If the level of any one of these humors was out of balance, the body became inflicted with some kind of illness, either of body or of mind. Bleeding, cupping, use of natural laxatives, etc. were used to treat humoral imbalance. Too much cold was just as much a problem as too much heat in this pre-modern view of physiology. This being the case, why does the WoW not forbid excessively cold water as well as hot drinks?

Still, this theory may hold some merit. In order to comprehend the connection, one would need to research the folk medicine of eighteenth and nineteenth century American folk medicine, looking for both theory and practice. As has been correctly pointed out, humor theory changed significantly, both chronologically and geographically, over its extraordinarily long life. It is impossible to generalize for any specific place and time without conducting a very thorough investigation.

In the end, we must acknowledge that the WoW is a very complex document with a long and complex history. On the one hand, it is laden with folk medicine (e.g., tobacco is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle) and borrowings from other religious traditions (e.g., teetotaling, eating meat sparingly, etc.) and thus very much arises from its context. Yet on the other hand, it transcends its context (to say one will be physically healthy, rather than simply spiritually-blessed, by following this law is really significant). So Bushman’s argument that Joseph both arose from and transcended his time continues to hold true.

Widtsoe’s theory about tannic acid sounds like yet another effort (perhaps he was the origin of this trend) to “prove” the validity of Mormonism via scientific or other intellectual discovery, much like the linkage of the Mayan feathered-serpent god with the Savior. It may hold some amount of truth, but it hardly serves as total validation for our beliefs. And excessive adherence to such theories can lead to trouble. Case it point–a group of young men in a South African branch I served in as a missionary took to castigating their leaders for drinking bush tea (rooibos)–something nearly every household, including most Mormons, in South Africa drinks–because it contained tannic acid. They began to preach tannic teetotaling in youth meetings (unfortunately, the entire young men’s presidency were the ringleaders of this movement) and young adult gatherings, and they nearly became convinced that their branch president, the missionaries, etc. were in an advanced state of apostasy because they drank Coke or Rooibos. Fortunately, a very powerful “clarify the doctrine” fireside, featuring myself and the branch president staved off an advanced secret combination. I found out recently that the most ardent anti-rooibos proponent is now the branch president.

If the level of any one of these humors was out of balance, the body became inflicted with some kind of illness, either of body or of mind. Bleeding, cupping, use of natural laxatives, etc. were used to treat humoral imbalance. Too much cold was just as much a problem as too much heat in this pre-modern view of physiology. This being the case, why does the WoW not forbid excessively cold water as well as hot drinks?

Still, this theory may hold some merit. In order to comprehend the connection, one would need to research the folk medicine of eighteenth and nineteenth century American folk medicine, looking for both theory and practice. As has been correctly pointed out, humor theory changed significantly, both chronologically and geographically, over its extraordinarily long life. It is impossible to generalize for any specific place and time without conducting a very thorough investigation.

In the end, we must acknowledge that the WoW is a very complex document with a long and complex history. On the one hand, it is laden with folk medicine (e.g., tobacco is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle) and borrowings from other religious traditions (e.g., teetotaling, eating meat sparingly, etc.) and thus very much arises from its context. Yet on the other hand, it transcends its context (to say one will be physically healthy, rather than simply spiritually-blessed, by following this law is really significant). So Bushman’s argument that Joseph both arose from and transcended his time continues to hold true.

Widtsoe’s theory about tannic acid sounds like yet another effort (perhaps he was the origin of this trend) to “prove” the validity of Mormonism via scientific or other intellectual discovery, much like the linkage of the Mayan feathered-serpent god with the Savior. It may hold some amount of truth, but it hardly serves as total validation for our beliefs. And excessive adherence to such theories can lead to trouble. Case it point–a group of young men in a South African branch I served in as a missionary took to castigating their leaders for drinking bush tea (rooibos)–something nearly every household, including most Mormons, in South Africa drinks–because it contained tannic acid. They began to preach tannic teetotaling in youth meetings (unfortunately, the entire young men’s presidency were the ringleaders of this movement) and young adult gatherings, and they nearly became convinced that their branch president, the missionaries, etc. were in an advanced state of apostasy because they drank Coke or Rooibos. Fortunately, a very powerful “clarify the doctrine” fireside, featuring myself and the branch president staved off an advanced secret combination. I found out recently that the most ardent anti-rooibos proponent is now the branch president.

Sugar and salt both have the property of making animal tissue hard. But we need salt to survive! To use Widtsoe’s example as a contemporary justification for the WoW is not only anachronistic, but also wrong.

Since many modern investigators immediately wonder why coffee and tea are prohibited (and seem to accept the caffeine or tannic acid stories), it isn’t hard for me to accept that 19th century investigators probably used their understanding of health and medicine to rationalize the WoW’s prohibitions as well.

For the record, I have heard the tannic acid story, and understood it to explain away why coffee is prohibited, but chocolate is OK, and nobody agrees on caffeinated sodas. Indians in the part of California where I grew up made acorn flour, but had to get rid of the tannic acid in the acorns to do so.

And, for the record, I would prefer to drink caffeinated sodas if the alternative were contaminated water.

“Besides caffeine, both tea and coffee contain an astringent known as tannic acid. In coffee this substance is present only in small quantity, but in tea from four to twelve percent occurs. Tannic acid is the substance found in oak bark, and has the property of making animal tissues hard—that is, makes leather of them. The habitual tea drinker subjects the delicate lining of the stomach and intestines to the action of this powerful drug.”

Sounds similar to the argument made by my mission companion.

You are all too young to remember a time when young children were considered too young to be allowed coffee or tea, but that general use and approach was a part of the non-LDS world when I was young.

Anyway.

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