Salvation And A Cup Of Tea: Examining the Word of Wisdom
by Lloyd Sharp
According to Joseph Smith, the "Lord" told him to explain to the early
LDS the dangers of drinking alcohol and smoking. This alleged revelation
is known as the Word of Wisdom (or WoW for the rest of this article).
All faithful Latter-day Saints strictly adhere to the WoW. Obeying the
WoW is a requirement for Mormons to enter their own temples and receive
both the Aaronic and Melchezedek priesthoods. While good health is essential,
does the Bible teach that abstaining from certain foods and drinks is
required of Christians? And what about the WoW prohibitions against meat
and hot drinks?
DEFINING THE DOCTRINE
Doctrine & Covenants Section 89 outlines the Mormon WoW. It places restrictions
on the following substances:
- Alcohol, a.k.a. "strong drinks"
"That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold
it is not good..." (D&C 89:5)
- Tobacco
"And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and
is not good for man..." (D&C 89:8)
- Hot drinks, defined as coffee and
caffeinated beverages
"And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly." (D&C 89:9)
- Various meats
"Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord,
have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they
are to be used sparingly;" (D&C 89:12)
THE GREY AREAS
There are several areas of the WoW that are either not observed directly
or outright ignored by most LDS due to their oddness. A good example is
seen with the claim that "strong drinks" are to be used only for the washing
of the body.
That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine
or strong drink among you, behold it is not good... And, again, strong
drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. (D&C
89:5, 7)
As a former Mormon with a wife that was raised LDS, we can both say
that we have never heard of any LDS member bathing in "strong drinks."
It is also untrue that "strong drinks are not for the belly." Paul told
Timothy to "use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities."
(1 Timothy 5:23) The key here is moderation. We must remember "to think
soberly." (Romans 12:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Timothy 3:2)
Also odd is that the WoW says that wine is to be used "only in assembling
yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him (God)." (D&C
89:5, insert added) Mormon churches do not use wine, but water in the
issuing of the Lord's Supper. This has been the case nearly since he inception
of the LDS church.
The prohibition against meat is perhaps the least followed command of
the WoW.
Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls
of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving;
nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto
me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold,
or famine... And these hath God made for the use of man only in times
of famine and excess of hunger. (D&C 89:12-13, 15)
Are we really to believe that meat is to be eaten "only in times of
winter, or of cold?" And how can we be expected to eat meat in times of
"famine and excess hunger?" A famine is usually due to a lack of food,
thus it would be especially difficult to eat meat during such a time.
The Bible teaches that "fowls of the air," specifically quail, were given
in abundance to Israel by God (Numbers 11:31). Indeed, Israel was told
to eat as much as they wished when they arrived in the promised land (Deuteronomy
12:15, 20).
While many Mormons do not drink caffeinated beverages such as coffee,
cola and tea, the WoW does not mention these anywhere.
And again, hot drinks are not for the body
or belly. (D&C 89:9)
If taken in a literal sense, then any hot drink should be avoided by
the faithful LDS. Even more problematic is that the prohibition against
coffee, cola and tea comes by the words of various LDS leaders. Chiding
those who ignored the WoW, former LDS prophet Joseph F. Smith wrote the
following:
You cannot neglect little things. "Oh,
a cup of tea is such a little thing. It is so little; surely it doesn't
amount to much; surely the Lord will forgive me if I drink a cup of
tea…" if you drink coffee or tea, or take tobacco, are you letting a
cup of tea or a little tobacco stand in the road and bar you from the
celestial kingdom of God, where you might otherwise have received a
fulness of glory? (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation,
3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956],
2: 16, capitals original)
Mormon Bruce McConkie admitted that while cola drinks are not mentioned
in the WoW, they are somehow inferred in the text.
Certainly the partaking of cola drinks,
though not included within the measuring standard here set out, is in
violation of the spirit of the Word of Wisdom. (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon
Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], 845)
The problem occurs when we see that such teachings are nowhere in the
LDS scriptures. Joseph F. Smith, a former LDS prophet wrote the following:
STANDARD WORKS JUDGE TEACHINGS OF ALL
MEN
It makes no difference what is written
or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what
the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside. My words, and the teaching
of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square
with the revelations, we need not accept them. Let us have this
matter clear. We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring
yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man's doctrine.
You cannot accept the books written by
the authorities of the Church as standards in doctrine, only in so far
as they accord with the revealed word in the standard works... If Joseph
Fielding Smith writes something which is out of harmony with the revelations,
then every member of the Church is duty bound to reject it. (Joseph
Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce
R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 3: 203, emphasis
added)
If the above is true, then the prohibition
against coffee, tea and cola are simply the inventions of man, and not
the revelation of God. Yet to admit this would usurp the claim by such
leaders to be true prophets and apostles of God. It becomes even more
confusing when we see that Joseph F. Smith is the one who claimed, "You
cannot neglect little things" regarding the WoW, but then said that
"we need not accept" things that are not in LDS scriptures. And both
of these statements are made in the same series of books!
CONCLUSION
While we do believe that Christians must do what is proper for their body,
as children adopted into the family of God we are "temple(s) of the Holy
Ghost." (1 Corinthians 6:16). In regards to alcohol we must "be not drunk
with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" rather than
alcohol. We deny that the use of caffeine, tea, coffee, meat and alcohol
in any way determines the salvation or lack thereof for mankind. Salvation
is determined by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. We agree with the
words of Jesus when He said:
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth
a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man (Matthew
15:11).
