History of the Word of Wisdom, Thursday, Aug 5, 1897

-- Thursday, Aug 5, 1897
[Apostle John Henry Smith Diary] Salt Lake City

The members of the Apostles Council met again at 10 a.m. and All agreed that the Y.M.M.I. association should publish a paper.

At 11 a.m. Presidents Wilford Woodruff, Geo. Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith joined the Apostles and after some business was transacted. The Sacrament was administered. Prest. Geo. Q. Cannon blest the bread and wine. John W. Taylor is absent in Colorado on a mission. (1)

-- Aug 15, 1897
[Apostle Marriner W. Merrill Diary] Sunday. Franklin. I came to Richmond at 10 a. m. Found Almira some better; brought medicine from drug store; stayed with her balance of day. Went to Lewiston in the evening. (2)

-- Oct 7, 1897
[Apostle Franklin D. Richards Diary] ... Some complain the way tithing is expended for example Saltair stated about Garfield, Big Cottonwood, Warm and Hot Springs, and Saltaire has been great advertiser refered to Bar liquor selling, & to immoral practices.... (3)

-- Nov 23, 1897
[President Wilford Woodruff Journal] Tues Nov 23 We left Oasis at 2 am. I did not sleep very well. I had some pain in my bowels. Bro Nuttall got up at 3 am & rubbed me and I took some brandy. Elder Nuttall got off at Provo and arranged for our carriages to meet us at the depot at Salt Lake city which they did & at 9.30 we arrived & drove home. (4)

-- During 1897
(James E. Talmage) Despite his lack of experience with tobacco and his successful determination to prevent therapy from becoming habit, Talmage found that "a good cigar produced a marvelous quieting of my over-wrought nerves."

1897. Resigned as president of the University of Utah, though continuing as professor of geology. Ten years later he resigned as chairman of the geology department to be a full-time mining consultant. (5)

Footnotes:
1 - Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith
2 - Notes from the Miscellaneous Record Book, 1886-1906: Selected diary notes from the journal books of Marriner Wood Merrill, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
3 - Diary Excerpts of Franklin D. Richards, 1887-1897, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
5 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies

LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom

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