Does Green Tea Violate The Word Of Wisdom

Question

Dear Grandpa,

On your older site I read a question about the Mormon Church's stand on light-green tea. I enjoyed the answers but was wondering if at that place was actual documentation of the Mormon Church's stand on light-green tea? I know many church members now that say it's okay because it's a healing herb and more and more than natural companies are using it in their products. Information technology would exist about helpful if I could get an bodily quote of the Mormon Church building's stand on dark-green tea. Or where that information is found. Thank you and then very much.

Dianne

Reply

Dear Dianne,

Information technology'southward strange how this topic of light-green tea keeps cropping up. I think that it's symptomatic of the tendency toward putting blind faith in the scientific discipline of today. We take made astounding advances in the last 50 years in some of the fields of engineering–peculiarly space exploration and microsystem electronics, and information technology is not unreasonable that people would tend to believe that the scientists are discovering universal truth. Wrong!!! Scientific discipline is making great advances in technology, but the theories (and nosotros must emphasize that a theory is indeed a THEORY and not a FACT) upon which the technology is based are generally without foundation–and always have been.

To go on this digression for the sake of completeness, please permit a very brief review– The fundamental particles of which the universe is composed were held by the Greeks, who led u.s. into modern technology, to be air, fire, globe and water. This was held to be universally truthful until the discovery of the cantlet, which was described by Niels Bohr in 1913 to exist a mass of electrons whirling around a nucleus in circular or elliptical orbits.

In 1919 the proton was discovered equally a component of the atomic nucleus; and the neutron, along with the positron, was discovered in 1932. In 1937 the pi and mu mesons were discovered. Now, with the discovery of such sub-atomic particles every bit bosons, quarks and leptons, (there are six different quarks and half dozen leptons, each with three variations), in addition to the later discovery of antiquarks and antileptons and a dozen gauge bosons, it volition i twenty-four hour period be realized that in that location is no such thing equally a cardinal particle–that matter tin can be subdivided infinitely. But the scientists of each generation concur the view of their time with absolute certainty every bit absolute truth.

So, when some md recommends the utilise of green tea because of the antioxidants that information technology contains, most people bow in obeisance to the sacred cow of engineering science, and wonder why the prophets have non been equally inspired!

Every bit yous know, the Word of Wisdom was given every bit a revelation from God to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1833, and is recorded as Section 89 of the Mormon Scripture, The Doctrine and Covenants. Verse nine of that revelation from God says And again, hot drinks are not for the body or abdomen.

In the early on 1800s tea and java were the just hot drinks that were used by western club. That hot drinks were meant to refer to tea and coffee is attested to past President Brigham Young, who of grade was associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and who became the 2nd president of the Mormon Church building. President Immature recorded,

"This Word of Wisdom prohibits the use of hot drinks and tobacco. I have heard information technology argued that tea and java are not mentioned therein; that is very true; but what were the people in the habit of taking as hot drinks when that revelation was given? Tea and coffee. We were not in the addiction of drinking water very hot, but tea and java-the beverages in mutual apply. And the Lord said hot drinks are not good for the body nor the belly." (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe, p.182)

"Hot drinks" were officially defined as tea and coffee in a general conference in the very early on days of the Mormon Church. Elderberry John A. Widtsoe, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reported the following:

"The Word of Wisdom contains sure very important warnings. It declares that alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee are not proficient for the body. The revelation says "hot drinks," simply before the revelation was a year one-time, "hot drinks" were defined to include tea and coffee" (Elderberry John A. Widtsoe, Conference Report, April 1926).

And Victor Fifty. Ludlow has farther clarified that the "hot drinks" referred to in the Word of Wisdom do non use to the herbal teas.

"The Word of Wisdom counsels against drinking "hot drinks," which have been identified by early Church leaders equally coffee and tea. "Tea" refers to the standard tea derived from the tea establish, sometimes called black tea or greenish tea. The Give-and-take of Wisdom has non been interpreted equally proscribing herbal teas, stating that "all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and utilize of man (D&C 89:x)" (Victor Fifty. Ludlow, Principles and Practices of the Restored Gospel, p.434).

Now, what is the divergence betwixt green and black tea? They both come up from the same camellia sinensis institute. The simply difference between the two is that black tea is farther processed past fermentation.

When the Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith the revelation on the Word of Wisdom, He knew exactly what the constituents of green tea were. The later discovery by human that green tea contains some medicinal backdrop, such as a relatively loftier concentration of the anti-oxidant vitamins, does not change the decree of the Lord 1 iota. That is the same as saying that some forms of liquor are alright to drinkable because they comprise a caramel flavoring!

The anti-oxidant vitamins are indeed very beneficial for the health, but they are available from many sources. I merely tin can't empathize why people who should know ameliorate go along using it equally an excuse to violate the command of God and indulge in the drinking of tea.