the Vision of the Redemption of the Dead, The Word of Wisdom, Revelations in Context (2016), The Word of Wisdom, Revelations in Context, Like many other revelations in the early Church, Doctrine and Covenants 89, also known today as the Word of Wisdom, came in response to a problem. See JohnA. Widtsoe and LeahD. Widtsoe, The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1950). The Word of Wisdom doesn't mention it" ). Joseph Smith taught, This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conductedby revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. And perhaps there will be more adaptations of the Word of Wisdom in the future. Susan Easton Black and AndrewC. Skinner (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005), 16575. Paul H. Peterson, An Historical Analysis of the Word of Wisdom (M.A. "[65], Members should not use any substance that contains illegal drugs. Alright, so before we get into this I want to be clear in this episode, we are not going to be speculating about the dietary merits of coffee and tea or whether its the temperature or the caffeine that has caused them to be prohibited. December 9, 2018 Certina Motivation There seems to be a high level of confusion among Mormons regarding the drinking of caffeinated beverages. Word of Wisdom The only official interpretation of "hot drinks" (D&C 89:9) in the Word of Wisdom is the statement made by early Church leaders that the term "hot drinks" means tea and coffee. The Word of Wisdom is a law of health revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children. 1981), 881; Rorabaugh, Alcohol in America,17. The only revealed answer to the question of why hot drinks (interpreted at present as coffee and tea) are prohibited by the Word of Wisdom is "because God told us they are." Latter-day Saints have promised God that they will obey the Word of Wisdom. Although Grant did not emphasize restricting meat consumption, he continued to interpret it as part of the counsel in the Word of Wisdom. A student manual published by the church has suggested that limiting the consumption of meat to the wintertime may be to some degree of the time in which the "Word of Wisdom" was delivered by Smith: This verse has caused some to ask if meat should be eaten in the summer. See MiltonV. BackmanJr., School of the Prophets and School of the Elders, in Joseph: Exploring the Life and Ministry of the Prophet, ed. He attributed his excellent health, in part, to eating very little meat. By 1833, coffee had entered largely into the daily consumption of almost every family, rich and poor. The Baltimore American called it among the necessaries of life.18 Although coffee enjoyed wide approval by the mid-1830s, including within the medical community, a few radical reformers such as Sylvester Graham and WilliamA. Alcott preached against the use of any stimulants whatsoever, including coffee and tea.19, The Word of Wisdom rejected the idea of a substitute for alcohol. Doctrine and Covenants 89 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints For centuries nearly all Americans had consumed large quantities of alcoholic beverages, much like their European counterparts. No portion of this site may be reproduced without the express written consent of The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. Any opinions expressed, implied, or included in or with the goods and services offered by FAIR are solely those of FAIR and not those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But an equally the most important reason for the Word of Wisdom is the promise given in the last verse of D&C 89, in which the members are told: Some question why it is that we interpret "hot drinks" as only pertaining to coffee and tea. We were not in the habit of drinking water very hot, but tea and coffeethe beverages in common use.. Starbucks offers some non-coffee drinks, including hot chocolate and lemonade. 1-9, The use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks is proscribed; 10-17, Herbs, fruits, flesh, and grain are ordained for the use of man and of animals; 18-21, Obedience to gospel law, including the Word of Wisdom, brings temporal and spiritual blessings. Things like lightly fermented wine and even beer were generally considered to be more, drinks. In order to receive a fulness of joy, we must strive to be clean and pure, both in mind and in body. However, in contrast with Joseph Smith's day, more than a hundred years has passed since church leaders implemented a more stringent application of the Word of Wisdom. But you may be wondering, how did we get from there to here? Verse 17 even mentions that barley is for animals and mild drink likely a reference to beer. As a consequence, the number of distilleries grew rapidly after 1780, boosted by settlement of the corn belt in Kentucky and Ohio and the vast distances to eastern markets. 6 (May 3, 1824),70; From the Times and Advertiser, Times and Hartford Advertiser, Jan. 3, 1826, 4. This is not to say that all health proposals of the time relied on elaborate argumentation. A heroic physician treated Joseph's older brother, Alvin, for an attack of "bilious colic" (likely acute appendicitis). Church leaders on Thursday pointed to a recent article in New Era, the church's magazine for young people, reminding them that the Word of Wisdom prohibits "hot drinks" understood to . Grant counseled the Latter-day Saints: I am not going to give any command, but I will ask it as a personal, individual favor to me, to let coca-cola [sic] alone. In the end, some overlap between the Word of Wisdom and the health reform movement of the 19th century is to be expected. Section 89, The Word of Wisdom - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Faithful Study Resources for Come, Follow Me. [25][31][32][33], In the LDS Church, tobacco is not allowed in any form, including smoking, chewing, or vaping. This strikes the modern reader as strangewho would actually eat tobacco? We were not in the habit of drinking water very hot, but tea and coffeethe beverages in common use.. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Handbook 2: Administering the Church2010 (Intellectual Reserve, 2010). Mormon church urges believers to avoid green tea, lattes and vaping Spoiled meat can be fatal if eaten, and in former times meat spoiled more readily in summer than winter. We are a volunteer organization. And on this account, as I suppose, Alvin at first refused to take the medicine, but by much persuasion, he was prevailed on to do so. [2] The Word of Wisdom was first published as a stand-alone broadsheet in December 1833. The Word of Wisdom - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Some parts of the Word of Wisdom are clearly stated in the text and lived as written. Who are Sons of Perdition and What is the Unpardonable Sin? Question: Why did Joseph Fielding Smith say that the consumption of tea may bar someone from the celestial kingdom? That which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually, the Book of Mormon stated (Moroni 7:13).28 Rather than concerning themselves with cultural overlap, Latter-day Saints can joyously contemplate how Gods Spirit touched so many, so widely, and with such force. Once the pipes were smoked out, they would then put in a chew on one side and perhaps on both sides and then it was all over the floor.3 In this dingy setting, Joseph Smith attempted to teach the men how they and their converts could become holy, without spot, and worthy of the presence of God.4. On the third day of his sickness, Dr. McIntyre, whose services were usually employed by the family, as he was considered very skillful, was brought, and with him four other eminent physicians. And then put the following motion; calling on all the boys [sic] who were under ninety years of age who would covenant to leave off the use of tobacco, whisky, and all things mentioned in the Word of Wisdom, to manifest it in the same manner, which was carried unanimously.". OK, Mormons, drink up Coke and Pepsi are OK - The Salt Lake Tribune Tea and coffee are also specifically mentioned in some 1837 meeting minutes, where Joseph Smith was present, and in this 1839 book written by the former member, John Corrill. Soon after receiving the Word of Wisdom, Joseph Smith appeared before the elders of the School of the Prophets and read the revelation to them. Vaping, Coffee, Tea, and Marijuana - The Church of Jesus Christ of The idea soon became a central plank of the American Temperance Society (ATS), organized in Boston in 1826. The revelation praised all wholesome herbs. All grain is ordained for the use of man and beasts, to be the staff of life as also the fruit of the vine, that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground, or above the ground. In keeping with an earlier revelation endorsing the eating of meat, the Word of Wisdom reminded the Saints that the flesh of beasts and fowls were given for the use of man, with thanksgiving, but added the caution that meat was to be used spareingly and not to excess (see D&C 89:10-12).[14]. The American Temperance Society adopted a formal pledge of abstinence from all alcoholic beverages in 1831. Joseph Smith's model of revelation is one in which God can select mental content that we have previously produced as something that he would like to teach or emphasize to us (Doctrine and Covenants 9:89). This is what Joel H. Johnson wrote in 1881: I well remember that soon after the publication of the Word of Wisdom, the same excuse was made, by some of the people, for drinking tea and coffee that is now made that hot drinks did not mean tea and coffee. Members should not use any substance that contains illegal drugs. The revelation invites hearers to trust in a God who has the power to deliver great rewards, spiritual and physical, in return for obedience to divine command. But it was all in vain, their exertions proved unavailing, just as Alvin said would be the case--he told them the calomel was still lodged in the same place, after some exertion had been made to carry it off, and that it must take his life.[6]. 24 (Aug. 1990), 23031; Lyman Beecher, Six Sermons on the Nature, Occasions, Signs, Evils, and Remedy of Intemperance (New York: American Tract Society, 1827), 194; Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 18151848 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 16668. 3 (June 1, 1842), 800. Rather than using calomel, he used lobelia, or "wild Indian tobacco" as a cathartic and purgative. ", LDS Church, "Priesthood Bulletin", February 1972, p. 4; quoted in. After molasses imports were cut off, Americans sought a substitute for rum by turning to whiskey. Dear Kenneth, There are three things prohibited by the Word of Wisdom. The Word of Wisdom was a revelation received by Joseph Smith in 1833 and is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants Section 89. Some members have pointed out that caffeine is contained in both coffee and tea, and that this substance has potential harmful effects.[2]. To the astonishment of observers like Trollope, Americans everywheremen, women, and childrendrank whiskey all day long. But when you read this section, youll notice that the revelation does not specifically mention the words tea, or coffee. I will draw the line, and know who is for the Lord and who is not, and those who will not keep the Word of Wisdom, I will cut off from the Church; I throw out a challenge to all men and women. Mormon church updates guidelines on vapes, iced coffee, tea | Idaho Zebedee Coltrin reminiscence, in Salt Lake School of the Prophets, Minutes, Oct. 3 1883, Church History Library, Salt Lake City. In 1868, church president Brigham Young counseled, "Flesh should be used sparingly, in famine and in cold. The Word of Wisdom was not the strict test of fellowship in the 19th century Church that it is for the modern member. Energy drinks promise a quick pick-me-up, but that quick boost of energy comes with some hefty drawbacks, both physically and spiritually. The young man was a bright student and had saved money for his mission. [43], Because of such statements, some adherents believe that caffeine is officially prohibited under the Word of Wisdom. He accordingly went, obtaining one by the name of Greenwood, who, on arriving, immediately administered to the patient a heavy dose of calomel. [40] Since Pack's article, many Mormons have come to believe that the reason tea and coffee are proscribed is the presence of caffeine in the drinks. Temperance reformers often tried to frighten their hearers by linking alcohol consumption with a host of horrific diseases or social ills.24 The Word of Wisdom offered no such rationale. Who has the authority? Word of Wisdom/Cola drinks and caffeine - FAIR "[25] Grant never again spoke out against the use of cola drinks. Now, its also very important to remember that in these early years, the Word of Wisdom was not initially given by commandment or constraint. , the revelation as demanding total abstinence, but stressed moderation and self-control., Some Latter-day Saints followed the Word of Wisdom more strictly than others, but dont be surprised when you hear about Joseph Smith drinking whiskey in Liberty jail, or when you see coffee, tea, and alcohol, As an interesting side-note: In the early years of the Church the term strong drink used in D&C 89 generally only applied to hard liquors, like whiskey. Members should not use any substance that contains illegal drugs. Grant to call on all Saints to live the Word of Wisdom to the letter by completely abstaining from all alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco. The brethren did not have to be told what the words meant. ", "LDS Church clarifies 'Word of Wisdom' on vaping, green tea, coffee, marijuana, opioids", "The Adoption of a New Interpretation of the Word of Wisdom", "The Word of Wisdom in Early Nineteenth-Century Perspective", "Synoptic Minutes of a Quarterly Conference of the Twelve Apostles: The Clawson and Lund Diaries of July 911, 1901", "Tobacco-Related Cancers in Utah Compared to the United States: Quantifying the Benefits of the Word of Wisdom", "Special Collection: Word of Wisdom Education Committee papers (MSS 44)", Getting into the Meat of the Word of Wisdom, List of Reorganized Restorationist churches, Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) history, Doctrine and Covenants (Book of Commandments), Christian fellowships of "the Remnants" movement, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Word_of_Wisdom&oldid=1159519978, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 10 June 2023, at 21:21. He dedicated two sentences to hot drinks: "And again 'hot drinks are not for the body, or belly;' there are many who wonder what this can mean; whether it refers to tea, or coffee, or not. "This is the church clearly responding to higher levels of non-compliance to the Word of Wisdom than we've seen . ed. However, the church has never stated that this is the reason for the prohibition. What, Exactly, is Against the Word of Wisdom? | Ask Gramps It says plainly that "the only official interpretation of 'hot drinks' (D&C 89:9) in the Word of Wisdom is the statement made by early church leaders that the term 'hot drinks' means. "This is the church clearly responding to higher levels of non-compliance to the Word of Wisdom than we've seen in . If true, this demonstrates the pattern by which Joseph claimed the Church should always be governed: "by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed."[1]. The results were largely duplicated in a separate study of an LDS-like subgroup of white non-smoking churchgoers in Alameda County, California.[66]. Mormons are also taught not to drink "hot drinks," meaning coffee or any tea other than herbal tea (see D&C 89:9 ), and not to use tobacco (see D&C 89:8 ). He came to the house in much distress, and requested his father to go immediately for a physician. [15] One account by Amasa Lyman, a member of the First Presidency under Smith, reports that Smith once finished preaching a sermon on the Word of Wisdom and immediately afterward rode through the streets smoking a cigar. See IanR. Tyrrell, Sobering Up: From Temperance to Prohibition in Antebellum America, 18001860 (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1979); JamesR. Rohrer, The Origins of the Temperance Movement: A Reinterpretation, Journal of American Studies, vol.