Mark 7:6 “He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”
Back in the 80’s I took my soon to be husband, Kirk, down to my maternal great-grandmother’s home to introduce him to the family. I had a lot of relatives, and up to that time many of my grandparents, and their parents, were still living. All of them were temple Mormons.
After the obligatory intros were over, my grandmother grabbed my arm and took me aside. She whispered in my ear to remember it’s always good to have a little brandy on hand for when ‘you and the hubby’ might need some.
My shock hadn’t worn off before her son, my grandfather, sat Kirk and I down to show us his stash of homemade wine.
In all the years I had known them, I’d never seen caffeine, let alone booze, touch their lips. I couldn’t believe my ears! Both of them cited Brigham Young’s teaching that these things were authorized. Keep in mind, this was in Pleasant Grove, Utah where my grandfather had dutifully obeyed each and every word from all Mormon leaders. At that time, no one in Pleasant Grove did anything not authorized by the Church.
On the flip side of this was my paternal grandmother in Provo Utah, who hid her green tea in the pantry and made sure it couldn’t be seen when/if the bishop showed up unannounced.
All of this to say, it’s interesting how vehemently the Church will denounce caffeinated sodas, or a cup of coffee, but secretly it’s okay to have brandy on hand – ‘just in case’.
As always, please pray for those encumbered by the hypocrisy, and endless false doctrines of these people!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle