The Prophets Have Spoken, but What Did They Say?: Examining the Differences between George D. Watt's Original Shorthand Notes and the Sermons Published in the Journal of Discourses

Authors

Gerrit Dirkmaat, Brigham Young University
LaJean Purcell Carruth

Keywords

Mormon studies, prophets, shorthand notes, sermons

Abstract

On a summer day in August of 1867, Brigham Young delivered a powerful sermon to the residents of Tooele, Utah. He urged the assembled Saints to more faithfully live the principles of the Word of Wisdom and cease their attempts to parse out the words of the revelation, seeking a loophole. Young responded directly to such thinking, telling the congregation:

Many try to excuse themselves because tea and coffee are not mentioned, arguing that it refers to hot drinks only. What did we drink hot when that Word of Wisdom was given? Tea and coffee. It definitely refers to that which we drink with our food. I said to the Saints at our last annual Conference, the Spirit whispers to me to call upon the Latter-day Saints to observe the Word of Wisdom, to let tea, coffee, and tobacco alone, and to abstain from drinking spirituous drinks.

The practicality and straightforward manner of the explanation is often seen as a reflection of not only Young’s position on the doctrine, but of the man himself. Direct, clear, brief. Indeed, it is easy to imagine Young speaking those sentiments to a congregation anxiously waiting upon every word.

Recommended Citation

Dirkmaat, Gerrit and Carruth, LaJean Purcell (2015) "The Prophets Have Spoken, but What Did They Say?: Examining the Differences between George D. Watt's Original Shorthand Notes and the Sermons Published in the Journal of Discourses," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 54: Iss. 4, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol54/iss4/6