Joseph F. Smith preaches: "Not long ago I happened to be at the home of one of my children when the [ward] teachers came in. We called the family together and submitted ourselves to the duties of the teachers. The head teacher began by saying that he had been sent there by the bishop of the ward to inquire into the condition of the members of the family. He was instructed to inquire of them if they held family prayer, morning and evening, if they asked the blessing upon their food, at each meal. He was required by the bishop to inquire as to whether they kept the word of wisdom, as to whether they attended to their Sabbath meetings and honored the Sabbath day, as to whether those who were of age to attend the various other organizations of the Church, such as the Relief Society, the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations, the Sunday Schools, the Primary Associations, and the Religion Class, did so, and if they sustained in their hearts their bishop and
his counselors and were united in feeling and sentiment with them, and if they were in harmony in their feelings and sentiment with the presidency of their stake....." (1)
-- Dec. 28, 1915
[Temple] Young men or middle aged men who have had experience in the Church should not be ordained to the Priesthood nor recommended to the privileges of the House of the Lord unless they will abstain from the use of tobacco and intoxicating drinks. This is the rule of the Church and should be observed by all its members. [Joseph F. Smith to C. Elmo Cluff, Dec. 28, 1915] (2)
-- During 1915
[Deseret] Utah passes first state anti-marijuana law. (3)
-- April 8, 1916
[Apostle Heber J. Grant Diary] Several people had remarked that they knew President Smith would not consent to any notice of the betterment league meeting being given out at the special Priesthood meeting. It is simply outrageous to me that some are trying to create a sentiment that President Smith is not in favor of prohibition and the banishment of liquor from our state. I wrote on a slip of paper the following: "Brother J.M. Whitaker appealed to me to give out notice of our betterment league meeting at 4:30 today. Shall be glad to do so if there are no objections." President Smith answered: "There certainly are no objections." I dont (Sic) care to use it for publication but after I got through preaching a red-hot prohibition sermon at our Conference he expressed his approval, with all I said and stated that he regretted I had not gone on and taken more time. (4)
-- During 1916
[Prohibition] By 1916 the Republican party had adopted prohibition as part of its national platform. Utah Republican leaders followed the national lead and included a dry plank in the state Republican platform. During the state Republican party convention, Governor William Spry was defeated for renomination by Nephi L. Morris, whose record in support of prohibition was untarnished. Democrats also included a prohibition plank in their platform and nominated for Governor Simon Bamberger, a non-Mormon, German-born Jew who had voluntarily ended the sale of alcoholic beverages at his Lagoon resort and who offered to pay $1,000 for a portrait of any better prohibitionist than he. (5)
Footnotes:
1 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
2 - Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/mo-temple
3 - History to Go, Statehood, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/statehood.html
4 - Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
5 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Prohibition, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/p/PROHIBITION.html
LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom
Mormon Timeline: the Word of Wisdom
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
