CP3S said:

TV's Frink said:

But the fact (?) that Jesus turned water into wine does make me wonder (again) why alcohol has to be off-limits. How is this reconciled?

Back when I was in university I once had this discussion with an acquaintance of mine. His response: "Do you really think they put alcohol in wine back then?"

After a few moments of feeling dumbfounded and not knowing how to proceed, I decided the simplest thing would be just to concede his point and end the discussion right there. My response: "No, I suppose you're right. Adding alcohol to our fermented beverages is a fairly modern practice, I believe."

Sadly he seemed content with this and we moved on to other topics. Surprisingly, I've heard the "Clearly it was non-alcoholic wine" on several other occasions. Leads me to believe people will contort their brain to believe anything, no matter how unlikely, as long as it supports what their religion teaches. Never mind that in a time when refrigeration didn't exist non-alcoholic wine (grape juice?) would spoil in no time flat, clearly wine was non-alcoholic in those days.

In 1833 when the revelation was given, it was termed a "word of wisdom," which is now our general term for the whole principle. However, it originally meant just that, a wise suggestion. Over time, it later came to be held as a commandment. Joseph Smith drank alcoholic wine on occasion, even after this revelation, and it was used for religious services prior. Sometimes God adjusts his commandments to meet the needs of his people. I am under the impression that you are religious, so you should understand this. God does not hold all people at all times to the exact same standards. This is apparent in the Bible, even within the same timeframes, such as the taking of the gospel to the Gentiles, the disbanding of circumcision, etc.