Word of Wisdom-Let Me Be

You shouldn't drink hot drinks.
But hot chocolate is fine.  

No coffee. And no tea.
But herbal tea is okay. Because it doesn't have caffeine.
Caffeine is bad. But only in soda form. Excedrin doesn't count. Red Bull? Oh...yeah you're good.

Don't do drugs. Drugs are bad. But only the recreational kind.
Oh...you have a prescription for that drug? Then you're golden. As long as you don't smoke it. Smoking is bad. 

Alcohol is even worse though. Definitely don't drink alcohol. 
Unless it's in cough syrup. Cough syrup is okay because it's only got a little alcohol in it. 
But you should really just try to tough it out like Joseph Smith did when he got the surgery because if Joseph didn't need it,  neither should you. You should always follow Joseph's example. But we won't judge you (to your face) if you do decide to take it, because it's really between you and God. 

Wait a second...you drank alcohol last weekend? Well then you probably should repent. Oh but that chicken wing eating contest...that doesn't count. You don't need to mention that. Overeating meat isn't REALLY against the Word of Wisdom. That one's more of a guideline. Alcohol is WAY worse. 

Sugar? Have all you want! Sugar addiction isn't a REAL addiction. It's not like alcohol or drugs. 

Your body is a temple. So you shouldn't put anything bad in it. And you shouldn't draw on it. Piercings? Don't do that. Tattoos? What are you, a rebel? Should we even be talking right now?

But...it really is your choice what you do with your body (just don't do anything we mentioned above or you're going to basically be a leper.

Confused?  Join the club.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here for second. Many of you probably won't like this limb, but hear me out.

What if...the Word of Wisdom was different for everyone?

I grew up hearing time after time that basically everything that came out of a prophet's mouth was scripture. If it was said in General Conference, there was no arguing with it and that was that.  But...if we have agency, and God promised he would never take that agency away...does it not also apply to our prophet?

What's my point?

God allows our prophet to have their own opinions too. And these opinions are what have created LDS church culture. Every prophet we have ever had in this church since it's restoration is a white man from the United States.  Do you really think that if the prophet were British he wouldn't have a different opinion about tea? (Be honest.)

How much of the mess of contradictions above is scripture and how much is doctrine, anyway? Does anyone really know? And if it's true doctrine, and doctrine never changes, how come the Word of Wisdom has changed so much over the years? Perhaps (and I'm out on the very tip of that little limb right now), the Word of Wisdom is ALL just a guideline based on a white man's opinion. 

Perhaps it really SHOULD be just between you and God.

To be fair, I believe strongly that our prophets have (mostly) had good intentions when it comes to the Word of Wisdom. But to call using one drug sinful and another one acceptable just because of the difference in the way it enters the body...that seems like a bit of a stretch to me. (And no, I am not condoning drug abuse in any way so don't start with me.)

Clear and simple: I don't put much stock into someone else's opinions when it comes to things that should be between myself and God. What's right for me might not work for you, and we both need to be okay with that. 

I've reached a point in my life where I don't check every box on the list of what's accepted in church culture. And I'm okay with that. So...whether you see me with a water, a coke, or a mojito on my birthday this year, don't worry...I still love Jesus (and respectfully...what I'm drinking isn't your business).

Maybe...just maybe...the Word of Wisdom is less about what you put into your body, and more about you learning to be okay with not judging what someone else puts in theirs.