a couple of questions

[mliff]

ok 1st question: are lds allowed to eat chocolate and drink soft drinks? is it only alcohol and hot drinks (Tea, Hot Chocolate) that there not allowed?

2nd: what is considered a "calling"? (i have been asked to bless the sacrament one of these sundays coming up, does that count as one? im just trying to figure this out)

thanks for any help

[FunkyTown]

ok 1st question: are lds allowed to eat chocolate and drink soft drinks? is it only alcohol and hot drinks (Tea, Hot Chocolate) that there not allowed?

2nd: what is considered a "calling"? (i have been asked to bless the sacrament one of these sundays coming up, does that count as one? im just trying to figure this out)

thanks for any help

Hmm... You were asked to bless the sacrament?

How long have you held the Aaronic priesthood?

As for the others: Hot chocolate is okay. Chocolate is okay. Soft drinks are personal choices.

I'm surprised they didn't go over this with you. :)

[HiJolly]

ok 1st question: are lds allowed to eat chocolate and drink soft drinks? is it only alcohol and hot drinks (Tea, Hot Chocolate) that there not allowed?

Chocolate has a compound that is very similar to caffeine and so some suppose that they are more fully complying with the "spirit of the law" of the Word of Wisdom if they don't eat/drink it. I disagree. We all must make our own decision as to whether we apply a more strict code to our lives than what the Church expects.

The Church does not require us to cut out caffeine, whatever some overzealous people may say. OTOH, it is specifically stated that we should avoid addictive substances. So you make the call.

2nd: what is considered a "calling"? (i have been asked to bless the sacrament one of these sundays coming up, does that count as one? im just trying to figure this out)

thanks for any help

Exercising the priesthood is not a 'calling' per se. Blessing the sacrament is exercising your priesthood, but is not analogous to conducting a meeting as a quorum president or bishopric member, which would be a part fulfilling a calling. A calling has to do with functioning within a Church role such as teacher, youth leader, or music director.

sounds like you're doing great. Keep up the good work!

HiJolly

[mliff]

Hmm... You were asked to bless the sacrament?

How long have you held the Aaronic priesthood?

As for the others: Hot chocolate is okay. Chocolate is okay. Soft drinks are personal choices.

I'm surprised they didn't go over this with you. :)

Ive had the Aaronic Priesthood since 2005 but I became inactive for a while. Ive been back for a little while and been doing all I can. For all I can remember no one has said anything about the words of wisdom to me.

[mliff]

Chocolate has a compound that is very similar to caffeine and so some suppose that they are more fully complying with the "spirit of the law" of the Word of Wisdom if they don't eat/drink it. I disagree. We all must make our own decision as to whether we apply a more strict code to our lives than what the Church expects.

The Church does not require us to cut out caffeine, whatever some overzealous people may say. OTOH, it is specifically stated that we should avoid addictive substances. So you make the call.

Exercising the priesthood is not a 'calling' per se. Blessing the sacrament is exercising your priesthood, but is not analogous to conducting a meeting as a quorum president or bishopric member, which would be a part fulfilling a calling. A calling has to do with functioning within a Church role such as teacher, youth leader, or music director.

sounds like you're doing great. Keep up the good work!

HiJolly

Thanks HiJolly.

[Connie]

Chocolate is fine (unless it's the European chocolate that actually contains alcohol probably). Soft drinks are fine. Hot chocolate is fine. Herbal teas are fine. No alcohol, tobacco, coffee or tea (anything made from the tea plant).

Maybe this is just my own personal womanly perspective, but i would consider holding the priesthood a calling. A man is sustained and set apart in the order of the priesthood by the laying on of hands. Blessing the sacrament is a duty and privilege of holding the Aaronic priesthood. So while you may not do it every Sunday, it is still something you have the duty and privilege of doing when asked.

Mostly, however, when people speak of callings they are referring to something you were sustained and set apart as holding responsibility over in your ward or stake such as presidents, counselors, secretaries, or clerks of the various auxiliaries (bishopric, elder's quorum, high priests quorum, relief society, young women's, young men's, primary, sunday school), teaching in any of those auxiliaries, responsibilities over music, library worker, ward or stake missionary, etc. (there are lots of callings one can have in a ward or stake). There are, however, callings that one is not sustained or set apart for, namely home and visiting teaching.

[hordak]

or tea (anything made from the tea plant).

Is this some new addendum to the WoW i am unaware of? This is the second time this week i have seen someone say this and wonder if it is doctrine (I.E. Nothing from the tea plant was put out in a church publication/ dropped at GC) or if this is personal interpretation based on the idea that because tea comes from the tea plant anything from it is wrong. In which case i need to call the HP group leader to repentance because his wife make a "sinfully" delicious poppy seed chicken;)

[Wingnut]

Is this some new addendum to the WoW i am unaware of? This is the second time this week i have seen someone say this and wonder if it is doctrine (I.E. Nothing from the tea plant was put out in a church publication/ dropped at GC) or if this is personal interpretation based on the idea that because tea comes from the tea plant anything from it is wrong. In which case i need to call the HP group leader to repentance because his wife make a "sinfully" delicious poppy seed chicken;)

It's personal interpretation.

[Just_A_Guy]

On my mission we were instructed to teach converts that "tea" meant "black tea" or "green tea".

I've seen stuff from the BYU Religion department take a similar view--see, e.g., Victor Ludlow in Principles and Practices of the Restored Gospel at 434:

The Word of Wisdom counsels against drinking "hot drinks," which have been identified by early Church leaders as coffee and tea. "Tea" refers to the standard tea derived from the tea plant, sometimes called black tea or green tea. The Word of Wisdom has not been interpreted as proscribing herbal teas, stating that "all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man." ("D&C 89:10D&C 89:10.) Coffee refers to drinks derived from the coffee bean.

It's harder to find anything definitive coming from an LDS apostle. However, in The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation, Elder John A. Widtsoe's discussion of both the origins (originating in the far east/China) and chemical composition (tannin, caffeine, etc) of tea suggest strongly that he's discussing the product of the tea plant (though he never comes right out and says it).

[hordak]

On my mission we were instructed to teach converts that "tea" meant "black tea" or "green tea".

I've seen stuff from the BYU Religion department take a similar view--see, e.g., Victor Ludlow in Principles and Practices of the Restored Gospel at 434:

It's harder to find anything definitive coming from an LDS apostle. However, in The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation, Elder John A. Widtsoe's discussion of both the origins (originating in the far east/China) and chemical composition (tannin, caffeine, etc) of tea suggest strongly that he's discussing the product of the tea plant (though he never comes right out and says it).

Isn't that the same one that taught refined grain was a violation of the WoW?

[Wingnut]

On my mission we were instructed to teach converts that "tea" meant "black tea" or "green tea".

That's great. On my mission we were instructed to teach that "tea" meant "tea." That's the thing -- there's no consistency with this, and, as you mentioned, nobody (in a position of definitive authority) seems to come right out and be specific on this issue. As such, we can only safely assume that the statement "anything from a tea plant is against the Word of Wisdom" is personal interpretation, and nothing more.

[addicthelp]

I have come to the conclusion that we should stop eating and drinking anything Joking.

The fact is that as has been stated...much is up to interpretation. Here is my general rule but just my personal opinion.

Are we using interpretation as an excuse?

I mean, I have to laugh when I hear people debate about Caffeinated Soft Drinks, than go gorge themselves on all sorts of fatty foods, put on a lot of weight, and shorten their lives by 20 years.

[Just_A_Guy]

Isn't that the same one that taught refined grain was a violation of the WoW?

This was the closest I could find via a text search, at p. 437:

Wheat is singled out as having special use for humans. However, these guidelines are not a rigid rule. Note that Joseph Smith mentioned only those grains that were common to his time and place. Rice and millet are not mentioned, although they are primary food sources for great numbers of people in other areas of the world. The revelation covers this by saying that "all grain is good for the food of man" (v. 16) and may be used "for mild drinks" for humans (v. 17).

The latest nutritional discoveries have confirmed that "we are what we eat," and that the more whole grains and fresh foods we consume in their natural state the better. Processed foods with heavy additives, such as salt, dyes, preservatives, and refined sugar, are now widely known to be nutritionally inferior to their natural counterparts and have contributed to the United States' high cancer rate in the digestive organs. Knowing the nature of man's physical body that he created, the Lord gave counsel over 150 years ago that might be amplified as follows: "Verily I say unto you, all wholesome [natural] herbs [plants, especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and so forth] God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—every herb in the season thereof [fresh] and every fruit [including seeds, nuts, and so on] in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving." ("D&C 89:10"D&C 89:11D&C 89:10-11.)

Edited May 24, 2010 by Just_A_Guy

[Moksha]

... or tea (anything made from the tea plant).

If the tea plant was less valiant, would not its descendant byproducts also be cursed from this original sin?