Would you sell alcohol or tobacco?

[Lost_one]

I live in the UK and there are people of a certain religion that seem to run alot of stores. There religion teaches them that drinking alcohol is really bad and they are forbidden from drinking it. Yet, ive never been in a single store that members of this religion own, not selling alcohol.

What im asking is: If you owned a store. As an LDS member. Would you or could you sell alcohol or tobacco?

Personally, i couldnt. I would feel like i was a hipocrite.

Who is worse, the junkie or the drug dealer? I would say the dealer is.

Thanks.

[Maxel]

Good question. I would say 'no', I would not. As for your junkie vs. drug dealer question, it reminds me of the sage question of Obi-wan Kenobi: Who is more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him? It's a difficult question, though, and I think faithful Mormons could, in some good conscience, sell some alcohol or tobacco if they were running a generalized restaurant or store. However, a Mormon owning an establishment selling exclusively or primarily one of the aforementioned products is, frankly, a hypocrite- they are profiting off of the destruction of the bodies of their fellow man. There's little wiggle-room in this question, but the wiggle-room exists.

[blessedinarizonia]

Boy, this is a toughie. Before I was converted I entered into a occupation most lds would not. I was a union bartender. I was a single mom of four and i made good money being union. I also had health and retirment benies. When I converted I consulted with my Bishop. We talked very long time. He finally said since I didn't own the place I worked at , that would make a difference he said, then he felt that I was making a living for my family. Thats the wiggle room Maxel was talking about. So if you own a store and sell, amoung other things, alcohol or tobacco then you personally or making a profit from that sell. Your clerk on the otherhand is just making a living. I know that the clerk can make the decision not to work there. As for my family my kids grew up with things I could not have given them on a lesser salary. I am retired now and have a nice pension. A side note. When my co-workers found out that I was LDS they would take turns coming to ask me questions. They would find me at lunch and sit there and ask many questions. They would find me in the parking lot on the way to my car and stop me and ask questions. If you stand firm in what you believe they notice. One young man came across the room straight to me. I keept expection him to turn the cornor, he did not. After getting to my place of work he said ":I didn't know you were from Utah". I said that i was not. I worked at the Mirage in Las Vegas and I was born there and told him so. It's funny that people think all lds people come from Utah.

[blessedinarizonia]

Please excuse the spelling. I have lost a great deal of my eyesight and my fingers don't work well. LOL

[hordak]

I would. But then again I used to fix planes that helped drop bombs on people.

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins

It isn't a sin to allow others to use agency in my book

[a-train]

Joseph Smith owned a bar in Nauvoo (after the Word of Wisdom was received).

Jesus turned water to wine at the celebration of a wedding. The guests found his wine to be the best.

I would definitely sell liquor and tobacco.

If we strictly abstained from the activity, Mormons would not work in grocery stores, stores like Wal-Mart, convenience stores, hotels, most restaurants, a whole assortment of jobs. The fireman cannot look down on those who work in such jobs or own such businesses. Just as others cannot look down on the fireman who has duties on the Sabbath.

Further, if we believe it a sin to sell liquor or tobacco, then it would not hold to believe that it is not a sin to sell coffee and tea. An even stricter interpretation would disallow us to sell soda drinks with stimulants in them. Our youth would not work at a local fast food joint.

Perhaps we would even say that selling rich cakes and sweets which can lead to weight gain or foods high in cholesterol should be avoided.

I have heard members demonize Marriot for selling alcohol, tobacco, and worse: pornographic movies, in his hotels.

To them, I would uphold again the original Mormon Creed, Joseph Smith Sr.'s 11th Commandment:

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.




(The above plaque hung in the Logan temple for many years. The creed was also on the front of Mormon newspapers during the late 19th Century amid Washington's persecution of the Saints.)
-a-train

[missingsomething]

If I owned the store, I would probably not sell it/serve it. But I have been a waitress and have "served" alcohol. Afterall, I can not make that choice for an individual but I dont need to put it in their hands either....

[prisonchaplain]

Let me add a crinckle to this discussion. Even if you personally might be okay with selling booze and cigarettes, how would you feel seeing your bishop doing so? In my own faith tradition, I've found myself not doing certain activities that I personally don't believe are wrong, but which would cause confusion within the congregation.

I've worked at a restaurant before and sometimes people would order beer or wine with their lunch. I didn't feel sinful for serving it to them. If I were to own a restaurant, I want to say on the top of my head I would also have alcohol for sale ... but I think I would need to pray about it first. It's a toughie. For instance, some gas stations don't sell beer. The ones that do get a lot more business. It is a question of lively hood coming before morals? I suppose the question is 'is selling alcohol when you have a choice not to, a sin?' I'm not sure. I want to say that if I'm doing a grocery run for a friend and they ask me to buy a bottle of wine, that's not sinful. I would consider being a cashier at a grocery store an honorable employment. You're not breaking any laws and you're not drinking the alcohol yourself or enticing others to... so my immediate, open for change, answer is go for, sell away.

Originally Posted by prisonchaplain

Let me add a crinckle to this discussion. Even if you personally might be okay with selling booze and cigarettes, how would you feel seeing your bishop doing so? In my own faith tradition, I've found myself not doing certain activities that I personally don't believe are wrong, but which would cause confusion within the congregation.

If my bishop was a cashier at a grocery store or had a restaurant, I wouldn't think twice about it. If he owned a liquor store, I would be surprised.