FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Word of Wisdom/Joseph Smith used tea
Criticism
Critics charge that Joseph Smith drank tea, violating the woWord of Wisdom, and proving he is not a prophet.
Source(s) of the criticism
- Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Changing World of Mormonism (Moody Press, 1979), 471.( Index of claims )
Response
Critics count on "presentism"—they hope readers will judge historical figures by the standards of our day, instead of their day.
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.
Critics also fail to point out that the fact that Joseph noted the use of tea shows that it was probably a unique event, worthy of note.
In 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."[1]
In Joseph's day, medical thinking held that "hot drinks" (such as tea and coffee) could heat the body and vital fluids. While this was usually regarded as a bad idea that would be dangerous to health, in a time of extreme cold, tea might be seen as a medicinal substance which would help maintain health. As a physician, Willard Richards (who wrote Joseph's journal for him) would have known this.
By analogy, a modern member would be in violation of the Word of Wisdom if he or she injected morphine as a "recreational" drug. But, if the same drug was administered for a medical reason, the member would not be in violation.