Does the Mormon Church forbid the use of peyote by Mormons of Native American ancestry?
Gramps, I am friends with many good Mormons who are of Native American ancestry. As part of their cultural ceremonial practices, peyote is used. This is legal under the law of the land, but there is much debate about compliance with Church standards. There are bishops and stake presidents who attend these ceremonies and others who tell their members that attendance will result in disciplinary action. There are many who say they have seen official church documents warning against this practice but none can be produced. To your knowledge, has the Mormon Church ever taken an official stand on the use of peyote in Native American ceremonies? Jim, from Utah Dear Jim, Although the use of peyote has not been legally banned as a harmful drug, it has remained legal solely on the grounds of religious practice. Part of a paragraph from Edwin B. Firmage; BYU Studies Vol. 25, No. 3, pg.109, states the following: Even in the hard cases where the First Amendment has been invoked on behalf of unpopula
