This reminds me, how do they square not being allowed tea, coffee etc with:
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]:
Mat 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Mat 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Mat 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are [the things] which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Does all this mean that we should eat unhealthily, breath carcinogens, destroy our liver, look trashy, or dress immodestly?
Many of the “rules” that CC mentions are nothing more than wise council. We have the Word of Wisdom, that is true, which forbids alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and caffeinated teas; but what respectable father wouldn’t tell his daughter to dress appropriately? Similarly, we are given various good-sense guidelines that help us to respect and be wise stewards of our bodies. (And remember, the Word of Wisdom was provided back when all of those things it proscribes were widely considered healthy. Coincidence...?)
Still, I know of noone who has been found “unworthy” because they eat twinkies. I’d be in trouble.
Unfortunately, CC has an impression of the Church as some kind of domineering, authoritative monster. It is nothing of the sort. Our ecclesiastical leaders give us wise council that helps us be better people in today’s world, just the same as any good minister or pastor would do. The scriptures do not say “Thou shalt not have more than one pair of earrings, or thy seed shall be cursed for three generations. Wo, wo, wo unto him that tatooeth himself!” But it’s still a good idea in our culture to be modest in appearance. It’s often a reflection of a healthy attitude and self-image and sends a message to others about one’s values. This can in turn keep a person out of all sorts of trouble.
The rules of the LDS Church make sense. For example, coffee makes you nervous and it’s full of acid. I used to drink coffee (before I joined the church) and one time had to quit because it made me too shaky. I don’t miss it. We can drink herbal teas. The “rules” aren’t that bad.