Comments on: RS/MP Lesson 19: “Temporal and Spiritual Blessings from the Word of Wisdom” (George Albert Smith Manual)

By: kate spade iphone 5 case apple

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By: kirkcaudle

kirkcaudle — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 08:03:41 +0000

Believe it or not, this is probably the best answer that I’ve heard.

By: kirkcaudle

kirkcaudle — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 08:02:57 +0000

I think that justification works if you believe that coffee is against the WOW because of the caffeine. However, if you do not believe that caffeine is against the WOW then there is really no difference between drinking decaff or drinking regular coffee.

By: Bill S.

Bill S. — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:01:59 +0000

On the coffee and tea issue, a wise man once said to me that the issue with decaf coffee was not that it violated the WOW, but that it gave the appearance of violating it. We would not want our family or friends believing we were violating the WOW and/or condoning such behavior, so in effect decaf coffee was verboten. One might conclude the same applies to the many variations of tea?

By: Robert C.

Robert C. — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 17:11:04 +0000

Yes, I think there’s an important “teach correct principles” dynamic clearly at work here, for whatever reason….

By: kirkcaudle

kirkcaudle — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 15:14:29 +0000

Thanks for the link Robert. I have heard many people say something similar to what Jim is saying there. However, why does the “Church” not come out and say that officially? I mean, it seems like a very simple thing to add to the Handbook of Instruction. I always wonder if there is a reason they keep the word tea as broad as possible.

By: Robert C.

Robert C. — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 13:48:03 +0000

Kirk #3, great question. The best response I could find was Jim F.' response here (comment #5) which basically refers back to the time the declaration about tea was made and makes a case that what "tea" meant back then did not include herbal tea. I know this doesn't answer many aspects of your question(s), but I think it's a decent place to start....

By: kirkcaudle

kirkcaudle — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 13:18:05 +0000

The tea topic is very interesting to me in the WOW. I am glad that you focused on it Robert. Handbook 2 says the following about the WOW:

21.3.11 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.

Members should not use any substance that contains illegal drugs. Nor should members use harmful or habit-forming substances except under the care of a competent physician.

So, hot drinks “means tea and coffee.” The Church says nothing past that. The Church never officially defines tea as, “all tea other than herbal tea,” but I hear things like that all the time during these lessons at Church. I have looked and looked and I have never found an Apostle within the past 25 years that separates one kind of tea from another kind of tea when it comes to the WOW. That seems to always be something that is done by Mission Presidents, Bishops, etc.

I know lots of members that drink tea that is not from the tea leaf. However, again, I am yet to find any authoritative statements from Apostles in the last 25 years or so that define what “tea” means. I have heard a few times that we don’t drink decaf coffee, but tea is never defined as anything but tea. Therefore, I always wonder who started other kinds of tea exceptions.

If the Church really is just talking about the tea leaf than why not just come out and say that? It seems like an easy confusion to solve. Mormons that I know about 50/50 on the “what is real tea” issue. In fact, I had a Stake President that would say “tea is tea” during temple interviews, he went directly by book. With that said, he still gave herbal tea drinkers recommends.

So I guess my question is, why do we (or some of us) further define “coffee and tea” more than the official handbook does?

By: jacob

jacob — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 23:00:49 +0000

Thank you, Robert C!

I keep coming back to something several of you have said on this site, that there is a celestial response, a terrestrial response and a telestial response to any commandment or gift from Heaven; a grace for grace type of response. This has helped me lately when I consider and/or chafe at all the “rules” and commandments but then try to see them as gifts instead of restrictions. So gratitude in response to the Word of Wisdom is a beautiful idea, a celestial response.

By: gemma algaba

gemma algaba — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:37:12 +0000

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