What is meant by hot drinks in section 89 of the doctrine and covenant?
score:5
"Hot drinks" refers to tea and coffee.
The LDS Student Manual for the Doctrine and Covenants references a quote from the Prophet Joseph Smith providing this clarification:
“I understand that some of the people are excusing themselves in using tea and coffee, because the Lord only said ‘hot drinks’ in the revelation of the Word of Wisdom. …
“Tea and coffee … are what the Lord meant when He said ‘hot drinks.’” (In Joel H. Johnson, Voice from the Mountains [Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1881], p. 12.)
The church has reaffirmed the meaning of "hot drinks" in recent times. For example, see Word of Wisdom on LDS.org:
latter-day prophets have taught that the term “hot drinks,” as written in [D&C 89:9], refers to tea and coffee
While it may seem peculiar now days to single out tea and coffee as "hot drinks," during the temperance movement of the 1830s they were both seen as substitutes for alcohol.
Upvote:1
In 1937, Elder John A. Widtsoe, then one of 12 apostles, published a book entitled: "The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation", in which he discussed the various chemicals and stimulants founded in coffee and tea, including caffiene, as well as those in chocolate and other beverages commonly taken hot, and offered his opinion that these were part of the reason for the prohibition in D&C 89. His opinions were well and widely received, and following them, many Mormons began to refuse caffeinated beverages such as certain soft drinks. However, this work was never presented to the church as doctrine or revelation and his opinion is not considered authoritative.
Upvote:1
The central message behind the commandment against hot drinks is this:
Habit-forming substances are to be avoided.
To preserve the integrity of the spirit, the body (in which the spirit dwells, during mortality) must not be reliant on psychoactive substances. Reliance on these substances can impede one's ability to communicate with God.
It is said that the Holy Ghost accompanies us on a daily basis as long as we live according to the Word of Wisdom. But the highs and lows that come along with stimulants can push the Holy Ghost away.
Energy Drinks: The Lift That Lets You Down
Given the withdrawal symptoms that regular caffeine consumers suffer when they abstain from caffeine (fatigue, headache,) it's clear that caffeine is a habit-forming substance. Therefore, it should be avoided.
This is not an official position of the church, but the above articles give some idea of what LDS writers think about caffeine.
Originally drafted as an answer to this closed question about caffeine.
Upvote:1
And this Word of Wisdom prohibits the use of hot drinks D&C 89:9 and tobacco. D&C 89:8 I have heard it argued that tea and coffee are not mentioned therein; that is very true; but what were the people in the habit of taking as hot drinks when that revelation was given? Tea and coffee. We were not in the habit of drinking water very hot, but tea and coffee—the beverages in common use. And the Lord said hot drinks are not good for the body nor the belly, D&C 89:9 liquor is not good for the body nor the belly, but for the washing of the body, D&C 89:7 &c. Tobacco is not good, save for sick cattle, and for bruises and sores, its cleansing properties being then very useful. D&C 89:8
JD 13:274, Brigham Young, The Word of Wisdom—Spiritualism.
The spirit of the revelation is also in regards to doing things for the health of the body. It would seem reasonable that consuming any beverage that is at a temperature which would injure the body should be avoided (let the mint tea cool a bit, don't drink boiling water), but that is not an official part of the interpretation of the phrase in the revelation.
More post
- 📝 Mary as the road that we must travel in order to reach God?
- 📝 Why is the Feast of the Visitation held on May 31st, during the Easter/Pentecost season?
- 📝 What does Jesus mean when He says that we should be like children?
- 📝 Why is Christianity so popular in (South) Korea?
- 📝 Are we supposed to ASK for wisdom or SEEK it--or are they the same thing?
- 📝 Are devotional materials in Slavic-speaking Orthodox countries typically translated today?
- 📝 How do non-episcopal Protestants respond to St. Ignatius who says you need a Deacon, Priest, and Bishop for a Church?
- 📝 What is the nature of Dyothelitism according to the Council of Chalcedon?
- 📝 Are Lutherans comfortable with worshipping a consecrated host or do they consider it to be idolatry?
- 📝 How would a Christian explain the contradiction of loving but calling h*m*sexuality a sin?
- 📝 Cain vs Adam / Eve
- 📝 What is the Lutheran view on sovereign election?
- 📝 Why did the Jews comment that Jesus was not yet fifty years of age?
- 📝 According to Chalcedonian theology, did Jesus retain his human nature after his ascension, or did he return to being only divine?
- 📝 How do Christian Scientists respond to the "poison that nobody knows is poisonous" argument?
- 📝 According to Preterism has Matthew 19:27-30 been fulfilled? If so, when?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the idea that the church is a hospital for sinners?
- 📝 How do Seventh Day Adventists understand "a form of [a] God" in Philippians 2:6?
- 📝 External reference of Jesus's resurrection?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, does Matthew 16:18 justify that the Catholic Church is the one true church?
- 📝 How do Biblical Unitarians understand "the glory of the Father's own self" that Jesus claims he had before the world was?
- 📝 Why was neither David nor Solomon stoned to death?
- 📝 When did the Lion of the tribe of Judah take the book from the One sitting on the throne?
- 📝 How important is the historical verification of Biblical events to traditional Christian faith?
- 📝 Is there any evidence for the claim that the Catholic church suppressed translation of Scripture?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for a one world religion in the end times?
- 📝 On what basis did Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith declare that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit cannot indwell a believer?
- 📝 No one has ever seen God or can see God, what were the colors John used to describe Him in Revelation 4:1-5?
- 📝 Is it a valid Christian concept to attribute subjectively attactive physical characteristics, as blessings from God?
- 📝 Where do Christians stand on the topic of consuming "unclean" animals?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is meant by hot drinks in section 89 of the doctrine and covenant?
- 📝 What is the difference between a covenant and a contract?
- 📝 What is the Lutheran doctrine of consubstantiation and how does it differ from transubstantiation and a more general protestant sacramental view?
- 📝 What specific foods and drinks are forbidden by the LDS (Mormon) Church?
- 📝 Why do Covenant theologians use the word "dispensation," and what do they mean by it?
- 📝 What is the current and historical viewpoint on universal salvation as a doctrine in the Catholic Church?
- 📝 What did Brigham Young teach regarding Blood Atonement, and is that doctrine still held today in the LDS/Mormon Church?
- 📝 What is the Lutheran doctrine of "Law and Gospel"?
- 📝 What is the difference between Eastern Orthodox doctrine of deification and the "little g" god doctrine of the Word of Faith movement?
- 📝 What happened to Aaron's staff and the jar of manna placed by Moses in the Ark of the Covenant
- 📝 What is an overview of the similarities and differences between the Catholic doctrine of Original Sin and the Reformed doctrine of Total Depravity?
- 📝 What do you call the adherents of Covenant Theology (CT) and New Covenant Theology (NCT)?
- 📝 What is meant by "order" in reference to ministries within the Church, and how did its usage come about?
- 📝 What is the Christian Doctrine that balances God's self-sufficiency and perfection with His wants or desires?
- 📝 What are the main differences between Reformed Protestant Biblical Theology and Covenant Theology?
- 📝 What is the difference in doctrine between the Pentecostal church and the Assemblies of God church?
- 📝 Who is the object of the New Covenant and what are it's terms?
- 📝 How do those who cite 2 Tim 3:16 to prove the inspiration of Scripture know that 2 Tim 3:16 is itself inspired and what is meant by "All Scripture"?
- 📝 What is meant by "the first will be the last and the last will be the first"?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
- 📝 What is the difference between Evangelical and Protestant?
- 📝 What are the different names of God in the Bible and what do they mean?
- 📝 What is the doctrine of the Trinity?
- 📝 On what do Catholics base their doctrine of the eternal virginity of Mary?
- 📝 What were the main doctrinal disagreements between Luther and Calvin?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity?
- 📝 What were the Nephilim, and what role did they play in the Bible beyond just being mentioned?
- 📝 What is the difference between Reformed and Presbyterian
- 📝 What are the Biblical and theological problems with theistic evolution?