Commentary: What Is Morality in Mormonism?

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Here in Utah, State Senator Mark Madsen is proposing a bill that would legalize medicinal marijuana. And, because it is Utah, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were called to pressure lawmakers against passing this bill. There was an update and still, I just wonder why these guys think they can weigh in at all? Why do they think that whatever they have to say about the issue is relevant whatsoever?
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The Church rarely comments on political issues (or so we’re told) but when they do, it’s because of a “moral issue.” That’s pretty vague, considering how often we talk about any and every political issue in in the context of morality. But what does it mean when the Church gets involved in politics? What is the moral issue at the heart of medical cannabis?
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Truthfully, I don’t really understand morality in Mormonism anymore. Growing up in the church, I had the impression that morality was essentially a religious term for sex. Sex outside of marriage is immoral, pornography is immoral, adultery is immoral, homosexuality is immoral, etc. Dig real deep and even some sex acts within marriage are immoral. And that’s about it.
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patheos.com/blogs/peculiarpeople/2016/02/what-is-morality-in-mormonism/
 
CopyBoy said:
patheos.com/blogs/peculiarpeople/2016/02/what-is-morality-in-mormonism/
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Of course the LDS church would find this immoral if it goes against their health code.

The whole medicinal marijuana stance is a bit suspect anyway. The WSJ did an article on the high cost of growing marijuana in Colorado (it’s expensive everywhere, actually). The grower interviewed needs medicinal marijuana for his gluten intolerance.

One only needs to avoid gluten for a gluten intolerance. (I am officially diagnosed as gluten intolerant and do not eat gluten and I do not need pot to control it).
 
lax16 said:
Of course the LDS church would find this immoral if it goes against their health code.

The whole medicinal marijuana stance is a bit suspect anyway. The WSJ did an article on the high cost of growing marijuana in Colorado (it’s expensive everywhere, actually). The grower interviewed needs medicinal marijuana for his gluten intolerance.

One only needs to avoid gluten for a gluten intolerance. (I am officially diagnosed as gluten intolerant and do not eat gluten and I do not need pot to control it).
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I don’t think the teaching is that WoW items are sinful, just that they’re not good for you (wrong of course with tea and coffee:)) but if there is an instance where a doctor would suggest say trying coffee to help manage migraines then drinking coffee would be acceptable.

For me the trouble with medical marijuana is that I don’t see that any real research is being done in the areas where it’s claimed to be beneficial. I’ve seen suggestions it can help with many things like seizures but more real research needs to be done. There is no question that marijuana, like poppies, coca, foxglove and others have an affect on the human body. Many of these are beneficial and those benefits, (and dangers) have come to light through research. I’d like to see that light shown on marijuana before it’s prescribed.
 
There are no medicines approved by the FDA that are smoked.

As for the LDS church getting involved in politics, especially in Utah? We could all die from that surprise 😃
 
RebeccaJ said:
There are no medicines approved by the FDA that are smoked.

As for the LDS church getting involved in politics, especially in Utah? We could all die from that surprise 😃
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I will never be convinced that regularly inhaling smoke of any sort is okay.
 
zaffiroborant said:
I don’t think the teaching is that WoW items are sinful, just that they’re not good for you (wrong of course with tea and coffee:)) but if there is an instance where a doctor would suggest say trying coffee to help manage migraines then drinking coffee would be acceptable.
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Just to clarify, I never said the Mormons teach that disobeying the WoW was sinful, but that it is immoral. I am sure they have teachings that spell out the level of “sinfulness” between committing an immoral act of adultery vs. drinking coffee.

I can tell you. living here in Utah, drinking coffee would not be allowed for a Mormon even if one has migraines. I know of one that would drink Diet Coke for her headaches though. No, “hot beverages” are really looked down upon, except they drink lots of hot chocolate.🤷
For me the trouble with medical marijuana is that I don’t see that any real research is being done in the areas where it’s claimed to be beneficial. I’ve seen suggestions it can help with many things like seizures but more real research needs to be done. There is no question that marijuana, like poppies, coca, foxglove and others have an affect on the human body. Many of these are beneficial and those benefits, (and dangers) have come to light through research. I’d like to see that light shown on marijuana before it’s prescribed.
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I agree. My other concern is that every person I know that agrees with legalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes is a habitual pot smoker. They don’t see the damage it is doing to them even though those around them do.
 
RebeccaJ said:
There are no medicines approved by the FDA that are smoked.

As for the LDS church getting involved in politics, especially in Utah? We could all die from that surprise 😃
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The church controls the legislators here, and most are LDS so I’m not too surprised. I hope though that a right to die legislation isn’t passed. I don’t know their views on that. They do have strict laws about drinking ( to “protect” the children at restaurant and only serve 3.2 beer, but I’ve gotten used to that and am not much of a drinker anyway. Mostly some of this is annoying, but all in all its a pretty good state to raise kids, and their moral values are high.
 
lax16 said:
Just to clarify, I never said the Mormons teach that disobeying the WoW was sinful, but that it is immoral. I am sure they have teachings that spell out the level of “sinfulness” between committing an immoral act of adultery vs. drinking coffee.

I can tell you. living here in Utah, drinking coffee would not be allowed for a Mormon even if one has migraines. I know of one that would drink Diet Coke for her headaches though. No, “hot beverages” are really looked down upon, except they drink lots of hot chocolate.🤷

I agree. My other concern is that every person I know that agrees with legalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes is a habitual pot smoker. They don’t see the damage it is doing to them even though those around them do.
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I still think that drinking coffee or other WoW substances isn’t immoral in and of itself in Mormon thought, it’s breaking a promise not to do that makes it immoral. I’ve also heard from Utah Mormons that if a doctor tells a patient to try coffee for a specific purpose then it’s allowed.

On the pot thing, I can’t think of a single person I know who is a regular pot smoker (there might be some who won’t mention it in front of me) but I know quite a few who want the medicinal uses utilized and even more who would rather that marijuana use was not criminalized.
 
zaffiroborant said:
I will never be convinced that regularly inhaling smoke of any sort is okay.
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Exactly.

If cannabis is medically helpful, I would like to see research done and treatments developed with delivery mechanisms other than a joint. Many of our pharmaceuticals are developed from extracts and other compounds found from plants. It should be the same with cannabis. Find the useful compounds and develop an appropriate delivery mechanism (pill, iv fluid, etc).

It doesn’t make sense to me that our society is moving towards legitimizing marijuana use yet demonizes tobacco use at the same time.

BTW, I am one of those people who is generally supportive of medicinal marijuana but has never touched the stuff. I also like the idea of legalization/decriminalization but I think we need to be careful about it. I have major problems with the militarization of the police because of the “War on Drugs” which we seem to have not made any headway on, especially given how much more powerful the cartels are these days than previously.

Back to Mormonism. There are LDS who would not see a moral issue with medicinal marijuana if it is prescribed by a doctor. However, there are many who would take issue with it.

Of course, most Mormons will take nyquil but think a hot toddy is wrong or drink tons of diet coke or an energy drink but think coffee or tea is wrong. I was never that way when I was LDS and have a good LDS friend who does drink coffee for her migraines as instructed by her doctor. In her case, we simply viewed coffee as the most effective delivery mechanism for the drug caffeine that she needed.

In Mormonism, the WoW is viewed primarily as a rule for our day and is more of a matter of obedience rather than morality. Drinking coffee, tea or alcohol is not immoral on its face. It is only wrong because it is disobedient to the words of the prophet Joseph Smith as interpreted by the LDS church.
 
I do not think it is uncommon for religious leaders to go political. The pope has weighed in on Global Warming and Donald Trump. Catholic Bishops have weighed in on abortion and other topics…Catholic Bishops have weighed in on the death penalty. In some Parishes, handouts are passed out about how to determine for whom to vote.

I have no problem with it at all, from Catholics or Mormons or anyone. Religious leaders often feel the need to do all they can to protect their “flock”.
 
zaffiroborant said:
I still think that drinking coffee or other WoW substances isn’t immoral in and of itself in Mormon thought, it’s breaking a promise not to do that makes it immoral. I’ve also heard from Utah Mormons that if a doctor tells a patient to try coffee for a specific purpose then it’s allowed.
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I let the Mormons do the talkin’ :):

lds.org/manual/teachings-heber-j-grant/chapter-21?lang=eng

No man who breaks the Word of Wisdom can gain the same amount of knowledge and intelligence in this world as the man who obeys that law. I don’t care who he is or where he comes from, his mind will not be as clear, and he cannot advance as far and as rapidly and retain his power as much as he would if he obeyed the Word of Wisdom.8

Another reason for which I am so anxious that the Latter-day Saints should observe the Word of Wisdom is that the Lord says it was given to us for our temporal salvation [see D&C 89:2]. I would like it known that if we as a people never used a particle of tea or coffee or of tobacco or of liquor, we would become one of the most wealthy people in the world. Why? Because we would have increased vigor of body, increased vigor of mind; we would grow spiritually; we would have a more direct line of communication with God, our Heavenly Father; we would be able to accomplish more. …
 
TexanKnight said:
I do not think it is uncommon for religious leaders to go political. The pope has weighed in on Global Warming and Donald Trump. Catholic Bishops have weighed in on abortion and other topics…Catholic Bishops have weighed in on the death penalty. In some Parishes, handouts are passed out about how to determine for whom to vote.

I have no problem with it at all, from Catholics or Mormons or anyone. Religious leaders often feel the need to do all they can to protect their “flock”.
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What??

I have never, ever heard that one before!
 
lax16 said:
The first link didn’t work.

What part of the second link should I read? The one where Bernie Sanders calls the Pope a socialist? Wow, he sure is popular these days! 😃
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gosh…not sure…I cut and pasted the link…but here is what it said

BALTIMORE (RNS) The nation’s Catholic bishops on Tuesday (Nov. 17) passed an updated guide for Catholic voters ahead of next year’s elections, but only after airing unusually sharp disagreements on how much they can, and should, adjust their priorities to match those of Pope Francis.

More than any other item on the agenda of the bishops’ annual meeting here, the debate over the lengthy voter guide, called “Faithful Citizenship,” revealed deep divides among the bishops and provided a snapshot of the extent of the “Francis effect” on the U.S. hierarchy.

In the most impassioned objection to the voter guide, San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy took the floor to argue that the document — which was a reworking of an 84-page treatise first written in 2007 — should be scrapped because it did not reflect the way that Francis has elevated the battle against poverty and for the environment as central concerns for the Catholic Church since his election in 2013.

READ: Journalist in leaks case denounces Vatican law, says it infringes on freedom of expression

“I believe that this document is gravely hobbled,” said McElroy, who was an outspoken advocate for the church’s social justice teachings even before Francis named him to the large and growing Southern California diocese earlier this year.

“Specifically, I think the pope is telling us that alongside the issues of abortion and euthanasia — which are central aspects of our commitment to transform this world — poverty and the degradation of the Earth are also central,” McElroy said. “But this document keeps to the structure of the worldview of 2007. It does not put those there.”

Instead, he said, the voter guide “tilts in favor of abortion and euthanasia and excludes poverty and the environment.”
 
Again, my point was not say the Bishops are wrong…or that the Pope was wrong.

My point is to say that LDS leaders are not the only ones to get involved in the political process.

I liked it when I was Catholic and Catholics leaders did it…and I like it now when LDS leaders do it.
 
TexanKnight said:
gosh…not sure…I cut and pasted the link…but here is what it said

BALTIMORE (RNS) The nation’s Catholic bishops on Tuesday (Nov. 17) passed an updated guide for Catholic voters ahead of next year’s elections, but only after airing unusually sharp disagreements on how much they can, and should, adjust their priorities to match those of Pope Francis.

More than any other item on the agenda of the bishops’ annual meeting here, the debate over the lengthy voter guide, called “Faithful Citizenship,” revealed deep divides among the bishops and provided a snapshot of the extent of the “Francis effect” on the U.S. hierarchy.

In the most impassioned objection to the voter guide, San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy took the floor to argue that the document — which was a reworking of an 84-page treatise first written in 2007 — should be scrapped because it did not reflect the way that Francis has elevated the battle against poverty and for the environment as central concerns for the Catholic Church since his election in 2013.

READ: Journalist in leaks case denounces Vatican law, says it infringes on freedom of expression

“I believe that this document is gravely hobbled,” said McElroy, who was an outspoken advocate for the church’s social justice teachings even before Francis named him to the large and growing Southern California diocese earlier this year.

“Specifically, I think the pope is telling us that alongside the issues of abortion and euthanasia — which are central aspects of our commitment to transform this world — poverty and the degradation of the Earth are also central,” McElroy said. “But this document keeps to the structure of the worldview of 2007. It does not put those there.”

Instead, he said, the voter guide “tilts in favor of abortion and euthanasia and excludes poverty and the environment.”
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Pope Francis has added concern for the poor and the environment to the mix of abortion, same sex marriage and euthanasia. Some bishops were concerned these topics were not covered properly in the voters guide. They were out voted.

religionnews.com/2015/11/17/catholic-bishops-revise-voter-guide-debate-pope-francis-agenda/
 
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