History of the Word of Wisdom, Dec 25, 1843

-- Dec 25, 1843
[Joseph Smith Diary] A large party supped at my house and spent the evening /in a most cheerful and friendly manner/ in Music, Dancing, &c. During the festivities a man apparently drunk, with his hair long and falling over his shoulders come in and acted like a Missourian. I commanded the Capt[ain] of the police to put him out of doors. In the scuffle, I looked him full in the face and to my great surprize and Joy untold I discovered it was Orrin Porter Rockwell, just arrived from a years imprisonment in M[iss]o[uri] (1)

-- Dec 27, 1843
[Joseph Smith] The church's newspaper Nauvoo Neighbor advertises ale and beer from the Nauvoo Brewery. (2)

-- Dec 29, 1843
[Joseph Smith Diary] At 4 P.M. in City Council 40 Policemen [were] sworn [in], whom I addressed at considerable length. See minutes of Council. Two petitions for licensing spirituous liquors. (1)

-- Jan 13, 1844
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 13th The City Council met & treated upon the Subject of granting licence for retailing liquors. President Smith addressed the Council a number of times.

I commenced shingleing my house this day. Let the Job to John Gray for $12. The Cornish Cost $22, the tin gutter $7. (3)

-- Jan 16, 1844
An "Ordinance concerning the sale of Spirituous Liquors" is passed by the Nauvoo City Council. It states: "Be it ordained by the City Council of the city of Nauvoo. that the Mayor of this city is hereby authorized to sell said liquors in such quantities as he may deem expedient." The ordinance is signed by "Joseph Smith, Mayor." (4)

Footnotes:
1 - Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1843-44, http://amzn.to/jsdiaries
2 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower

LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom

Mormon Timeline: the Word of Wisdom
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/