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

ldsfaqs wrote:Chocolate likely may have been considered by some in the past a "stimulant", so they may have personally applied the word of wisdom to it.
I seem to recall today's chocolate isn't the same as the past also?
For example, watching "Narcos" I was reminded that Pablo Escobar in his smuggling efforts "put coke back into chocolate". LOL

Hot Drinks or Strong drinks basically only refered to "Stimulant" drinks, and they were officially identified by the Church as being Tea (from the Tea Leaf) and Coffee, as well as Alcohol for strong drinks.

This is the official rule. Outside of that we should use our wisdom in trying to follow the spirit of the law.
Herbal Tea for example is generally healthy, and not made from the Tea Leaf (which is why it's good to stay away from Green Tea), thus wouldn't be classified as a Hot Drink. Energy drinks while not officially banned, I would personally say crosses the line, because of how utterly powerful that junk is. Drink some Orange Juice or Gatorade. LOL

Caffeine has never been the standard, but a general practice of avoidance depending on the type and degree (like the Church officially avoids Coke, like if it buys food for the Ward), so as to avoid the appearance of things. It doesn't consider chocolate at least today crossing the line, while it may have been in some form in the past, but like you said, it's not been an issue.

Our interests here concern enhancement of mind and mood, and the experience of love. In this regard, the first two compounds in chocolate to consider are caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine, an alkaloid, is the most widely consumed stimulant on earth.

According to numerous medical studies, caffeine is beneficial to overall health. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, stimulates the flow of blood in the brain, and increases secretion of the very important neurotransmitter serotonin. Caffeine enhances alertness, facilitates thought formation and decreases fatigue. This alkaloid also improves mood overall, lifts the spirits, and enhances both cardiovascular function and respiration.

Taken by adults at a dose of 300 milligrams or less per day, caffeine is safe and beneficial. Chocolate is a modest caffeine source, with a 50 gram piece of dark chocolate yielding between 10 and 60 milligrams of caffeine, as compared with a five ounce cup of coffee, which can yield up to 180 milligrams. Modest amounts of caffeine in chocolate provide a healthy stimulant effect, suitable for consumption by all adults and children, except for the unusually sensitive or hyperactive.

Theobromine, caffeine’s chemical cousin, occurs at a greater concentration, about 250 milligrams in a 50 gram bar of dark chocolate. Like caffeine, theobromine is a central nervous system stimulant, though it is milder in its effects. Theobromine is a stronger cardiac stimulant than caffeine and not nearly as well studied. This compound has a different chemical structure, and is presumed to possess unique mood enhancing effects.

Chocolate gets right to the heart of sexual pleasure by increasing the brain’s level of serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical. Serotonin plays a major role in positive mood, emotional health, proper sleep and balanced appetite, contributing to numerous behavioral and physiological functions. Decreased serotonin is a well-known factor in cases of depression. Increased brain serotonin promoted by chocolate increases sexual excitation, desire and responsiveness. Women have more serotonin in their systems than men and appear to be more sensitive to chocolate. Chocolate provides a mood boost to women during PMS and menstruation, when serotonin levels are often down. It also puts women in the mood for love. Men and women with depleted serotonin levels demonstrate increased aggressive sexual tendencies, a higher rate of masturbation, and increased promiscuity.

Violence, aggressive behaviors, and higher rates of suicide have all been associated with reduced brain levels of serotonin. Many people consume chocolate as a form of self-medication, whether they are aware of the fact or not. Chocolate’s serotonin elevating activity helps to modify mood in positive ways and acts as a sexual sweetener. These serotonin-related effects enhance the sense of closeness between lovers.

Probably the most influential love compound in chocolate is PEA, phenethylamine. This chemical, which occurs in chocolate in small quantities, stimulates the nervous system and triggers the release of pleasurable opium-like compounds known as endorphins. PEA also potentiates the activity of dopamine, a neurochemical directly associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. PEA acts as a potent antidepressant in both sexes and rises during periods of romance. The giddy, restless feelings that occur when we are in love are due to a great extent to PEA, which significantly increases in the brain at that time, and when we achieve orgasm. Some scientists dismiss this notion, claiming that the PEA in chocolate is metabolized too quickly to produce a significant mood-altering effect, but others disagree. Why else would chocolate be so inextricably intertwined with love and romance?

While there are a great many agents in nature which boost libido and enhance sexual function, chocolate alone actually promotes the brain chemistry of being in love.

The popular drug cannabis (marijuana) contains a group of compounds called cannabinoids. Of these, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, causes the high associated when that plant is consumed. Cannabinoids are found in only two other places.

One is in the human brain, where a mind-altering cannabinoid named anandamide is manufactured. This same extraordinary chemical is also found in chocolate. Anandamide’s name derives from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means bliss. Cannabis and chocolate and the human brain all share this bliss-inducing agent. In the human brain, anandamide binds to the same receptor sites as THC from cannabis. Anandamide produces a feeling of euphoria. This compound may account for why some people become blissed-out when they eat chocolate. The human brain is a marvellous and mysterious organ. Tickle the right neurons with delicious chocolate, and all heaven breaks loose.

moksha wrote:I think the Stone ran into some difficulties due to the electromagnetic interference of a solar flair and what should have clearly read "beef liver and black licorice" became garbled and appeared as "hot drinks which warm the belly".

The rest, as they say, "is a man-made error".

George Q. Cannon in the Journal of Discourses, Vol 12, page 221 wrote:We have heard considerable of late, especially since twelve months today, 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 in the summer time, and ought to be eaten sparingly in the winter.

At no time has cocoa or chocolate been included in the prohibitions of the Word of Wisdom, and at no time has the Church said that cocoa is as harmful as coffee. Those who make these claims do so on their own responsibility, and obviously without knowing the facts of the matter (Elder Mark E. Peterson, PATTERNS FOR LIVING [Bookcraft, 1962], pp. 235-37).