View source for Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 18

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{{H1
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 18
|H=Response to claims made in "Chapter 18: Word of Wisdom"
|T=[[../../]]
|A=Jerald and Sandra Tanner
|<=[[../Chapter 17|Chapter 17]]
|>=[[../Chapter 19|Chapter 19]]
}}
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<onlyinclude>
{{H2
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 18
|H=Response to claims made in The Changing World of Mormonism, "Chapter 18: Word of Wisdom"
|S=
|L1=Response to claim: 468 - The admonition not to eat meat is mostly ignored by the Church
|L2=Response to claim: 469-470 - Joseph Fielding Smith said that drinking tea can bar a person from the Celestial Kingdom
|L3=Response to claim: 470 - Joseph sometimes drank wine
|L4=Response to claim: 471 - Joseph Smith asked "Brother Markam" to get "a pipe and some tobacco" for Apostle Willard Richards
|L5=Response to claim: 471 - Joseph wrote in his diary that he had tea with breakfast
|L6=Response to claim: 471 - Joseph prophesied that he would drink wine with Orson Hyde in the east
|L7=Response to claim: 472 - George A. Smith reported that some church members left the church after finding that their leaders drank tea and coffee
|L8=Response to claim: 472 - Almon W. Babbitt was brought to church trial for breaking the Word of Wisdom, but he said that he was following Joseph's example
|L9=Response to claim: 472-473 - Joseph Smith sold liquor in Nauvoo
|L10=Response to claim: 474 - Brigham Young broke the Word of Wisdom by taking "snuff and tea"
|L11=Response to claim: 474 - Brigham Young told Church members to "make beer as a drink" and sponsored a bar in Salt Lake City
|L12=Response to claim: 475 - Brigham built a whiskey distillery
}}
</onlyinclude>		

==Response to claim: 468 - The admonition not to eat meat is mostly ignored by the Church==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
The admonition not to eat meat is mostly ignored by the Church.
|authorsources=<br>
#John J. Stewart, ''Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet'', p.90
}}
{{propaganda|The authors have not explained how they understand "sparingly," and how they would assess this in individual's lives.  Do they have any statistics?  Studies?  Or just a "gut feeling"?
}}
{{:Question: Do Mormons who do not eat meat "sparingly" violate the Word of Wisdom?}}

==Response to claim: 469-470 - Joseph Fielding Smith said that drinking tea can bar a person from the Celestial Kingdom==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Joseph Fielding Smith said that drinking tea can bar a person from the Celestial Kingdom. Church members feel that Joseph "carefully observed" the Word of Wisdom. Joseph Smith wouldn't be able to get a temple recommend today.
|authorsources=<br>
*''Doctrines of Salvation'' 2:16
*John J. Stewart, ''Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet'', p.90
}}
{{propaganda|The authors are impossible to satisfy.  Strict consequences for the Word of Wisdom are critiqued, but they later expected us to be shocked and trouble because Joseph had tea.  There is no effort to help readers understand these matters&mdash;the authors' efforts are all dedicated to the search for scandal.
}}
* Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. {{link|url=http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2000_Up_in_Smoke.html}}
{{:Question: Why did Joseph Fielding Smith say that the consumption of tea may bar someone from the celestial kingdom?}}

==Response to claim: 470 - Joseph sometimes drank wine==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Joseph sometimes drank wine. Joseph smoked a cigar.
|authorsources=<br>
*''History of the Church'' 2:369
*''History of the Church'' 2:378
*''History of the Church'' 6:616
*"Joseph Smith As An Administrator," M.A. thesis, Brigham Young University, May 1969, p.161
}}
{{misinformation|In Joseph's day, wine was not forbidden by the Word of Wisdom, especially if used in a medicinal sense.
}}
{{:Question: In what way did Joseph Smith implement the Word of Wisdom during his lifetime?}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith appear in public smoking a cigar right after teaching a sermon on the Word of Wisdom?}}

==Response to claim: 471 - Joseph Smith asked "Brother Markam" to get "a pipe and some tobacco" for Apostle Willard Richards==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
{{AuthorQuote|In one instance, Joseph Smith asked "Brother Markam" to get "a pipe and some tobacco" for Apostle Willard Richards. These words have been replaced with the word "medicine" in recent printings of the History of the Church. At another time Joseph Smith related that he gave some of the "brethren" a "couple of dollars, with directions to replenish" their supply of "whisky." In modern editions of the History of the Church, twenty-three words have been deleted from this reference to cover up the fact that Joseph Smith encouraged the "brethren" to disobey the Word of Wisdom. In the third instance, Joseph Smith frankly admitted that he "drank a glass of beer at Moessers." These words have been omitted in recent printings of the History of the Church.}}
|authorsources=<br>
*''Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star'', vol. 23, page 720. (Reference to beer) compared to ''History of the Church'', vol.6, p.424.
*''Millennial Star'', vol. 21, p.283. (Reference to whiskey) compared to ''History of the Church'', vol. 5, p.450.
*''Millennial Star'', vol. 24, p.471 (reference to the pipe and tobacco) compared to ''History of the Church'', vol. 6, p.614.
}}
{{misinformation|As strange is it is for modern readers, people in Joseph Smith's day sometimes regarded tobacco as a medicinal substance. Beer was not forbidden by the 19th century application of the Word of Wisdom, and moderation with alcohol was the general standard. Whiskey could also be used medicinally.
}}
* See also [[The_Changing_World_of_Mormonism/Index/Chapter_2#33|p. 33]] for the Tanner's further exploitation of this presentism. 
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith give some of the brethren money to purchase whiskey in violation of the Word of Wisdom?}}

==Response to claim: 471 - Joseph wrote in his diary that he had tea with breakfast==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Joseph wrote in his diary that he had tea with breakfast.
|authorsources=<br>
*Joseph Smith Diary, March 11, 1843
*Joseph Smith Diary, January 20, 1843
}}
{{misinformation|Consulting the journal entry, we read: "Saturday, March 11th Too cold last night as to freeze [p.332] water in the warmest rooms in the city. River filled with anchor ice. 8 1/2 o'clock in the office, Joseph said he had tea with his breakfast." <ref>{{AmericanProphetsRecord| pages=331, entry for Saturday, 11 March 1843}}</ref>  In Joseph's day, medical thinking held that "hot drinks" (such as tea and coffee) could heat the body and vital fluids to prevent illness.  As a physician, Willard Richards (who wrote Joseph's journal for him) would have known this.
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith violate the Word of Wisdom by drinking tea?}}

==Response to claim: 471 - Joseph prophesied that he would drink wine with Orson Hyde in the east==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Joseph prophesied that he would drink wine with Orson Hyde in the east.
|authorsources=<br>
*Joseph Smith Diary, March 11, 1843
*Joseph Smith Diary, January 20, 1843
}}
{{misinformation|Wine was not forbidden by the Word of Wisdom in Joseph's day.
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph utter a false prophecy and show disregard for the Word of Wisdom in telling Orson Hyde that he would drink wine with him in Palestine?}}

==Response to claim: 472 - George A. Smith reported that some church members left the church after finding that their leaders drank tea and coffee==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
George A. Smith reported that some church members left the church after finding that their leaders drank tea and coffee.
|authorsources=<br>
#{{JDfairwiki|author=George A. Smith|disc=35|vol=2|start=214}}
}}
{{propaganda|The authors count on their readers not understanding the historical context. George A. Smith obviously believes that those who apostatized on this issue are being foolish. His statement helps us see why.
}}
{{:Question: Did George A. Smith report that some church members left the church after finding that their leaders drank tea and coffee?}}

==Response to claim: 472 - Almon W. Babbitt was brought to church trial for breaking the Word of Wisdom, but he said that he was following Joseph's example==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Almon W. Babbitt was brought to church trial for breaking the Word of Wisdom, but he said that he was following Joseph's example.
|authorsources=<br>
#''History of the Church'' 2:252
}}
{{misinformation|Babitt was tried by the high council for much more than Word of Wisdom violations.
}}
* Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. {{link|url=http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2000_Up_in_Smoke.html}}
{{:Question: Is it true that Almon Babbitt "followed Joseph" in violating the Word of Wisdom?}}

==Response to claim: 472-473 - Joseph Smith sold liquor in Nauvoo==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Joseph Smith sold liquor in Nauvoo.
|authorsources=<br>
*''History of the Church'' 6:111
*''The Saints' Herald'', January 22, 1935, p.110
*"Journal of Oliver B. Huntington," typed copy at Utah State Historical Society, vol. 2, p.166"
}}
{{propaganda|The Word of Wisdom was enforced differently in the 19th century than today.  It was not the strict test of fellowships that it is for the modern member. The author's don't acknowledge this, and simply count on the "shock value" of the claim to do their work for them.
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith set up a bar to sell liquor in Nauvoo?}}

==Response to claim: 474 - Brigham Young broke the Word of Wisdom by taking "snuff and tea"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=<br>
* Brigham Young chewed tobacco for many years.
* Brigham Young broke the Word of Wisdom by taking "snuff and tea."
|authorsources=<br>
*The authors list ''Journal of Discourses'', vol. 12, p.404. There is no page 404&mdash;it should be page 29)
*{{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|disc=9|vol=12|start=29}}
*''On The Mormon Frontier'', vol. 1, p.75
}}
{{misinformation|The Word of Wisdom was observed differently in the nineteenth century. Brigham reported that his use was medicinal.
}}
{{:Question: Did Brigham Young violate the Word of Wisdom by using snuff, tobacco, and tea?}}

==Response to claim: 474 - Brigham Young told Church members to "make beer as a drink" and sponsored a bar in Salt Lake City==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Brigham Young told Church members to "make beer as a drink" and sponsored a bar in Salt Lake City.
|authorsources=<br>
*John D. Lee, p. 116
*Herbert Howe Bancroft, ''History of Utah'', p.540, footnote 44
}}
{{misinformation|Beer was not forbidden under the 19th century application of the Word of Wisdom; it was a "mild drink."
}}
See Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. {{link|url=http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2000_Up_in_Smoke.html}}

==Response to claim: 475 - Brigham built a whiskey distillery==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Brigham built a whiskey distillery.
|authorsources=<br>
#{{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|disc=42|vol=10|start=206}}
}}
{{propaganda|Brigham ''did'' build a distillery, but he stated that the distillery was needed for "rational purposes". Critics fail to point out that the fact that some forbidden substances were seen as having a medicinal use, for which the Saints were free to use them.
}}
{{:Question: Why did Brigham Young build a whiskey distillery in Utah?}}

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