word of wisdom and meat

[a-train]

I believe the mild drinks of barley does not mean fermented and turned into alcohol.

As an example, Pero and Postum, are made of barley and other grains.

My Grandmother made chicory (Chicory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) "coffee" and drank it in the evening, all of us children drank it too, with milk, sugar and cinnamon added to it.

While I respect your opinion, it was not shared by Joseph Smith and the early saints.

-a-train

[Truegrits]

Iggy:

As an example, Pero and Postum, are made of barley and other grains.

I used to drink the occasional cup of Postum. In the winter I do like a warm drink, and hot chocolate is a bit sweet. I guess they quit making it though, and the area I live in does not carry the Pero. Probably no market for it. But for Christmas my niece brought me some Pero from Utah. Now I can have the occasional hot drink when it gets down in the 30's...

[BabyJane]

It is not just the two you listed but anything that is consumed excessively should be looked at for this year. Something I will be doing this year myself.

Would this just be anything that is BAD and consumed excessively?

I work out, and I drink a lot of protein shakes, that would be okay because it's not harming me correct? But I suppose I only use what I need, so nevermind

How does the church feel about supplements like protein? I'm assuming protein would be okay though...Of course, things like steroids - not so okay.

[Iggy]

While I respect your opinion, it was not shared by Joseph Smith and the early saints.

-a-train

That's nice a-train, where do you get your information from? You just made a blanket statement, now back it up please.

[a-train]

That's nice a-train, where do you get your information from? You just made a blanket statement, now back it up please.

Joseph Smith owned a bar in Nauvoo. Looked it up in the Church history set.

Read this, from fairlds.org. It says:

Despite the Word of Wisdom's discouragement against the drinking of wine (except for sacramental purposes) evidence suggests that many Church Authorities did not consider moderate wine drinking in the same category as the use of strong drinks114--which mirrored contemporary medical views. And like some of the orthodox physicians of the day, many Latter-day Saints believed that there were medical benefits for the consumption of alcohol, such as tonic or restorative properties115 as well as relief from fatigue and sore throats.116 At other times, alcohol was consumed to lift their spirits in times of turmoil.117 The Saints didn't believe that ingestion under these conditions was in violation of the Word of Wisdom.118 In the final days of Brigham Young's illness in 1877, he received regular doses of brandy--the single most widely used drug of that time119

The perspective of moderated observance gave rise not only to ambiguous compliance but sometimes to vacillating attitudes toward liquor laws. Nauvoo, for instance, initially prohibited liquor. Due to the urging of Saints who believed in tolerance and moderation rather than abstinence, as well as the growing Gentile element, and--in all likelihood--the fact that Nauvoo could see an economic benefit to their collapsing economy, the Nauvoo City Council repealed their prohibition on liquor in 1841. Both Saints and Gentiles were free to sell alcohol and Joseph even attempted to open a bar, until he abandoned the idea due to the protests of his wife.120

It should be noted, however, that even with the relaxed liquor laws, alcohol was not overly easy to procure, drunks were virtually unseen, and, as a whole, the Mormon town was more temperate than other contemporary frontier cities.121

The Tanners charge Joseph and Brigham with hypocrisy because they drank alcohol.122 But what the Tanners fail to recognize, or explain, is that these leaders did not view the Word of Wisdom in the same perspective and light as Latter-day Saints do today. Observance meant moderation. It doesn't matter that Joseph drank on occasion: he lived the Word of Wisdom according to his understanding of the revelation based on the newness of the concept and his cultural understanding of health and medicine.

It is simply a matter of historic record that Joseph Smith drank alcohol in his Nauvoo days.

-a-train

[hordak]

It always perplexes me in this day and age given what we now know about the hazards to our health of using tobacco and caffeine, that church members continue to wrestle with the committment, commandment, benefits, and promises of adhering to the W of W..

The problem with that is that people pick and choose what info supports their beliefs. Yes there are studies that show smoking causes cancer and to much red meat is bad. There are also studies that show green tea and wine to be beneficial. Plus the promises have never really been defined. What does " health in your belly and marrow in your bones" mean?