I’ve often wondered about the revelation that says hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
Joseph Smith gave us the word of wisdom — “To be sent by greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—” (D&C 89)
It’s quite possible that Joseph received this counsel to mean “HOT drinks” — not the type of hot drink, but the temperature of the drink.
For years prophets, apostles, leaders, and others have decided that it meant tea and coffee. At some point, caffeine became the evil villain of the hot drink. Then, somehow, people began to believe that Coca-Cola was considered a “hot drink” because it had caffeine in it. Even church colleges — BYU — banned the soda. Some people even said hot chocolate was bad — anything that stimulates. None of it made sense. Then in 2012 the church made a declaration that it did not mean caffeine — the hot drinks were tea and coffee.
the Church revelation spelling out health practices (Doctrine and Covenants 89) does not mention the use of caffeine. The Church’s health guidelines prohibit alcoholic drinks, smoking or chewing of tobacco, and “hot drinks” — taught by Church leaders to refer specifically to tea and coffee. *
But…. the revelation does not mention tea and coffee either, it mentions hot drinks. And that still leaves us confused about what type of tea.
Perhaps this may give us more clarification on the meaning of “hot drinks” —
Hot drinks are not good for you because they increase your risk of esophageal cancer. In a 2009 review of research, the International Journal of Cancer came to the conclusion that “Overall, the available results strongly suggest that high-temperature beverage drinking increases the risk of Esophageal cancer.”
The research found that it’s not the type of beverage in the cup — it’s the temperature of the beverage. I suppose drinking extra hot chicken soup could be dangerous.
So, what temperature should you be sipping in your cup of whatever it is you drink? The greatest cancer risk is at 158 degrees F. But it begins to cause damage at 149 degree F. Remember that water boils at 212 degrees F, and simmers at 190 F. I think I am going to get a thermometer and take the temperature of my hot drinks and make sure that they are below 158 degrees.
The study found that drinking hot beverages through a metal straw is especially dangerous because it keeps the beverage hot and delivers it right to your esophagus. Best not to use a metal straw — which is common with mate teas.
But of course it’s hard to turn a large ship and I doubt anyone in the church will take this hot beverage information under consideration. The research on hot drinks and cancer came out before the 2012 declaration from the church.
I’ve been drinking herbal teas for 40 years but I’m going to be careful that they’re not HOT, because I think that just may be the word of wisdom —
Another thing to consider is the terminology of “hot drinks” in the 1830s and 1840s as it applied to medical treatments. Joseph Smith’s brother Alvin died by ingesting “Calomel” — used by what they called “heroic” doctors — those that used methods of bleeding and calomel. Another form of treatment were the “Thomsonian” doctors who followed the methods of Samuel Thomson:
In fact, it is estimated that by 1840 three to five million Americans had adopted the Thomsonian method of treating illness…Dr. Thomson was born in 1796 and raised in the back country of New Hampshire. He had little chance for formal schooling, but he did have a natural curiosity concerning plants. He explained:
“When I was between three and four years old, my father took me out with him to work…I was very curious to know the names of all the herbs which I saw growing, and what they were good for; and, to satisfy my curiosity was constantly making inquiries of the persons I happened to be with for that purpose…There was an old lady by the name of Benton lived near us, who attended our family when there was any sickness…The whole of her practice was with roots and herbs, applied to the patient, or given in hot drinks, to produce sweating; which always answered the purpose.” (History of Herbal Medicine)
According to the Church Administration Handbook:
The only official interpretation of “hot drinks” (D&C 89:9) in the Word of Wisdom is the statement made by early Church leaders that the term “hot drinks” means tea and coffee. Members should not use any substance that contains illegal drugs. Nor should members use harmful or habit-forming substances except under the care of a competent physician.
—Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Handbook 2: Administering the Church—2010 (Intellectual Reserve, 2010).
Hyrum Smith said that he thought hot drinks were tea and coffee —
And again ‘hot drinks are not for the body, or belly;’ there are many who wonder what this can mean; whether it refers to tea, or coffee, or not. I say it does refer to tea, and coffee. Why is it that we are frequently so dull and languid? it is because we break the word of wisdom, disease preys upon our system, our understandings are darkened, and we do not comprehend the things of God; the devil takes advantage of us, and we fall into temptation. Not only are they injurious in their tendency, and baneful in their effects, but the importation of foreign products might be the means of thousands of our people being poisened [poisoned] at a future time, through the advantage that an enemy might take of us, if we made use of these things that are thus spoken of as being evil; and be it remembered-that this instruction is given ‘in consequence of evils that do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men.’ (Times and Seasons, vol 33 no. 15, June 1, 1842)
