The classic WOW!
The Word Of Wisdom.
Many religions have a “code of health,”
And the Mormon church is no exception.
They call theirs, the “Word of Wisdom.”
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/word-of-wisdom?lang=eng
It’s fascinating, to say the least…
I mean,
COFFEE of all things, keeping someone from being “worthy” for the temple??
While at the same time, the HORDES of sugar-filled, caffeinated soda shops fill every corner of the state of Utah?
While there are many topics in the word of wisdom,
Let’s start with the infamous COFFEE topic.
Initially, the word of wisdom was given as optional;
“Not by commandment or constraint”
Just a suggestion.
And actually…the D&C still says it’s optional.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng
It seems as though some still agree that the Word of Wisdom is a health suggestion, not a commandment.
And then there’s others…
The topic of coffee seems to have TWO sides…
On one hand, some members don’t care so much about whether or not they drink coffee.
On the other hand??
Extremism.
Let’s start with the “first” hand –
We’ve seen a lot of comments and posts of current, actively-involved Mormons saying the following things or similar…
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMLpru1Bajq/?stkn=MTJibndhZnJmb3QyYQ==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUtF32DEuuQ/?stkn=aDdpeHE0YzJtcjFk
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUtF32DEuuQ/?stkn=aDdpeHE0YzJtcjFk
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdW8ejDC5PT/?stkn=YmNyeThqZTB5M3J6
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DczVb_2vija/?stkn=M2M3MmI3MG1jdDcx
It seems like many modern-day Mormons don’t care much for the church’s “rules” regarding coffee intake nowadays.
And honestly;
Good for them for using their own agency and not allowing a billion-dollar organization to dictate what they drink!
And now onto the extremism side –
Go ahead and take a watch at this video…
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcWegRiijBm/?stkn=YnUwMGR3ODM4dHg=
“What’s going to happen to her eternal salvation,”
For drinking coffee.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9SLVpgJeFA/?stkn=bWg0Z3BqejN4dG94
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdJ-t-cTsA8/?stkn=MXdhM2ZsNzhqa2VhZA==
The second group seems to believe adamantly that coffee is a sin still;
Probably in large part due to the whole “appearance of evil” thing as well;
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-thes/5?lang=eng
So with both of these sides;
What’s real??
The Church’s current, active, modern-day stance is this –
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2019/08/vaping-coffee-tea-and-marijuana?lang=eng
So even though D&C actively states that the word of wisdom is not to be done “by commandment or constraint,”
According to church leaders,
No; members of the church are not supposed to drink coffee.
But yet, Utah is the soda capitol of the country?? With 44oz caffeinated sodas and sugars??
And they can drink hot chocolate…
So the church isn’t opposed to caffeine or chocolatey drinks…
So
Why coffee??
Well,
there’s one idea that banning coffee was a retaliation of the men of the church against the women of the church who were opposed to the men’s use of tobacco.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CtS5MF5LS/?mibextid=wwXIfr
But that’s an unpopular opinion.
The rule of not drinking coffee seems to be more about church leader interpretation and the law of obedience, if anything.
So no, it doesn’t seem like the church believes coffee is bad necessarily;
They just interpreted the word of wisdom to mean that coffee is going to be the thing that members are expected to give up,
Merely to show obedience to the church;
Regardless of how odd the request seems…
And while for now, we are just talking about coffee…
Obedience for the sake of obedience can be a very dangerous thing…
In regards to alcohol,
I don’t think anyone would disagree that alcohol isn’t necessarily good for you.
Of course alcoholism is something to look out for;
It can definitely take over your life.
No one is arguing with that.
Alcohol is probably one of the worst “drugs” out there if you don’t drink responsibly. It impairs judgement, can be addictive, and like a lot of other things, can result in death.
However…
When we first left the church, and had our very first sip of alcohol,
We were confused with how much we actually had to drink in order to get “drunk.”
Our entire lives, we were raised believing that one sip of alcohol would lead to a full-on addiction.
But one sip of alcohol later,
We realized how false that is.
So our gripe with the church’s stance on refraining from alcohol isn’t the abstinence of it;
Many people choose to live alcohol-free outside of the church!
But our gripe with the church is the misinformation they spread about alcohol.
The church demonizes alcohol instead of educates about alcohol;
Preaching complete abstinence over knowledge and education.
Just like its rules regarding sex before marriage.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/word-of-wisdom-dc-89?lang=eng
We had always been raised to believe that even ONE SIP would send us spiraling down a dark path…
The fear-mongering regarding alcohol was intense.
One time and you’d be addicted.
At least; that’s what we believed being raised in the church.
There were a few things that surprised us and that we recognized when we first started tasting alcohol – things that we didn’t not know about until age 23; because all of our knowledge regarding alcohol up until that point had been “don’t drink it, one sip will make you addicted” from the church.
We learned that –
• SUGAR from an alcoholic beverage is usually what makes a hangover miserable; not the alcohol itself.
• Different alcohols affect different people in different ways
• Certain alcohols can make you react or act in different ways; happy drunk vs. sad drunk vs. sleepy drunk, etc.
• It usually takes 3+ shots of alcohol to really start to feel “buzzed” or “drunk;” not one.
• A nice, big margarita doesn’t have a lot of alcohol in it; it usually takes 2-3 to really feel the effects.
• Beers take even more than 3-4 cans to start to really feel the effects; that’s why people buy 12-packs.
• Beer sits heavier in your stomach; white liquors generally sit lighter.
• The faster you drink a beverage, the more “tipsy” you will feel. Drinking slowly and nursing a drink = a sober mind
• Eating and making sure you’re hydrated with water before you drink alcohol reduces the negative outcomes of alcohol such as nausea and hangovers.
• Some alcohols with make you nauseous and some won’t; it’s all about finding out how your body reacts to certain alcohols and adjust accordingly.
So no, our gripe isn’t that people remain abstinent from alcohol;
It’s that the church makes them both abstinent and uneducated about the topic.
We say, educate people! Then let them make their own decisions regarding alcohol!
I mean, even Joseph Smith drank wine right up until until the day he died, after the word of wisdom was introduced;
After all,
“Not by commandment or constraint.”
https://bhroberts.org/records/02ypBg-udbhpc/joseph_drinks_wine_in_carthage_jail
So;
Why can’t members continue to live by their own jurisdictions like Joseph Smith did?
Why did the church have to change its pace and make the word of wisdom an unshakeable commandment?! removing the option for choice?
What happened to true, real agency?
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/agency-and-accountability?lang=eng
Active members tend to wrongly assume that because a person leaves the church, that that suddenly means that this person will become a drunk or an addict.
I, the wife, was once talking with my younger sister on the phone,
And when I told her that I was working on my health and muscle gains, and that I only drank an occasional, single glass of wine maybe 1-2 times a month, with maybe going out with friends for drinks once every other month if not less often;
She, with a very surprised tone of voice, responded,
“Oh! Really?!”
I fear a lot of other active members share the same sentiment regarding those who have left.
I mean come on;
Even JESUS drank wine.
Hell, he turned water into wine!
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/7?lang=eng
Even called the wine a “miracle!”
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/2?lang=eng
And don’t say “it was different back then;”
Wine has always existed.
Even other religions still use a small shot of wine for the sacrament at church! The way Jesus originally taught!
Wine was Jesus’s “final drink” of choice before he was killed.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/mark/14?lang=eng
Complete abstinence robs people of knowledge and education.
Just because a person leaves does not mean they’ll automatically become drunks or addicts.
But we can’t fault them, either;
I mean, we too believed that one sip of alcohol could lead to addiction at one point,
Growing up in the church.
And wow, how that can change a person’s perspective and can impact how they judge those who do drink occasionally;
And how it can even make it so members have less empathy when a person does fall into addiction.
Knowledge and education is everything!!
Next topic;
TEA!
The church admonishes against drinking tea.
Alcohol and tobacco, we can understand…
But…
TEA?!
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2019/08/vaping-coffee-tea-and-marijuana?lang=eng
Apparently, only herbal tea is permitted in the LDS Church.
https://uk.churchofjesuschrist.org/why-mormons-dont-drink-alcohol-tea-and-coffee
According to the church, it’s the plant that the church has issues with; the one that green and black tea are derived from.
Why?
We had a hard time finding answers as to what the beef is between the church and the tea plant.
“Because the word of wisdom says so” is always the answer we are able to find.
“Maybe it’s the caffeine in green and black teas?”
Nope;
It’s not the caffeine…
If it was the caffeine, all of the sodas and soda shops would be disavowed as well.
So why then??
Maybe because tea is “fermented?” Like alcohol is?
We aren’t entirely sure, but
Our summary is that the reasoning is similar to coffee;
An act of obedience for the sake of obedience, and nothing more.
It’s funny how some plants are blatantly banned in the church; I mean…
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng
While the church today has a blanket BAN of many word of wisdom aspects;
Back in the day?
It was “use your own judgement.”
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng
And that included tobacco.
But alas,
The church today seems to care more about control than knowledge and self-judgement/management.
We are not opposed to the fact that tobacco isn’t necessarily good for you.
But it’s a lot like alcohol;
Knowledge and education.
Yes, it is able to cause cancers, health difficulties, etc. just like everything else in this world we live in.
But how much are members actually educated about it??
All members know about tobacco is that Emma Smith was grossed out by the men who spit their tobacco on the floor.
Now that doesn’t really seem like a tobacco problem…
It seems like a man problem.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/revelations-in-context/the-word-of-wisdom?lang=eng
While we agree the habit can be more unsanitary and can cause mouth cancers,
Using it once, like alcohol,
Will not result in immediate addiction.
How do I know?
Because I tried it and hated it; I’ve never wanted to do it again.
Again, education here is the important thing.
The way a member is educated about substances, is the way in which they perceive others and judge others based on how they decide to utilize things in their own life.
A member’s lack of understanding can paint false perceptions that they gain regarding a person and how they live their lives.
They may see photos of a girls night out with drinks and wrongly assume it’s a weekly or even nightly occurrence, and therefore an “addiction. “
They may see someone chewing tobacco and immediately correlate that person with being “dirty” and “filthy.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8746297/
Do we see yet how education is crucial to unity and better understanding and compassion towards one another?
So no, we don’t disagree that tobacco can be harmful;
But we do think that complete abstinence can leave people to be more at risk/uneducated and judgmental, than not.
And finally, something the church states that we actually agree with in the Word of Wisdom is this –
We don’t disagree at all that medications are useful and beneficial to us as humans, including medically prescribed marijuana, tobacco, etc.
We also agree that these things can be abused and taken too far and result in addiction.
And this is where caution is necessary;
Where “moderation in all things” needs to be evaluated and practiced.
So for once, the church and us agree.
We don’t disagree with anything on the “approved” list of the word of wisdom, necessarily…
But one thing we noticed was very interesting…
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng&id=p13#p13
We like the idea that meat should be used sparingly;
After all, we believe in the sacred nature of plants and animals as well.
But it’s intriguing that the Mormon church specifically asks its members not to eat meat except in the cold months.
So guess what?
Sorry Mormons!!
No summer fourth-of-July barbecues for you!
Because according to the W.O.W;
You’re breaking it!
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2410&context=facpub
All humor aside, there have been many theories regarding this particular point of the W.O.W.
Was it due to a lack of refrigeration access?
Due to the climates the church members lived in?
Famine?
Regardless;
We know a lot of active members who don’t obey this aspect of the WOW,
But conveniently remember to judge those who drink coffee.
But both would technically prohibit a member from being deemed “worthy” for a temple recommend…
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/october-2019-general-conference-temple-recommend
Either way,
It’s kind of an odd commandment,
But regardless,
it’s there…
A part of the Word of Wisdom.
“You misunderstand! The word of wisdom’s main point is to not surrender your own free will” to substances!
And, yes;
we partially agree with this take.
Because while the point of the word of wisdom is to not give up one’s own agency and free will,
At the same time,
The church robs you of your own free will by demanding that adherence to this word of wisdom is a blatant commandment;
And half of the items on the “banned” list don’t even have any rhyme or reason besides obedience.
Its hypocrisy by the church, is what it is;
Claiming that certain things will remove a member’s agency;
When at the same time, the church is actively removing that member’s agency of choice on the basis of fear of losing “blessings” and temple “worthiness.”
Do we see the double edged sword the church slices through its’ members, yet?
“You misunderstand! People always have their agency; but they can’t control the consequences of the decisions they make!”
And you’d be right about that!
So then…
Why does the Church think that they have the right to carry out those “consequences” themselves?? Against members of whom the church believes is “sinning” or “unworthy?”
Why not let natural consequences take hold?
Why does the church believe they have the authority to control those said “consequences?”
We already know that the church doesn’t like to give up control…
But I mean…
Surrender can sometimes be a good thing, after all, no??
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/articles/let-go-and-let-god?lang=eng
It’s not surprising that a church that is so focused on the control of its’ members
Doesn’t like the idea of surrendering oneself to anything else but itself.
We want to make it clear that we aren’t exactly pro-drugs…
But we also aren’t completely anti-drugs either.
We disagree with hard drugs such as cocaine, meth, etc. of course;
Drugs in the middle ground are alcohol, tobacco and weed;
And our pro-list would include medicines, prescriptions; even marijuana is leaning FAR to the pro side of things.
That being said;
The church adamantly opposes recreational drugs.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2007/08/not-even-once?lang=eng
But there’s another theory here that the Church doesn’t tell its members…
That some recreational drugs…
can open the doors to greater spirituality…
Not less.
For example;
https://www.beckleyretreats.com/blog/psilosybin-religious-use
There are many stories of recreational or ceremonial “drug usage” that takes our physical minds as humans,
And gets rid of all of the societal doubts, pressures, and expectations that cloud it…
Allowing and opening our minds to just be able to…
Flow.
To let things flow naturally and fluidly; to allow our nature take its course.
To allow our mind to wander into parts of ourselves that societal pressures or religions may tell us to ignore.
To be truly open and vulnerable to spirituality…
To our inherent connection with the universe itself.
https://www.beckleyretreats.com/blog/psilosybin-religious-use
Recreational and safe “drug usage” can bring greater spirituality and insights.
A good friend of ours once stated that when she participated in mushrooms for the first time, she had this sense that she was but a small dot in the entirety of the universe, and how incredible and spiritual her experience was.
But free-form spirituality doesn’t fit into the framework of organized or controlled religion;
Hence why religions tend to adapt to “COMPLETE ABSTINENCE!!” Expectations,
…rather than educating their people about safe and proper usages; including how to avoid dependency and addiction.
https://religionnews.com/2008/07/08/magic-mushrooms-have-spiritual-benefits-study-says1/
Why are organized religions immediately writing off some of the possibilities that nature gave us??
The nature that God allegedly created Himself…for mankind to use??
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/31causse?lang=eng
Why don’t religions see that there may be potential spiritual power in certain plants or things that God left on the earth for humans to find??
Maybe, some of these plants, mushrooms, etc. were left by God on earth on purpose, to assist us with removing mortal blockages and allowing us to see through “the veil” that shields our mortality…!
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/veil?lang=eng
There are different ways to access spirituality of course,
Different ways to access the divine,
To remove the barriers between our mortal selves and “God,” no matter what that “God” of spirituality looks like to you.
But what we don’t agree with,
Is criminalizing those who may utilize the plants of the earth for their own spirituality;
To calm their souls,
To allow their minds the ability to relax and feel.
Hell, half of my full moon rituals involve a glass of wine and a bubble bath; and my mind has never felt more relaxed and able to work on true, real, raw and open self-reflection, without the societal pressures and expectations that we all have placed on our shoulders.
My husband and I always joke that if our Mormon mothers would just try a bubble bath with a glass of wine every now and again, that a lot of their worries will melt away, and they’d feel so much more free, and FAR less stressed and anxious!
Demonizing the ways a person may choose to practice spirituality,
Hinders progress;
Fosters uneducated judgement of others;
And creates a sense of a superiority complex in those who do not choose to participate.
Education is important.
https://www.lakotatimes.com/articles/what-is-the-native-american-church-and-sacred-peyote/
So before we go banning some of the plants that are naturally here on earth;
Maybe we take a look at some of their spiritual and physical properties,
Instead of hyper-fixating on the negative connotation associated with the word “drug,”
And immediately jump to “COMPLETE ABSTINENCE!!”
I mean, in the Church’s own words…
“…use moderation in all things.”
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moderation
And yes, it IS possible to be “moderate” with alcohol, or other things…
And we know, because we are moderate with it.
So stop telling people that trying something once will bring destruction,
That the only option is complete abstinence…
Again;
Education is important.
–
Imagine shaming someone for leaving the church –
Because they don’t believe a religious organization should have complete, mandatory control over a person’s eating/drinking habits; and believes that humans should be able to make their own decisions without an organization threatening them with their level of “worthiness.”
