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Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 18
Response to claims made in "Chapter 18: Word of Wisdom"
| Chapter 17 | A FAIR Analysis of: Criticism of Mormonism/Books A work by author: Jerald and Sandra Tanner
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Chapter 19 |
468 - The admonition not to eat meat is mostly ignored by the Church
The author(s) of The Changing World of Mormonism make(s) the following claim:
The admonition not to eat meat is mostly ignored by the Church.
Author's sources: John J. Stewart, Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet, p.90
FAIR's Response
469
Claim
- Joseph Fielding Smith said that drinking tea can bar a person from the Celestial Kingdom.
Author's source(s) - Doctrines of Salvation 2:16
- Internal contradiction: 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—the authors' efforts are all dedicated to the search for scandal.
- Tea: keep you out of the celestial kingdom?
- Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. off-site
469-470
Claim
- Church members feel that Joseph "carefully observed" the Word of Wisdom. Joseph wouldn't be able to get a temple recommend today.
Author's source(s) - John J. Stewart, Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet, p.90
- Presentism or anachronism: the requirements of the Word of Wisdom were different in Joseph's day than in the 20th century. The authors hope their audience will be shocked by this, and do nothing to explain the differences in application of the Word of Wisdom.
- Word of Wisdom
- Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. off-site
470
Claim
- Joseph sometimes drank wine.
Author's source(s) - History of the Church 2:369
- History of the Church 2:378
- History of the Church 6:616
- Presentism or anachronism: in Joseph's day, wine was not forbidden by the Word of Wisdom, especially if used in a medicinal sense.
- Word of Wisdom
470
Claim
- Joseph smoked a cigar.
Author's source(s) - "Joseph Smith As An Administrator," M.A. thesis, Brigham Young University, May 1969, p.161
- Word of Wisdom
- Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. off-site
471
Author's source(s)
- 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.
Response
- Presentism or anachronism: strange is it is for modern readers, people in Joseph Smith's day sometimes regarded tobacco as a medicinal substance.
- See also p. 33 for the Tanner's further exploitation of this presentism.
- 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.
471
Claim
- Joseph wrote in his diary that he had tea with breakfast. Joseph prophesied that he would drink wine with Orson Hyde in the east.
Author's source(s) - Joseph Smith Diary, March 11, 1843
- Joseph Smith Diary, January 20, 1843
- Presentism or anachronism: wine was not forbidden by the Word of Wisdom in Joseph's day.
- Drinking wine in Palestine
- Presentism or anachronism: 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 to prevent illness. As a physician, Willard Richards (who wrote Joseph's journal for him) would have known this.
- Joseph used tea?
472
Claim
- George A. Smith reported that some church members left the church after finding that their leaders drank tea and coffee.
Author's source(s) - George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses 2:214.
- Presentism or anachronism: 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.
- Tea: George A. Smith account
472
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.
Author's source(s) - History of the Church 2:252
- Almon Babbitt followed Joseph
- Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. off-site
472-473
Claim
- Joseph Smith sold liquor in Nauvoo.
Author's source(s) - 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"
474
Claim
- Brigham Young chewed tobacco for many years.
- Brigham Young broke the Word of Wisdom by taking "snuff and tea."
Author's source(s) - The authors list Journal of Discourses, vol. 12, p.404. There is no page 404—it should be page 29)
- Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 12:29.
- On The Mormon Frontier, vol. 1, p.75
- Presentism or anachronism: the Word of Wisdom was observed differently in the nineteenth century
- History unclear or in error: Brigham reported that his use was medicinal.
- Brigham Young and tobacco
474
Claim
- Brigham Young told Church members to "make beer as a drink" and sponsored a bar in Salt Lake City.
Author's source(s) - John D. Lee, p. 116
- Herbert Howe Bancroft, History of Utah, p.540, footnote 44
- Presentism or anachronism: beer was not forbidden under the 19th century application of the Word of Wisdom; it was a "mild drink."
- Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. off-site
475
Claim
- Brigham built a whiskey distillery.
Author's source(s) - Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 10:206.
- Presentism or anachronism
- Misrepresentation of source
- Brigham stated that the distillery was needed for "rational purposes".
- Brigham Young's whiskey distillery
Notes
- ↑ Joseph Smith, An American Prophet's Record:The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith, edited by Scott Faulring, Significant Mormon Diaries Series No. 1, (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, 1989), 331, entry for Saturday, 11 March 1843.