“Tea in Joseph Smith’s day was black tea. Now that the Church is world-wide in scope and the Word of Wisdom is an eternal principle of ‘obedience’, I would assume each culture would literally have its ‘tea’ or ‘Temple Recommend’ worthy point. As I learned this morning, in Japan it is clearly understood to be green tea, oolong, chai and coffee. If you have any more understanding on the South American Saints and their ‘Yerba’, it would be helpful in my research.” (Brenda)
Thanks for writing, Brenda.
Actually, tea in Joseph Smith’s time is exactly what tea is in our time, drinks made from the Camellia sinensis plant. Tea is not defined by the LDS Church; its definition has been around for hundreds of years. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
The Word of Wisdom is not an eternal principle. It was never practiced in the Book of Mormon or the Bible peoples, and when it was issued in 1833, it was not issued as a commandment.
Considering that yerba maté is not alcoholic and does not come from tobacco, coffee, or the tea plant, I do not see why it would be considered in violation of the Word of Wisdom, or any strict interpretation of it. Based on my understanding of the drink, I do not see how it would be any different than peppermint or chamomile tea.
I hope this addresses your questions.