I have a question about the Word of Wisdom. Around the time that I joined the church, I was told by some members of the church, including our bishop, that the Word of Wisdom’s advice to refrain from hot beverages specifically referred to the caffeine found in coffee and tea. Some members avoid not only these beverages but also other cold beverages such those sodas which contain caffeine. Soon after that, the patriarch of our stake told me that the ban does not necessary refer to the caffeine but could refer to the “hotness” of coffee and tea. Such hot beverages might damage the sensitive tissues in the mouth and throat. As a result of this idea, he and others also avoided hot chocolate and even hot soups that are drunk from a mug. Obvious there is confusion here. More recently, a member of the stake presidency said that the ban on hot beverages was clarified (by the prophet) to mean that we should avoid coffee and tea. (1) It seems odd that the word of God was not clear and later had to clarified. Wouldn’t you expect him to be able to say what he means the first time? Despite this clarification, I feel that this issue is still not clear. We are asked not to drink hot beverages, specifically hot coffee and hot tea. Is it then permissible to drink iced coffee and iced tea? What about coffee that has cooled down? And, what about food products made from coffee and tea, including ice cream, candy, and other desserts? If these food items are permitted, what is the difference from drinking hot coffee? (2) If it is not wise to consume coffee or tea in any form, why didn’t God simply say so? I withheld my city’s name to avoid embarassing any members of my ward.
6 Responses to “I have a question about the Word of Wisdom. Around the time …”
Ricardo Ramos
2009-12-26 06:54:13
Hi Roberto. The Word of Wisdom is not really that ambiguous; you've just had the misfortune of speaking with a lot of people who don't know what they're talking about! :) You can visit the official church webpage about the Word of Wisdom to learn more. Be sure to click on the "Additional Information" tab when you visit.
God has never revealed that the phrase "hot beverages" refers to the caffeine found in coffee or tea. While caffeine is an addictive substance that is wisely avoided, there are other unhealthy substances in coffee and tea as well. Though no Mormon should drink coffee or tea, for a few members caffeinated soda pop may actually be beneficial; sometimes doctors recommend caffeine for those who suffer from headaches, for example. Some leaders of the church have offered their opinion that caffeine is best avoided, and many members (including myself) do avoid it, but avoiding caffeine is not a commandment that is currently included in the Word of Wisdom.
While I'm sure your patriarch is a man of great wisdom when receiving revelation from God on behalf of those he's blessing, his interpretation of the Word of Wisdom is silly. It may be true that drinking boiling water could damage the sensitive tissues of the mouth and throat, but most people don't need the Word of Wisdom to tell them that! :) Mormons are generally big fans of hot chocolate and hot soups, especially in places like Utah that are very cold in the wintertime. I once had a home teacher that was a hot chocolate salesman, now that I think about itÂ…
The member of your stake presidency is right on. The phrase "hot beverages" has been clarified to mean coffee and (non-herbal) tea. In Joseph Smith's time, there was no such thing as iced coffee and iced tea; in modern times, we've been instructed to avoid these beverages as well.
You said, "It seems odd that the word of God was not clear and later had to clarified." In reality, God rarely drops fully developed doctrines in our laps. As explained in Isaiah 28:10-13, God generally reveals His will "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little." He reveals a little of His will, as is necessary given His people's needs and cultural circumstances. When more information is needed, He clarifies through additional revelation to prophets and apostles. That's the very reason why modern prophets and apostles are so important.
I personally avoid food made from coffee and tea as well. Hope this answer helps!
In the meantime, this is what we know for certain from the Word of Wisdom: "Hot drinks are not for the body or belly." That's all the scriptures say on the matter in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. But as a historian, I also know that the two most common hot drinks back then were black tea and coffee. This historical fact concurs with the teachings of latter-day prophets, wherein they state that "hot drinks" refers to tea and coffee. (Note that it does not say *hot* tea and *hot* coffee.) So, in my opinion, when the Lord said no hot drinks, he meant those hot drinks common when he revealed his health code.
There is all kinds of speculation and explanation from all kinds of sources as to the interpretation of this scripture beyond not consuming tea and coffee. For most people, though, it boils (pardon the pun!) down to this: in the church we are encouraged to seek personal revelation and to study the scriptures and the words of the prophets. We are also taught that we learn things line upon line, precept upon precept, and the more we study, the more we will understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.
As far as the church is concerned, the standard to reach is the ability to answer truthfully in a temple recommend interview that you do indeed follow the Word of Wisdom. If you can honestly reply that you do not consume black tea and coffee (aside from the other requirements like not smoking, etc.), then you qualify to receive your recommend. Any restrictions beyond that are solely a matter of personal opinion/revelation.
Let me give you one notable example... In a television interview President Hinckley stated that he did not drink caffeinated soda because he personally believed that it was against the spirit of the Word of Wisdom. Yet, in 2002 (and maybe other times?) cola was being sold in temple vending machines.
Sir Network
2009-12-22 19:42:25
The Word of Wisdom was revealed in 1833. In 1833, the only two hot beverages consumed in the western world were tea and coffee. Hot chocolate (really hot cocoa as we know it today) was first invented in 1828, but was not widely consumed until the beginning of the 20th century. Cider then (and in most of the non-US world today) was and is an alcoholic beverage and falls under other prohibitions.
The most exclusive and proven health benefit of any mainstream tea is the gaba found in green tea. However, it is found in higher concentrations in other foods, especially sprouted brown rice. However, the drawbacks of tea are tremendous (from wikipedia):
-Tea bags are made using a wet paper strength reinforcing coating using epichlorohydrin, which is known to be carcinogenic.
-All tea leaves contain fluoride; however, mature leaves contain as much as 10 to 20 times the fluoride levels of young leaves from the same plant.
-Caffeine is an addictive drug and overuse of tea can result in harmful side effects, such as an increased likelihood of certain sleep disorders.
-Tea contains oxalate, overconsumption of which can cause kidney damage, as well as soak up free calcium in the body; other minerals could be soaked up as well.
-All teas and coffees contain tannins (aka tannic acid, aka what you use to turn white cow flesh into brown leather! ), which have been linked to many stomach ailments and gastrointestinal cancers
Pamela Bonta
2014-07-02 03:25:28
A further note after reading some responses: Some people think that what your patriarch said was silly, but in fact, they are following the thoughts of Elder Bruce R. McConkie who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1972 to 1985. He is probably most famous for a book called Mormon Doctrine, which was a controversial title and controversial book for a number of reasons. In the book, he does discuss the Word of Wisdom. One of the things that he discusses is that he believes that Latter Day Saints should not eat or drink anything that is too hot because of the possibility of damage to the body. Conversely, according to him, we should also avoid anything that is too cold for the same reason. Another reason given is that making hot drinks uses time and energy (including electricity) that could be better used for other things, and keeping things like ice cream cold for a long time would be a similar misuse of time and energy. While his personal beliefs are not actually church doctrine, they did cause many members to question every aspect of their lives and how they could be living the gospel better.
Ricardo Ramos: Hi Pamela. Very interesting to learn that at least this idea didn't come out of nowhere! :) Elder McConkie was such a great apostle. His descriptions of the actual doctrine of the church are so powerful. You can't listen to his last general-conference talk without thinking, "What a man of God!"
But, when speaking on topics that fall outside of their God-given stewardship, apostles' opinions carry no more authority than anyone else's. You rightly point out that Mormon Doctrine was controversial. It was controversial because it contained many of Elder McConkie's personal opinions that were rejected in large part by the other brethren at the time. In fact, the other brethren came very close to intervening in order to prevent its publication.
Regarding moderately hot/cold foods/drinks generally, the church does not in fact teach that they should be avoided, very few members of the church believe it's necessary to avoid them, and there is no scientific evidence that they are prejudicial. I would say, then, that while I have tremendous respect for Elder McConkie's many invaluable contributions to our theology, his ideas on hot and cold drinks were a bit silly. (Who doesn't have a few silly personal ideas hidden away?) We shouldn't build up hedges around the law.
Clarissa Reed
2009-12-19 16:20:07
The Word of Wisdom is there to help you make the right choices for your physical, mental, and spiritual bodies. If you are indulging in harmful or addictive food, drinks, or substances; you are ruining those bodies. Don't forget that it also mentions the okay things to have. If you are still confused, don't be afraid to pray to the Lord and ask him to help. Also talk you your teachers or leaders. A lot of people get confused about the WoW, converts or not.
Richard
2009-12-20 05:26:35
The Word or Wisdom is just that. God our Father gave directions to the first prophet of this last dispensation on how to take care of the body he has loaned us through out mortal probation. We learn through modern day science study that many items warned about as "hot drink" (coffee and tea), contain in many cases addictive substance.
Be wise and do what you feel is best, prayerefully being lead by the spirit, and you won't have any problems.
God has never revealed that the phrase "hot beverages" refers to the caffeine found in coffee or tea. While caffeine is an addictive substance that is wisely avoided, there are other unhealthy substances in coffee and tea as well. Though no Mormon should drink coffee or tea, for a few members caffeinated soda pop may actually be beneficial; sometimes doctors recommend caffeine for those who suffer from headaches, for example. Some leaders of the church have offered their opinion that caffeine is best avoided, and many members (including myself) do avoid it, but avoiding caffeine is not a commandment that is currently included in the Word of Wisdom.
While I'm sure your patriarch is a man of great wisdom when receiving revelation from God on behalf of those he's blessing, his interpretation of the Word of Wisdom is silly. It may be true that drinking boiling water could damage the sensitive tissues of the mouth and throat, but most people don't need the Word of Wisdom to tell them that! :) Mormons are generally big fans of hot chocolate and hot soups, especially in places like Utah that are very cold in the wintertime. I once had a home teacher that was a hot chocolate salesman, now that I think about itÂ…
The member of your stake presidency is right on. The phrase "hot beverages" has been clarified to mean coffee and (non-herbal) tea. In Joseph Smith's time, there was no such thing as iced coffee and iced tea; in modern times, we've been instructed to avoid these beverages as well.
You said, "It seems odd that the word of God was not clear and later had to clarified." In reality, God rarely drops fully developed doctrines in our laps. As explained in Isaiah 28:10-13, God generally reveals His will "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little." He reveals a little of His will, as is necessary given His people's needs and cultural circumstances. When more information is needed, He clarifies through additional revelation to prophets and apostles. That's the very reason why modern prophets and apostles are so important.
I personally avoid food made from coffee and tea as well. Hope this answer helps!
In the meantime, this is what we know for certain from the Word of Wisdom: "Hot drinks are not for the body or belly." That's all the scriptures say on the matter in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. But as a historian, I also know that the two most common hot drinks back then were black tea and coffee. This historical fact concurs with the teachings of latter-day prophets, wherein they state that "hot drinks" refers to tea and coffee. (Note that it does not say *hot* tea and *hot* coffee.) So, in my opinion, when the Lord said no hot drinks, he meant those hot drinks common when he revealed his health code.
There is all kinds of speculation and explanation from all kinds of sources as to the interpretation of this scripture beyond not consuming tea and coffee. For most people, though, it boils (pardon the pun!) down to this: in the church we are encouraged to seek personal revelation and to study the scriptures and the words of the prophets. We are also taught that we learn things line upon line, precept upon precept, and the more we study, the more we will understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.
As far as the church is concerned, the standard to reach is the ability to answer truthfully in a temple recommend interview that you do indeed follow the Word of Wisdom. If you can honestly reply that you do not consume black tea and coffee (aside from the other requirements like not smoking, etc.), then you qualify to receive your recommend. Any restrictions beyond that are solely a matter of personal opinion/revelation.
Let me give you one notable example... In a television interview President Hinckley stated that he did not drink caffeinated soda because he personally believed that it was against the spirit of the Word of Wisdom. Yet, in 2002 (and maybe other times?) cola was being sold in temple vending machines.
The most exclusive and proven health benefit of any mainstream tea is the gaba found in green tea. However, it is found in higher concentrations in other foods, especially sprouted brown rice. However, the drawbacks of tea are tremendous (from wikipedia):
-Tea bags are made using a wet paper strength reinforcing coating using epichlorohydrin, which is known to be carcinogenic.
-All tea leaves contain fluoride; however, mature leaves contain as much as 10 to 20 times the fluoride levels of young leaves from the same plant.
-Caffeine is an addictive drug and overuse of tea can result in harmful side effects, such as an increased likelihood of certain sleep disorders.
-Tea contains oxalate, overconsumption of which can cause kidney damage, as well as soak up free calcium in the body; other minerals could be soaked up as well.
-All teas and coffees contain tannins (aka tannic acid, aka what you use to turn white cow flesh into brown leather! ), which have been linked to many stomach ailments and gastrointestinal cancers
Ricardo Ramos: Hi Pamela. Very interesting to learn that at least this idea didn't come out of nowhere! :) Elder McConkie was such a great apostle. His descriptions of the actual doctrine of the church are so powerful. You can't listen to his last general-conference talk without thinking, "What a man of God!"
But, when speaking on topics that fall outside of their God-given stewardship, apostles' opinions carry no more authority than anyone else's. You rightly point out that Mormon Doctrine was controversial. It was controversial because it contained many of Elder McConkie's personal opinions that were rejected in large part by the other brethren at the time. In fact, the other brethren came very close to intervening in order to prevent its publication.
Regarding moderately hot/cold foods/drinks generally, the church does not in fact teach that they should be avoided, very few members of the church believe it's necessary to avoid them, and there is no scientific evidence that they are prejudicial. I would say, then, that while I have tremendous respect for Elder McConkie's many invaluable contributions to our theology, his ideas on hot and cold drinks were a bit silly. (Who doesn't have a few silly personal ideas hidden away?) We shouldn't build up hedges around the law.
Be wise and do what you feel is best, prayerefully being lead by the spirit, and you won't have any problems.