Friday, July 10, 2015

What about alcohol and tea being used in foods from a Word of Wisdom standpoint?

I'm seeing this more than ever now -- substances that are against the Word of Wisdom used in various food products.
I'm betting no General Authority is likely to ever address this gray area, but I will ...
If something's consumption is against the Word of Wisdom, then why is it OK to use it for cooking or in other things you eat?

EXAMPLE 1: Whiskey (and other alcohol) is sometimes used in cooking meat. I personally say that should be avoided whenever possible. 
Yes, the alcohol itself may evaporate in the cooking process, but the flavor of whiskey remains in the food. Why is that OK?
Seems as much as anything like the alcohol companies' ploy to get consumers to use more alcohol than anything else.
I don't think a temple worthy member should be doing it. If an LDS Church member has to buy whiskey to cook with, then they have certainly already patronized the alcohol companies.
If you buy meat with a whiskey flavor, then at the very least this has the appearance of evil.
(Now some may argue, what about mouthwash -- it has alcohol in it ....? Yes, it does. But you don't swallow much and alcohol is an antiseptic agent as its natural, God-given use and that's what the alcohol in mouthwash is being used for -- to clean, not to consume.)

EXAMPLE 2: Some other products just contain names that are things to avoid in the Word of Wisdom and yet they don't really contain the harmful products themselves. "Root beer," for instance; or "beer nuts."
No problem really here, but what can you expect from an alcohol-crazed world like ours????


Yes, these are gray areas of the Word of Wisdom. Members can do what they think best, but I've given you my advice to ponder.
Perhaps this is being too picky, or concerned about a small matter, but the Scriptures seems to stress that small things matter ....

NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.