AM I GLAD YOU ASKED
Soapbox under the cut because I just can never ever shut up
So I grew up being taught the letter of the law on things - no tobacco etc. But also my father was a nurse and taught us medicinal used for all kinds of fun things. One of which was tobacco and how it could induce vomiting when necessary and help with worms in dogs. I asked well the WOW said no tobacco and my father asked "does it really? Are those the words it uses?" so I looked into it. And when I shot back at him about what the words were, he cleverly handed me to my mother who told me the context where Sister Emma went to Joseph and complained about the smoke and the spit as she had been seminary teacher for God only knows how long
And I noticed there's "no strong drinks" and yet tea which has been consumed for eons was treated with disdain despite its many benefits but co*kes were happily embraced because "strong just means hot" and when I asked about cider and cocoa, leaders said it just meant coffee, tea, and alcohol. Well if it meant that, why on earth wasn't it mentioned explicitly? Tithing says 10% of excess which is pretty explicit. You can't serve from an empty vessel after all so what need does the church have for 10% of your $20 when that's all you have? Seems pretty silly when that $2 may get you to work and back so you can pay your bills. When God wants something specific, He gets specific
Now it does go on to say to eat things in their season. Which is part of that pretty specific. I think there was a bit of foresight concerning greenhouse gases because look how many of us eat produce out of season. You've got to account for shipping and the gas that uses up. Plus a lot of that isn't at peak freshness so you're not even maximizing your nutrients. It's actively making the world worse
It also mentions being judicious with meat consumption. Do you know how many members I've met who eat loads and loads of meat? Who don't eat vegetables? The number is definitely larger than 0 I can tell you that. How are they possibly following the WOW if they're not being judicious with their meat consumption? If they're not going out of their way to ensure their produce is in season?
And then you have the sugar consumption. The WOW mentions moderation and keeping your body healthy. It doesn't say "have a keto diet" or "go vegan" or whatever some folks want to tout as being awesome. If it works for them and keeps them healthy, cool. But doing something like that and having it harm your body by depriving it of much needed nutrients can be just as bad as the ice cream consumption I've seen happen in the church. The point is health and treating ourselves well
So where does that leave us? If there's no strict a or b options then what? Well, poppy in excess is addiction but when used correctly, you have much needed painkiller. So what's so wrong with coffee? Tea? Alcohol even?
And before anybody crawls down my throat, alcohol is a blood thinner and whiskey can make a stellar cough medicine. I'm not saying get blackout drunk but even Utah had distilleries prior to prohibition so clearly beer wasn't an issue for a while so why is it now? You tell someone you drink beer and all of a sudden you're excommunication bait. But why? It's a great source of easy calories since it's liquid bread. Explain to any one of those early saints, even those early prophets who drank beer. It wouldn't make any sense. There's not even enough alcohol in many beers to get a kid drunk
But I mention it because I cannot afford my blood thinners right now. I'm out of refills so I need to find a doctor, have my blood tested, and get it filled and we'd have to go back and forth once a week for the next 6 months or so and then I'd still have regular appointments to keep my medicine at the right levels. And I have to do that in America of all places and I'm currently uninsured. I would be racking up thousands of dollars of debt for one life saving little pill every day. I would have more debt than I could ever crawl out from under and that's if I could get a specialist to take me without having insurance. Not to mention, the time spent off work etc
Or. I could have a shot of rum every other night or a glass of wine or a beer at dinner. Aspirin doesn't do quite enough but I take 4 every morning too just in case. But I also have to consider the damage aspirin can do to my liver. You know what does less damage for a better effect? Alcohol
Alcohol or a life threatening clot? Alcohol or a stroke? Alcohol or a heart attack before 30? Alcohol or a casket my widow mother has to cry over and mourn for the rest of her life? Alcohol or leaving my partners windowed?
I'm pretty sure I know the answer. Do you?
Because what loving parent would ever look at their child and tell them death is better than the solution? Insulin is deadly to someone without diabetes so does that mean diabetics should refrain? Like really think about it. Why would something so beneficial exist only for there to be a blanket taboo?
"Oh but alcohol is addictive" and so is sugar. "Smoking is bad" yeah but tobacco has amazing medicinal properties and smoking anything is bad for you whether it's tobacco or oregano. We're not talking about straight nightshade or belladonna here. We're talking about food and medicine and health and God
If you're broke as a joke, pretty sure what matters more is survival than if you're eating cupcakes or not. When it comes down to the wire, we have to keep pushing through as best we can. But when you're not struggling and you do have a choice, what are you reaching for every day? Is it a co*ke or donut? Or are you grabbing things more nutritious?
And for the record I'm not hating on a good Dr Pepper or Fanta here. Above, you can see my fail cupcakes which are loads of sugar. I bake all the time. But it's not all I eat. I load my raw carrots with Ranch like the next guy and stick my celery in soup because it's a nightmare raw. I'm not out here condemning any particular food as good or bad. It's about health, about what an individual body needs to stay healthy. I knew a lady who was, no joke, allergic to meat. So she didn't eat meat. I'm allergic to capsaicin so I stay away from all things spicy and it keeps me out of the hospital. You're diabetic and subsisting off co*ke? You're gonna f*cking die, dude
But the core of the word of wisdom is intention. It's about a time and a place for all things. A pint of ice cream after a long day or some brownies after a breakup are good things. Necessary even. But what else are we doing that's good and necessary and needed? Caffeine helps with crazy migraines? Drink that coffee! Tea keeps you from guzzling crazy amounts of sugar? Drink it! Do what's best for your individual needs
But that also extends to pain management. Is the only thing that works marijuana but smoking is bad? Do what you need to function. I walked around on a broken, dead, rotting hip for months because I was waiting for surgery. You know what got me through that mild melting pain? Weed. I ate so many brownies and smoked when I could because the alternative was convulsions and loss of consciousness. Which one was more healthy? The one where I used a plant the good lord provided or suffering from potentially life ending pain? Because here's a fun fact! Your brain will absolutely go into shock and die from inability to process pain
Now I know not every single choice is as dramatic as the ones I've had to make. But I've continuously chosen the option that meant less pain, more function. Less loss of life or limb and more clocking into work and showing up for my family every day. And for someone else, that decision may be to give up running every day because it's doing a number on their knees. Or maybe it's to take up yoga because it helps them calm down and focus. It could be to stop drinking co*kes because the sugar is too addictive or to keep taking medicines so your depression doesn't win
Balance and health are what matter way more than some arbitrary rules like not drinking coffee. Like that's such a stupid line in the sand to draw, of all things. Caffeine helps me focus when I don't have Ritalin or Adderall and it has the lovely side effect of keeping my migraines at bay. But I've noticed co*kes make me feel gross and sluggish so I switched to primarily tea and I'll have the occasional coffee. Especially now though with my pantry having only bread, ramen, and peanut butter, that coffee represents much needed calories. It keeps me clocking in and working to pay bills
And I'm pretty sure God is way more interested in me keeping myself going than about if I drink brewed bean water with a little dairy in it. After all, I'm still exercising when and where I can. I'm making sure I get good nutrients and also don't deny myself the pleasure of a good slice of cake when I feel like it
And that's how I keep the word of wisdom. I live healthy, try to eat balanced and in season, take my meds, and overall watch my physical and mental health. And I've found I'm in way better health both mentally and physically than when I was abstaining from arbitrary things for arbitrary reasons
Anyway hope you enjoyed. We're having trouble making ends meet so feel free to kick me 5 bucks if you're up to it. No pressure either way because things are bonkers out here
