Word of Wisdom, and Hot Chocolate

[_I have a question]

Interestingly, on the tea/coffee thing:

The Lord also counsels us against the use of “hot drinks” (D&C 89:9). Prophets have explained that this means coffee and tea, which contain harmful substances. We should avoid all drinks, whether hot or cold, that contain harmful substances.

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/02/the ... h?lang=eng

What are the 'harmful substances' in tea and coffee if not caffeine (which the Church has explicitly stated is not against the word of wisdom)?

[_zeezrom]

As far as stimulants go, hot chocolate is greater than tea in my opinion. I drink tea before bed often times. Can you imagine drinking hot chocolate before bed?

[_Doctor Steuss]

Awesome, thank you for the other sources!

[_zeezrom]

Did anyone share this one yet?

...I advise them to refrain for the same period from too much meat and from the use of strong spices, cocoa, tea and coffee.

David O. McKay, 1926

[_grindael]

Spurred by a thread started by Runtu over on MD&D, and that one of last month’s Gospel Essentials lessons was on the WoW, I have been doing some spelunking.

During my adventures, I stumbled upon the following:

…none of us drank any kind of spirits, porter nor small beer, nor even wine, neither did we drink tea, coffee or chocolate.

http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/HCKimball.html

At the time, it was the mention of small beer that stood out to me. But, I have gradually become more intrigued by the mention of hot chocolate.

I have been searching, and can’t find any other references to hot chocolate in early LDS writings, and was wondering if anyone else has ever found any other references to it?

We have heard considerable of late, especially since twelve months to-day, on the subject of the Word of Wisdom. Almost every elder who has spoken from this stand has felt the necessity and importance of calling the attention of the people to this subject. We are told, and very plainly too, that hot drinks—tea, coffee, chocolate, cocoa and all drinks of this kind are not good for man. We are also told that alcoholic drinks are not, good, and that tobacco when either smoked or chewed is an evil. We are told that swine's flesh is not good, and that we should dispense with it; and we are told that flesh of any kind is not suitable to man [p.222] the summer time, and ought to be eaten sparingly in the winter. The question arises in the minds of a great many people, "What then are we to eat if we drop swine's flesh and eat very little beef or mutton, and cannot drink tea or coffee, why, dear me, we shall starve to death." In conversation with one of the brethren the other day, he remarked "the diet of the poor is principally bread and meat, and if they dispense with meat, they will be reduced to very hard fare." I reasoned with him on the subject, and before we had got through, I believe I convinced him that other articles of food could be raised more cheaply and in greater variety than the flesh of animals. But just at the present time we are destitute, to some extent, of this needed variety; and, hence, the very apparent necessity that we as a people should turn our attention to the multiplication of varieties of food in our midst. We should not confine ourselves to a few articles of diet and be content therewith; but the people who have the opportunity of so doing should cultivate a variety of food for the benefit of themselves and families. George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses Vol. 12, p.222, April 7, 1868.

Kimball is lying. Young taught in November, 1841:

After this meeting closed I met with the Twelve & High Priest quorum: the word of wisdom was brought up. B Young says shall I Break the word of wisdom if I go home & drink a cup of tea? No wisdom is justified of her Children. The subject was discused in an interesting manner. All concluded that it was wisdom to deal with all such matters according to the wisdom which God gave. That a forced abstai-nance was not making us free but we should be under bondage with a yoak upon our necks. I walked out & spent the night at Br Allexanders. Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 2, 1841–1845, p.137

This is what they followed until about the 1860's when they tried to enforce the WOW. But it didn't really gain traction until well after Young's death.

1851:

I spent the evening in A Lyceum of the Seventies. The word of wisdom was the subject discused. Five speakers were called upon who addressed the meeting & was followed by president Young who made many interesting remarks. He spoke upon the word of wisdom of its origen &c. Said it was well kept when it was first given. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 4, p.5)

Young's problem with it was that they were buying stuff from the GENTILES. That is why he wanted to stop them using those items.

President Young said He wished all the people to pay their tithing to the Bishops of their ward. He refered to the remarks made by Father Smith on the word of wisdom. He said $50,000 dollars had Been [p.68] spent in the valley during the past year for needless things for Coffee tea Tobaco &c. Many others remarks were made By president Young. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 4, p.68, Sept. 1851)

1865:

Presidet Young spoke upon the word of wisdom how hard it was for us to overcome but "I will not let an appetite or passion master me. No man will get rich by Joining hands [with] wicked men & devils. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 6, p.235)

1867

Then Presidet Young spoke 23 Minutes and Preached a good Sermon to the Sisters. Requested them to keep the word of wisdom not to drink Coffee or tea & He wished all to keep the word of wisdom. Afternoon. D. H. Wells spoke 40 Minuts & John Taylor Spoke 72 minutes. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 6, p.335)


Oct 8 Conference opened At 10 oclok. Prayer by E. Snow. E. T. Benson spoke 23 Minuts Presidet Young 14 on the word of wisdom. Commanded all to keep the word of wisdom & if the Saints trifled with this they would be sorry. And I say unto you in the Name of the Lord God of Israel keep the word of wisdom. Erastus Snow spoke 16 Minuts, Presidet Young 3 Minuts. Then the Names were Called to go on the dixie Mission. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 6, p.371).

1868

Presidet Young spoke 35 minuts & said He read from the Book of Life keep the word of wisdom, Lay up the grain, Stop traiding with the Gentiles or I will Cut you off from the Church for it is time. Let Every one stop drinking Coffee, tea, whiskey, Tobaco for this is the word of God unto you & you will be Cut off if you do not. I spent the nightwith Brother Douglass. 18 mil. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 6, p.427).


1869

Presidet Young said I require all under 100 years old to stop using tobaco & drinking whiskey. If they do not we will soon make it a test of fellow[ship] in the Church. You should keep the word of wisdom. I have laid the Benefit of this Course before the Saints many times. The people injure their health. Tea injures the stomach. Tobaco, whiskey, tea, & Coffee injures the Health & shortens the lives of the peoples. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 6, p.463)

We held a meeting in the State House in the Evening. G Q Cannon spoke 21 M. B Young Jr. spoke 15 Minuts D. H. Wells 40, W Woodruff 15, Presidet Young 34 Minuts. He said If I was to tell you the will of God I would say it is the will of God, that you should take of your substance & send it to Gather [p.464] the poor saints, the means you wood spend for tobaco, tea, Coffee, & whiskey & Gather the poor with it. We should be doing the will of God. It is the will of God that we should keep the word of wisdom. When you want to do Evil it is the will of the devil, & not the will of God. President Young told a dream on Chewing tobaco. We spent the night with Robinson. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 6, p.464)

He said the Latter Day Saints are not aware of the Influence they have with each other. Now you put wine on the Table morning & night & it will be an injury to you. You might as well tipple with any thing Els as wine. We should set a good Example before all keep the word of wisdom, and if you do not you will soon be severed from the Church. In speaking of Merchandize He said I mean to Break up evry Merchant who has made himself rich off this people & I mean to Break evry one of them By the Help of God. Let the Sisters Attend these Cooperative Stores and [p.468] not Great Strong Men. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 6, p.468)


1883

24 I went to the Temple in the morning. We had a day of Prayer and fasting. I met with 28 Men Holding the Melchesedek Priesthood and I organized them into the school of the Prophets, all of which had Entered into the school of the Patriarchal order of Marriage and all agreed to keep the word of wisdom. <I washed the feet of 24 men.> We broak bread and partook of the sacramet of Bread and wine. <The washing of feet was an introductory ordinance into the school of the prophets. I also gave the salutation to the brethren as they entered the school.> We had a vary interesting day. The spirit of the Lord rested upon us. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 8, p.215)

[_grindael]

On the 5th of August, I administered the sacrament: for wine I substituted cocoa nut milk, that was a pure beverage, which never had come to the open air, till we broke the nut for that purpose. On the 8th of August, I baptized another. The inhabitants have recently held a meeting to regulate Government affairs, among other things, they resolved to build me a house; they seem determined on my staying here, notwithstanding I say much about the gathering. (Addison Pratt, Times and Seasons, Vol.6, No.1, p.883)

I had my usual allowance of bread and butter and cocoa for breakfast only the cocoa was sompthing new to me. I was reading in the Testament for a short time and sleeping in the chair untill dinner time. (Jean Bickmore White, Church, State, and Politics, Journals of John Henry Smith, Jan. 9, 1875, p.21)

[_grindael]

They were all over the map with this. Nothing revelatory. They just started enforcing it about the turn of the 19th century. It was the leadership that could never live it until then. When they started doing it, THEN it became a test of membership. But it took them many, many decades.

[_DarkHelmet]

Interesting that at some point hot chocolate was against the WoW, at least according to some contemporary sources. It makes sense considering the prohibition on "hot drinks" and also the general idea that stimulants are bad. I grew up during the period when caffeinated soft drinks were totally forbidden. I remember watching an episode of Knight Rider, and David Hasselhoff was at a restaurant and he ordered a Coke, and I was really surprised. Why would Michael Knight drink Coke? He's the hero. Strangely, I never thought twice when Bo and Luke Duke drank beer at the Boar's Nest. Probably because beer was off my radar, but Coke was something my non-Mormon friends and rebellious big brother drank, and caffeinated drinks were really emphasized as being evil by my church leaders and parents at the time. Funny how the brainwashing works on a young kid. Of course, the WoW is all about obedience. The church could announce that hot dogs were against the WoW because they're shaped like a dick, and Mormons would be required to stop eating hot dogs.

[_ludwigm]

Thanks, grindael.
Now, I know everyting about WoW.

Not a word against red wine. So, I continue to drink it.
Even my wife shouts "you are an alcoholist"...

[_I have a question]

They were all over the map with this. Nothing revelatory. They just started enforcing it about the turn of the 19th century. It was the leadership that could never live it until then. When they started doing it, THEN it became a test of membership. But it took them many, many decades.

They are still all over the map on this. If the word of wisdom was a test of membership, fat people and prolific meat eaters would fail their recommend interview. The Church pays lip service to whatever definition of the day is applied to the word of wisdom.