My son just started a new summer job working at Subway Sandwiches and was recently asked about some of his beliefs. It gave him an opportunity to share his own thoughts with his new friends and to realize that there are many people not of our faith who may have that same question.
So, I thought I'd address that same question here:
Why Don't Mormons Drink Coffee or Smoke?
That is a very good question and in the early days of the church they did. But, one day, after having cleaned out the room where some of the church brothers had met in counsel, and having scraped off the spitting tobacco from the floors and aired out the room of smoke, the wife of the Prophet wondered about the mess.
I won't put all the details on here but...her husband inquired of the Lord and received a revelation which we now call 'The Word of Wisdom'. It was instruction to these early members of how the Lord would like to bless and help His children.
Since we learn line-upon-line and precept-upon-precept the Lord teaches us step by step. This was a new truth to help them and they were promised that if they would follow it's counsel and keep their bodies more clean, then they would be more receptive to the Spirit of the Lord and better able to receive His further light and guidance.
This same blessing has been promised to the rest of us as well. We've received further understanding with passing years of the wisdom of that early counsel. Nowdays we know more about addicting substances and how they can contribute to ill health both physically and spiritually.
The Lord wants to bless His children. He has provided wisdom in the scriptures to help us know how to receive those blessings. Later on I'll talk more about revelation and it's on-going need but here I'll just share my gratitude that the Heavens have NOT been closed and that the Lord loves us now just as he did in ancient times when he gave counsel for the pressing issues of their day; i.e. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Children of Israel, Joseph in Egypt, Daniel, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ruth and Naomi, Esther, the early Apostles etc. They each needed direction for their concerns and the Lord gave it. He will help us as well. I know that for myself.
So, I thought I'd address that same question here:
Why Don't Mormons Drink Coffee or Smoke?
That is a very good question and in the early days of the church they did. But, one day, after having cleaned out the room where some of the church brothers had met in counsel, and having scraped off the spitting tobacco from the floors and aired out the room of smoke, the wife of the Prophet wondered about the mess.
I won't put all the details on here but...her husband inquired of the Lord and received a revelation which we now call 'The Word of Wisdom'. It was instruction to these early members of how the Lord would like to bless and help His children.
Since we learn line-upon-line and precept-upon-precept the Lord teaches us step by step. This was a new truth to help them and they were promised that if they would follow it's counsel and keep their bodies more clean, then they would be more receptive to the Spirit of the Lord and better able to receive His further light and guidance.
This same blessing has been promised to the rest of us as well. We've received further understanding with passing years of the wisdom of that early counsel. Nowdays we know more about addicting substances and how they can contribute to ill health both physically and spiritually.
The Lord wants to bless His children. He has provided wisdom in the scriptures to help us know how to receive those blessings. Later on I'll talk more about revelation and it's on-going need but here I'll just share my gratitude that the Heavens have NOT been closed and that the Lord loves us now just as he did in ancient times when he gave counsel for the pressing issues of their day; i.e. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Children of Israel, Joseph in Egypt, Daniel, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ruth and Naomi, Esther, the early Apostles etc. They each needed direction for their concerns and the Lord gave it. He will help us as well. I know that for myself.
