Latter-day Saints, Go Ahead and Have That Coffee (or Even Wine!). Your Scripture Even Says You Can.
Long-prohibited in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been coffee, tea, wine, tobacco and “strong drinks” in the faith’s Word of Wisdom. The problem is, Latter-day Saint scripture — in the very section about the health code — allows for their consumption.
Doctrine & Covenants 89: 1–2 says “A word of wisdom … to be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint.”
Things began to go off-track from what God said, according to the faith, when the church in 1902 made the Word of Wisdom part of the church’s temple recommend requirement, according to “The World of Wisdom: From Principle to Requirement.” Having been advised by church prophet Joseph F. Smith to be understanding with elderly folks, church leaders were lenient with that body of the Latter-day Saints. Then in 1921, church president Heber Grant made following the guidance of the Word of Wisdom a no-excuses church law in order to go to the temple, according to “The Story of the Latter-day Saints.”
Why did church leaders go ahead in mandating the Word of Wisdom given what scripture they believe is from God says?
Could the leaders have gained enough power to be able to start wresting their own eternal doctrine? Is it as simple as…
