Not by commandment or constraint

[JENuWIN]

Hello all,

I'd like to get some opinions on the Word of Wisdom. I would not really be one to imbibe, but I am a lover of all things coffee.

The way I read D&C 89, I think was pretty clear. More of a, hey, "these things can be addictive so be wise and make your own decision on how it affects you physically and spiritually, but I the Lord saith, it is not a commandment."

Brigham Young said it was not to be a test of fellowship.
In 1898 The First Presidency put out official orders NOT to deny temple recommends based on the WOW adherence.
Four years later, Bishops were denying TR's.

I have heard the narrative that after the Manifesto, the brethren wanted us to have a distinguishing characteristic and the full adherence to the Word of Wisdom was going to be the mark as "the peculiar people " that are Mormons.

Taking a revelation that clearly states that it is not a "commandment" and then doing a 180 is very trying for me.....just another inconsistency that is causing me anguish.

[wtfluff]

I"m perfectly willing to live the Word of Wisdom following Joseph and Brigham's examples...

[Just This Guy]

I have heard the narrative that after the Manifesto, the brethren wanted us to have a distinguishing characteristic and the full adherence to the Word of Wisdom was going to be the mark as "the peculiar people " that are Mormons.

Heber J. Grant was a very vocal advocate of prohibition, partially because he grew up with a drunkard step father. As he grew in power, he used the WoW to push his politics.

[Vlad the Emailer]

I have heard the narrative that after the Manifesto, the brethren wanted us to have a distinguishing characteristic and the full adherence to the Word of Wisdom was going to be the mark as "the peculiar people " that are Mormons.

Heber J. Grant was a very vocal advocate of prohibition, partially because he grew up with a drunkard step father. As he grew in power, he used the WoW to push his politics.

Yes, and what he said really did come from God.

Unless the next guy had changed any of it, then Heber was speaking as a man and what the next guy said really, really did come from God.

And it's all true and they were all real prophets and we should always listen to a (current) prophet's voice and I type this in the name o' cheese and rice amen.

[RubinHighlander]

Thomas G. Alexander, a historian/professor at BYU, did a good write up of the evolution of the WoW:

https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-cont ... N03_80.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_G._Alexander

Prior to prohibition, the Saints were brewing and drinking. There was even a famous whisky called Valley Tan, made from 1850-1870. Valley Tan was talked about by famous folks like Mark Twain.
http://www.truthandgrace.com/twainbooze.htm

Just a few months ago, High West Distillery, here in Utah, got a hold of the recipe for Valley Tan and now it's available:

http://www.highwest.com/products/valley-tan.php

I have a bottle and I highly recommend it. It's very smooth, mellow with hints of sweetness. If you want to try whisky, this would be the one to start with. You can sample it up at their distilleries in Wanship and Park City.

You could also by beer at the ZCMI Mercantile back in the 1800s.

http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/ci_5026789

Even the Mormon-owned department store, Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) sold beer, wine and liquor at its downtown store.

"By 1870, three-fourths of the state's revenue came from the sale of alcoholic beverages," said Vance.

Prohibition, of course, ended all commercial brewing. (Ironically, Utah was the 36th and deciding state to ratify the 21st Amendment ending national prohibition.)

It would be interesting to see if getting the saints to pay more tithing had something to do with the WoW crackdown. Meaning, the saints would have more disposable income for donations if they were not buying niceties like tea, coffee and liquor. I know I know enjoy not paying my hard earned dollars to the COB and using it to support many of the awesome local breweries and distillers here in the Great Basin.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

The coffee and tea interpretation of section 89 is interesting because it doesn't explicitly call out those drinks in the revelation. I'm convinced that interpretation came directly from Samuel Underhill, the Owenite leader in Ohio who gave a sermon a few years prior (1829) that was likely a common topic of discussion in Kirtland. Here is the relevant portion from Mark Staker's book "Hearken O ye People" which is also referenced a bunch in the "revelations in context" curriculum additions this year:

Now it came to pass that the sons of men found in the land a certain plant having broad leaves and an acrid taste and it stupified the people. 2. And some burned it and drew the smoke thereof into their mouths & some put it in their mouths and spit forth the juice thereof for it was much & many made it very fine and drew it into their noses. . . . [H]earken unto wisdom & be ye saved. 6. Strong drink is ruin; much wine is an evil, tea is a curse, coffee is injurious, tobaccoes disgustful and poisonous and altogether are a great damnation. 6. [repeated number] Drink water alone, live on simple diet take due exercise and ye shall be happy.35

In addition, Underhill lectured locally on limiting the consumption of meat and particularly recommended abstaining from pork. His lectures generated a continuing discussion among members of the Mormonites in Kirtland since Levi Hancock, who had not been a part of the Morley Family, recalled, “The preaching in Kirtland was against the use of pork."