Abstinence Practices in the Mormon Church Today

Revision Memo

What I believe I did well in this assignment:

Although this assignment covered a lot of bases, I believe I did well because I addressed each prompt thoroughly using relevant scholarly resources and empirical observations and experiences.

What I would work on if I had more time:

It would be interesting to learn more about the debates that took place among early Church leaders concerning the Mormon’s policies about adherence to the Word of Wisdom. The prevailing views about healthful lifestyles in the 19th century and early 20th century clearly had an influence on these debates and learning more about any opposing views that were advanced during these conclaves would be informative for modern researchers.

My view on the topic of debate changed as I worked this semester in this way:

Upon closer examination of my observations regarding when and how members break the Word of Wisdom in relation to their membership, there may be an alternative way to interpret the connection between food and identity in the context of the Word of Wisdom. It should be noted that some former members continue to abstain, and there are also non-members who abstain from alcohol, coffee, and other prohibited substances for various reasons, which complicates the relationship between food and identity. Moreover, active or partially active members who fail to adhere to the Word of Wisdom may still regard themselves as belonging to the Mormon community, which raises questions about the connection between use of prohibited substances and identity and whether experimenting with or using prohibited substances is not a means of expressing independence or belonging, but rather an act of resistance against the demands of the Mormon identity.

Contribution Essay: Observance of the Mormon Church’s Word of Wisdom

Introduction Section

Today, active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are commonly referred to as Mormons follow certain food and other restrictions that are based on the guidelines set forth in the Word of Wisdom. While it is reasonable to suggest that most Americans have heard about the Church of Mormon, it is also likely they do not know about the Word of Wisdom which plays a central role in the lives of its members. The Word of Wisdom is based on the scripture contained in the faith’s holy text, The Book of Mormon which is regarded as divinely inspired. Some of the foods and beverages that Mormons are prohibited from consuming include many that average Americans enjoy on a regular basis, including coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs (Ferguson et al. 2018). To maintain membership in good standing with the Mormon Church requires members to adhere to these standards. Notwithstanding these modest lifestyle sacrifices, though, most members of the Mormon Church willingly and even enthusiastically follow the dietary and other restrictive guidelines that have been established by Church leaders over the past two centuries as a way of demonstrating their faith and commitment to the principles and values of Mormonism. The purpose of this contributing essay is to explain why I believe that the Word of Wisdom provides an important identify for Mormons for those who belong to the group as well as for those who do not. In sum, adherence to the guidance contained in the Word of Wisdom can serve as a way to demonstrate belonging and express an identity.

Background on the debate and perspectives

Originally announced by Joseph Smith in 1833, the Word of Wisdom has long been regarded by the Mormon Church as being a divine revelation from God. At the time of publication, the United States was experiencing a temperance movement that sought to completely abolish alcohol, so the Word of Wisdom’s guidance on refraining from alcoholic beverages was in line with conversative thinking at the time (Peterson 2015). The prohibitions against tobacco, coffee, tea and illicit drugs were likewise based on the rationale that not only did God outlaw these substances, there was a corresponding health benefit that was realized through the Mormon lifestyle (Peterson). It is noteworthy that Joseph Smith’s Word of Wisdom guidance stressed moderation in using these substances instead of total abstinence. Over time, however, the obedience to these religious guidelines became less rigorous and by the time the Mormons started their migration west. In response to these lapses in observance, Brigham Young reiterated the importance of strict adherence to the revelation in the 1860s, but he still declined to make the observance mandatory for active Mormons (Peterson).

According to one Mormon historian, the Church’s policy about the Word of Wisdom guidance was strengthened thereafter during a period of reformation. In this regard, Peterson advises that, “Under John Taylor in 1883, there was a reformation, and subsequent Church leaders, including Wilford Woodruff and Joseph F. Smith, emphasized the importance of obeying the revelation” (3). During the administration of Heber J. Grant who served as the seventh President of the Church from 1918 until his death in 1945, strict adherence to the Word of Wisdom became formal requirement and this view has endured to the present day. Indeed, Peterson concludes that, “Today, adherence to the Word of Wisdom is seen as a distinguishing characteristic of Mormon society” (3). Not surprisingly, these practices are not universally understood by non-Mormons, and this lack of understanding has contributed to some other erroneous stereotypes about the religion as discussed further below.

Transition to Your Argument

A number of other mainstream religions such as Judaism, Islam and some Christian denominations also have dietary restrictions as part of their orthodoxy, meaning that the dietary guidelines that are followed by Mormons are not out of the ordinary. For example, Abdussalam and Kiifersteinthe report that, “Examples of food avoidance are pork among Jews, Muslims and Ethiopian Christians; beef among Hindus, some Buddhists and Jains; chicken and eggs in some African communities; dog meat in the West; fish in Mongolia; [and] milk and milk products in Polynesia and parts of China” (10). The Mormon Church, though, also has some other rules and practices that people from other faiths may not know about or fully understand. For instance, Mormons wear temple clothing which includes a white robe and a green apron as part of their religious ceremonies and rituals. Like the revelation in the Word of Wisdom, temple clothing is meant to symbolize purity, cleanliness, and the covenants that the faithful has made with God and to remind Mormons of their ongoing commitment to follow Jesus Christ and all his teachings. In other words, Mormons believe that the strict observance of these practices is a small price to pay to glorify God, build a strong family life and contribute to their communities in meaningful ways. In fact, the Mormon Church makes an enormous contribution to their cities, states and nation in both tangible and nontangible ways that confirm these values.

Support Your Argument

In reality, the guidance of the Word of Wisdom not only serves as an important reminder of Mormons’ commitment to God, abstaining from alcohol, tobacco and caffeinated products has a number of protective health benefits that provide Mormons with a high quality of life (Badanta et al. 2020). In addition, the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and caffeinated products is associated with a wide range of negative health outcomes such as cancer, liver disease, and heart problems. In addition, the taboos Mormons place on the foods they are allowed to eat also help restore a sense of appreciation for the pleasures that accrue to eating healthy foods with one’s family. Indeed, Hunt (2015) makes the point that besides its revelatory origins, another compelling reason Church leaders emphasized adherence to the Word of Wisdom was the healthier lifestyle it provided. As Hunt puts it, Mormon Church leaders believed that “industrial eating caused the ‘pleasure of eating’ to be forgotten [together with] the emphasis of joy in a Mormon food ethic” (60).

Beyond the foregoing health benefits, observing the Word of Wisdom contributes to a sense of belonging and community among Church members. This enhanced sense of family and camaraderie also provides Mormons with resilience in the face of adversity. For instance, Badanta et al. point out that, “Fulfilling the ‘Law of Wisdom’ may lead Mormons to take care of their health, and to have a network of support from church leaders, who may act as health promoters” (1580). In fact, some former members of the Mormon Church report that they did not enjoy the “forbidden fruits” denied them previously as much as expected and many returned to their previous eating regimen. In addition, some of these former members also note that they finally recognized the rationale in support of these taboos (Haymond 2018). It is also noteworthy that even new members of the Mormon Church quickly learn that the guidelines in the Word of Wisdom are not a proscription against having fun and enjoying life to its fullest. In this regard, one new member of the Church notes that, “If there is one thing [Mormons] know how to do, it is have a good time. No, they don’t drink or smoke. Yes, they love to play games and listen to music. People used to tell me, “You can have fun without drinking,” and I scoffed at them but they were so right! Card games, board games, dance offs, swimming, you name it!” (Poppe 2016, 5).

Finally, although observance of the Word of Wisdom is not always understood by non-Mormons or even Mormons themselves. In this regard, Badanta et al. emphasize that, “Religiosity tends to insert values and behaviors that seem to benefit individual's health and protect their families, such as the non-use of substances and the preservation of a ‘healthy body’ (i.e., ‘body as a temple’)” (1581). Nevertheless, observance of the Word of Wisdom guidance remains a point of contention among some active members who do not fully appreciate its divine revelatory origins as well as its healthful benefits.