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Word Of Wisdom Poll


Personal WoW Dilligence  

83 members have voted

  1. 1. How Closely Do You Follow The Word of Wisdom?

    • Exactly as written in revelation (to the best of my ability)
      11
    • Exactly as required for Temple worthiness only (as the current prophets ask)
      33
    • Exactly as traditionally practiced (except that whole Caffeine/Coke thing)
      10
    • According to the dictates of my consience only (occasional bending)
      17
    • Inconsistently
      4
    • Not at all - it wasn't given as commandment
      13
    • The requisite "OTHER" choice - for those who hate being labelled. Please Comment!
      5
    • Too Personal - Refuse To Answer
      0


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Posted (edited)

So, for those willing to take a firm position, how closely do you personally choose to follow the Word of Wisdom in your life?

Edited by JLHPROF
Posted

I follow just closely enough for a Temple recommend.  No more, no less.  Caffeinated soda?  Not on the list, so Pepsi is my go-to drink.  Wine? Even though many studies show those who drink a glass a day have healthier hearts than those who don’t, that’s off limits for me.   Limited meat intake?  Not on the list, so – meh.  Tea?  Even though it’s good for you, if it’s made from tea leaves – it’s on the list so, nope.  

Posted

I follow just closely enough for a Temple recommend.  No more, no less.  Caffeinated soda?  Not on the list, so Pepsi is my go-to drink.  Wine? Even though many studies show those who drink a glass a day have healthier hearts than those who don’t, that’s off limits for me.   Limited meat intake?  Not on the list, so – meh.  Tea?  Even though it’s good for you, if it’s made from tea leaves – it’s on the list so, nope.  

 

And I follow it according to the dictates of my own conscience

- iced coffee - on occasion

- beer and wine, maybe twice a decade.

- Big juicy steaks - when the budget allows.

- Tobacco (gross)

- Try herbal remedies first - sure, why not.

Posted

I follow the food part easily, it's my normal diet to not eat much meat and I love wheat bread. I am addicted to cigarettes though so I get no Temple Recommend. Sometimes it makes me crabby all those meat eaters get a TR but not me.

Posted

I follow the food part easily, it's my normal diet to not eat much meat and I love wheat bread. I am addicted to cigarettes though so I get no Temple Recommend. Sometimes it makes me crabby all those meat eaters get a TR but not me.

 

I agree with you 100% on this (although I'm very glad I never tried smoking).

But as far as the actual WoW goes, too many burgers is as much ground to keep you out the temple as cigarettes.

 

But, the leaders run the temples and they get to decide who gets in and who doesn't.

Posted

I follow it completely as laid out by a former Bishop of mine, and I avoid these things:

Tea

Alcohol

Coffee

Tobacco

Sodas like Coke and Pepsi are not part of the Word of Wisdom, and the Bishop told me he has no idea where the idea of including those in things to be avoided even came up. So I do drink sodas.

Posted

I get into the temple, but I'm having a ****ens of a time giving up Dr. Pepper.  I had given it up until my surgery and now my energy level is lacking to the point where its hard to get through a workday without artificial stimulants.  I know its terrible for me, and my prolapsed mitral valve.  

 

I have learned through the years is that you should live the word of wisdom as strictly as God prompts you to.  What is prudent for me is not the same as what is prudent for my neighbor. Practices like vegetarianism, or total abstinence from caffeinated foods and drinks, may be wise for an individual, but are not to be preached over the pulpit as general doctrines.

 

I cook with wine, but don't consume raw alcohol.  I warn my guests and if someone is uncomfortable I substitute ingredients as best I can for the wine.

 

I am a work in progress.  Anyone who is honest would say the same.

Posted (edited)

I follow it completely as laid out by a former Bishop of mine, and I avoid these things:

Tea

Alcohol

Coffee

Tobacco

Sodas like Coke and Pepsi are not part of the Word of Wisdom, and the Bishop told me he has no idea where the idea of including those in things to be avoided even came up. So I do drink sodas.

 

The idea behind Coke and Pepsi came up because the idea of Tea and Coffee didn't make much sense.  We don't follow the hot drink rule or else Cocoa, Herbal Tea, Ovaltine, Pero/Caro, Bovril, Horlicks, and all the others would be out too.

So why tea and coffee - well, maybe it's because they have caffeine.

But so does Coke, Pepsi, Doctor Pepper, Mountain Dew etc.

 

See - the problem goes back to Tea and Coffee being banned.  If we ban them for temperature we have to ban other things too.  If we ban them for chemical/drug we have to ban other things too.  Otherwise, we are banning tea and coffee for absolutely no reason.

Edited by JLHPROF
Posted

...I'm having a ****ens of a time...

 

Really?  I can't use the name of a classic English author?  The ****s make it look like I wrote something dirty.

Posted (edited)

Really?  I can't use the name of a classic English author?  The ****s make it look like I wrote something dirty.

Deleted

Edited by JLHPROF
Posted (edited)

The idea behind Coke and Pepsi came up because the idea of Tea and Coffee didn't make much sense.  We don't follow the hot drink rule or else Cocoa, Herbal Tea, Ovaltine, Pero/Caro, Horlicks, and all the others would be out too.

So why tea and coffee - well, maybe it's because they have caffeine.

But so does Coke, Pepsi, Doctor Pepper, Mountain Dew etc.

 

See - the problem goes back to Tea and Coffee being banned.  If we ban them for temperature we have to ban other things too.  If we ban them for chemical/drug we have to ban other things too.  Otherwise, we are banning tea and coffee for absolutely no reason.

 

I had quite a lesson on this.

 

My wife thinks Coke is not an issue.  But I was prompted to avoid caffeinated drinks.  This was one of the few things we disagreed on for years.

 

Then I developed palpitations.  It turns out I have a wonky heart valve and stimulants set it off when I'm under stress.  The Holy Spirit knew what the Word of Wisdom meant for me and I should have listened, not compared my revelation to my wife's inspiration.

 

If we look at the Word of Wisdom as a strict dietary code, with no interpretation or variation for each person who ponders and prays about how to apply it, we can fall short or far of the mark.  However, if we carefully and prayerfully apply that scripture to ourselves, while avoiding selfish rationalizations, it becomes a treasure of health and wisdom.

 

My suspicion is that the substances proscribed and prescribed are a reflection of the times.  Stimulants, mind altering substances, and potentially addictive substances identified in the 1800s will look different than a list created in the 2000s, but with a bit of imagination and obedience we can easily identify what is not good for us, and adapt it to the weakest of the Saints.

Edited by KevinG
Posted

I have a good friend at Church who is a temple worker, and she drinks Coke and Pepsi all the time. She had the same Bishop I did who told her it was ok to do so.

But as had been mentioned, one must rely on the Spirit in his own heart and do what he feels is best for him.

Posted

#1 -- Next question?

 

Does there need to be a next?

 

I like to ask polls that show the spectrum of beliefs.  Too often LDS memberships are viewed as unthinking, follow the prophet, no opinion sheep.  Almost every poll I post is to determine among members the spectrum of beliefs.  It shouldn't still surprise me but it does just how different members are across issues.  This board is an interesting cross section of members (although probably not statistically valid for much).

 

The Garment poll - something you would think would go straight down the "official line" and look at the range.  This WoW poll - still getting started but a good range already among members.  Even Scott's "The Seer" poll put up to counter my hyperbole shows the variety of thoughts and attitudes among members.

I'm considering a polygamy poll, but if you don't word the questions JUST right people like to jump down your throat...so I'm hesitant for now.

Posted

Polygamy

1 Icky

2 Inspired

3 All of the above

There. Taken care of.

Posted

#1 -- Next question?

 

Do you have financial or other oblgations to a former spouse or children? If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations?

Posted

So, for those willing to take a firm position, how closely do you personally choose to follow the Word of Wisdom in your life?

Didn't know about the "Coke" thing.  I have one cup of very weak, sugared and creamed warm coffee a day. It helps to ease the effects of COPD.  The Bishop suggested that I take some drugs for it. NOT !

Posted

Is it just the caffeine that helps you or is there something else in the coffee that does?  Just curious.

Posted

I wrote other.  I don't do tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs.  

 

I don't do caffeine.  Growing up we never had caffeine.  As a type 1 diabetic at age 9 that made it hard for me to get soda without caffeine.  Actually impossible. At some point I started drinking diet pepsi and coke.  About 10 years ago dad told me why we had been raised without caffeine.  He had been told in a solemn assembly that the word of wisdom included caffeinated drinks.  It bothered me.  A lot.  By that time you could get diet drinks without caffeine in a lot of places in Utah though rarely in restaurants and mostly I drank those.  So I finally prayed about it.  I felt for me, personally, I shouldn't be drinking caffeinated drinks.  I stopped cold turkey.  About 6 months later I had a kidney test and my kidneys were in a normal range for the first time in more than a decade after 20 plus years of diabetes and 3 severe pre-eclampsic pregnancies.   

 

Over the years conference talks have talked about substances that are addictive in nature being part of the word of wisdom including prescribed drugs.  I avoid these as much as I can, but then addictions run strong in my family and I know I have an addictive nature.  

 

Which goes to food.  I really struggle with it.  I try to eat my whole grains and veggies and fruits.  I try to cook healthy.  If a recipe calls for a pound of hamburger I will often put in only half or 3/4 of a pound or not put in any at all.  But other times my choices are not good.  I know I should eat better, but I don't.  Right now I am in one of those troubled times.  

 

So I live temple worthy, with a little added personal thing and sometimes eat and sometimes don't eat according to it.

Posted (edited)

I follow it according to what is currently written by the church.

From the Gospel Topics Article:

"In the Word of Wisdom, the Lord revealed that the following substances are harmful:

Alcoholic drinks (see D&C 89:5-7).

Tobacco (see D&C 89:8).

Tea and coffee (see D&C 89:9; latter-day prophets have taught that the term “hot drinks,” as written in this verse, refers to tea and coffee)."

Edited by Rivers
Posted

We are told to avoid alcohol , but imagine if we were told to avoid wheat? The WoW says wheat for man but if one has an allergy to wheat and wheat products , one's diet becomes extremely restricted. Is it justifiable to reason that if the WoW says to have wheat but one can't, then one should be able to have a trade off with, say, coffee ?

Posted (edited)

We didn't drink caffeine in my home growing up but I think it was because of what it did to people because of actual health issues with all that sugar plus Mom had insomnia and Dad had the sleep disorder I had so they were concerned about getting enough sleep and not interfering with it with stimulants (we even took milk to burger joints), soda was sparse around our house, most often in an orange juice/7 up mix for punch or root beer with pizza.  But not just there by itself.  I got into drinking pop when in college because that was what they put in my bag lunch at the dorm.  Caffeine made me sick, but I got into using it when the sleep deprivation got me to the point that I need artificial energy to function if there was a crisis.  Liquid with sugar was the best…got me through my grandparents' move into a home, their death, sisters' divorces, a couple of friends' marriages, occasional major project at home…not anymore though, too sensitive, just gives me major shakes.

 

It was a good thing for me it wasn't in my home.  My grandmother lived off of excedrine in the morning, antihistamine at night to sleep but she wasn't all there by then and it sure didn't help, riddled her with anxiety and other stuff.  My sleep disorder might have been much worse earlier if I had been using it as I would have been easily addicted on it, given it takes 20 hours after I drink it in order to be able to sleep again.  It would have been a very vicious circle for me.

Edited by calmoriah
Posted

  Right now I am in one of those troubled times.  

 

So I live temple worthy, with a little added personal thing and sometimes eat and sometimes don't eat according to it.

I am sorry for you.  It is hard to know what one is supposed to be doing and yet feel too tired or too stressed to do it.  I hope things settle down for you.

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