The lowdown on us Mormons... (Park City: deal, building, phone number)

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

O.K....I'd better leave my question as to whether or not you think Mormon's are grouchier and shorter tempered since the Kraft company stopped making "Postum" for another day.

Or the question can simply be rhetorical....

Actually, longevity seems to favor Mormon's due to dietary restrictions. I remember reading somewhere that certain devout members also fast on the first(?) Sunday of the month, they tend to do even better than members who do not.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?

O.K....I'd better leave my question as to whether or not you think Mormon's are grouchier and shorter tempered since the Kraft company stopped making "Postum" for another day.

Or the question can simply be rhetorical....

I just can't believe people actually drank that stuff! Where's the throw-up smilie when you need it?

Actually, longevity seems to favor Mormon's due to dietary restrictions. I remember reading somewhere that certain devout members also fast on the first(?) Sunday of the month, they tend to do even better than members who do not.

Yes, we're supposed to fast for two consecutive meals the first Sunday of the month. We call that Sunday "Fast Sunday," which seems to me to be a gross misnomer, since it's typically goes by slower than any other day of the month. Anyway, we contribute the money we would have spent on those two meals towards what we call "Fast Offering." And yes, that's in addition to tithing. Fast Offerings go towards supporting those who are financially in need. I seldom fast myself, unless I have a really good personal reason, but I still contribute financially. I can handle a one-meal fast okay, but going without food for two meals generally makes me kind of sick, not to mention ornery. And as my husband knows, when Kathryn ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. I know fasting is supposed to be good for you. I'm just not very good at it.

[IdahoMormon]

Originally Posted by michelleleigh

I want to make some cookies or somekind of treat for my neighbors.I know caffinee is out so I am assueming nothing with chocolate, what about useing vanilla extract. I do not want to do anything that would be considered infringing on someones belifes.

Originally Posted by ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?

O.K....I'd better leave my question as to whether or not you think Mormon's are grouchier and shorter tempered since the Kraft company stopped making "Postum" for another day.

I think there's a bit of a double standard where chocolate is concerned. Even hyperstrict types that won't drink Mountain Dew still eat chocolate. We had brownies and chocolate chip cookies at the last elder's quorum party. And we had hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls at the last ward wood project.

Thank goodness, because my wife would certainly be grouchier and shorter tempered if Hershey ever stopped making chocolate.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by IdahoMormon

And we had hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls at the last ward wood project.

Ward wood project?

[madpacket]

Okay so I am confused. I read that the prohibition was against "hot drinks", which seemed to include (only?) coffee and tea. One could reasonably conclude it was because of caffeine, and that seems to be supported by the earlier reference to Postum (which was promoted as anti-caf). But above they talk about hot cocoa served at the ward, which seems to be a hot drink, and earlier in the thread I saw that soda with caffeine is accepted.
So is it only coffee and tea discouraged? Is it only because they are hot (do iced versions count)? I still enjoy decaf coffee, in which category would that fall?
Thanks Katz for your patience!!

[IdahoMormon]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

Ward wood project?

There are several families in the ward that still use firewood to heat their homes. Most of them are older and either widowed or empty nesters, so it isn't easy for them to cut or split their own. (Yes, we live in a rural enough area that the pollution on a Winter day is negligible. And don't worry about the carbon footprint. Each of these families grows so much more than they burn it isn't even close.) Every year there are also a couple of ward members that have some trees that need to be removed. The ward organizes a wood project to do service to both. It's really a great opportunity to do some service, some hard work, and hang out with some of the locals in a very informal setting. We usually have seven or eight chainsaws going, and one or two splitters. The boys love it. If there's anything more manly than a chainsaw, it's gotta be a hydraulic wood splitter.

The best time to split wood is when it is frozen solid, so there's usually at least one Saturday morning in sub-freezing weather. Sometimes sub-zero. The hot chocolate and donuts/cinnamon rolls are always a big hit.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by madpacket

Okay so I am confused. I read that the prohibition was against "hot drinks", which seemed to include (only?) coffee and tea. One could reasonably conclude it was because of caffeine, and that seems to be supported by the earlier reference to Postum (which was promoted as anti-caf). But above they talk about hot cocoa served at the ward, which seems to be a hot drink, and earlier in the thread I saw that soda with caffeine is accepted.
So is it only coffee and tea discouraged? Is it only because they are hot (do iced versions count)? I still enjoy decaf coffee, in which category would that fall?
Thanks Katz for your patience!!

When the "Word of Wisdom" was revealed to Joseph Smith in 1838, it said, "hot drinks are not for the body." I guess the question must have come up quite early on as to what was meant by "hot drinks" because almost from the beginning the Church leadership interpreted this as specifically referring to tea and coffee. There has never been any actual explanation given as to why tea and coffee were to be avoided, but most people have assumed that it was because they both contained caffeine. As time went by, iced tea became popular, but practicing Mormons avoided it because tea was tea and the Word of Wisdom had been clearly interpreted by the Church leadership as prohibiting tea and coffee. Caffeinated soda came upon the scene much later, and since it was neither tea nor coffee, it was easy enough for people to rationalize and say it's not against the Word of Wisdom.

Today, the only time it becomes a real issue is when someone goes in to see his bishop to get a temple recommend. At that time, his bishop asks him a series of ten or twelve questions to determine his worthiness to go to the temple. One of those questions is "Do you live the Word of Wisdom?" That's it. Not "Do you abstain from tea and coffee?" or "What about decaffeinated coffee?" "Do you avoid caffeinated sodas?" or "Do you avoid chocolate?" It is left up to the individual's own conscience as to how to answer the question. If the individual were to say, "Well, I do drink Diet Coke? Is that okay?" his bishop would more than likely say, "Diet Coke probably isn't all that good for you, wouldn't you agree?" and then sign his temple recommend anyway. I know that some people do drink decaffeinated coffee and may probably have had a similar conversation with their bishops about it. I don't think most bishops would deny a person a temple recommend over decaffeinated coffee, but some probably would.

Remember that the Word of Wisdom is a health code. It specifically prohibits "hot drinks," "strong drinks" and "tobacco." On the other hand, it doesn't make mention of methamphetamines or cocaine, but I can guarantee you that no member of the Church who admitted to using these substances would get a temple recommend, and it would be because he did not abide by the Word of Wisdom. It's really pretty much a matter of common sense, and recognizing that the whole point of the commandment is to help us maintain good health. The Word of Wisdom does not just tell us what we should avoid; it also encourages us to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and grains, and to eat meat "sparingly." Technically, anyone who does not obey the advice on what they should be eating is breaking the Word of Wisdom, too, but people tend to pay more attention to the "thou shalt nots" than to the "thou shalts."

I can understand why the whole business is confusing to people and why some people see a lot of hypocrisy in how members of the Church interpret this commandment. In the end, it's really ourselves we're hurting by not taking care of our bodies. We can (and I know I am guilty of this) try to justify what we're pretty sure we can get away with, but I'm not sure that in the long run we're really getting away with anything.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by IdahoMormon

There are several families in the ward that still use firewood to heat their homes. Most of them are older and either widowed or empty nesters, so it isn't easy for them to cut or split their own. (Yes, we live in a rural enough area that the pollution on a Winter day is negligible. And don't worry about the carbon footprint. Each of these families grows so much more than they burn it isn't even close.) Every year there are also a couple of ward members that have some trees that need to be removed. The ward organizes a wood project to do service to both. It's really a great opportunity to do some service, some hard work, and hang out with some of the locals in a very informal setting. We usually have seven or eight chainsaws going, and one or two splitters. The boys love it. If there's anything more manly than a chainsaw, it's gotta be a hydraulic wood splitter.

The best time to split wood is when it is frozen solid, so there's usually at least one Saturday morning in sub-freezing weather. Sometimes sub-zero. The hot chocolate and donuts/cinnamon rolls are always a big hit.

That's interesting! I was starting to wonder why I'd never been to a ward wood project. Now I know. I can tell you, though, that it would take a lot more than hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls to get me out in sub-zero weather!

[GlasirGirl]

That's pretty nice about the wood project. I was wondering if they did anything for older folks or if older retired folks have to tithe.


Also, if you convert and have no Mormon family then who would be present at to your baptism?

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by GlasirGirl

I was wondering if they did anything for older folks or if older retired folks have to tithe.

Everyone in the Church is strongly encouraged to pay a full tithing, but no one is compelled to do so. The Church Welfare Program assures every tithe-paying member of the Church that he or she will not have to go hungry or homeless. Here's a link that will explain it: Welfare and Self-Reliance

Also, if you convert and have no Mormon family then who would be present at to your baptism?

Generally, it would be the missionaries who taught you, the bishop of the ward you'd be living in and anyone you invited. If a prospective convert attended church a few times before getting baptized and met a few members, they'd probably appreciate knowing about the baptism so they could attend. A lot of people actually invite friends and family who are not members of the Church. It's a pretty casual occasion, actually, even though it's also very spiritual and special to the person getting baptized. But non-members who are not opposed to the baptism are always welcome and enjoy being there to support the decision of the individual being baptized.