We choose how obedient we wish to be. Sometimes our options are limited by circumstance.

I recently spent a couple of Sunday’s working with volunteer cleanup efforts in the Florida keys. This hard, grueling work was carried out on the Sabbath Day by hundred of faithful LDS people under the direction of the First Presidency.

In some cases the unique circumstances call for unique actions. If we choose to seek the direction of the Spirit, we won’t be wrong.

I don’t hear many questioning Steve Young or Vai Sikehama (President of the Cherry Hill NJ Stake) for having to ‘work’ on Sunday. I’m sure that post-NFL they’ve been darkening the doors of their respective wards on Sundays as opportunity presents.

Oh, come, come, now. The Marriotts were considered as good and faithful members of the Church as anyone, and one could readily obtain items proscribed by the WoW in their hotels. The Marriotts, while they held controlling interest (IDK if they still do) in the Marriott Corp., would bifurcate such things as food and beverage services from the main hotel operations, so they didn’t directly profit from it.
You might as well call President Monson to account for his work for American Stores (the former “Alpha Beta” chain, for example), which obviously sold products that, again, didn’t ‘keep’ the WoW. It’s a reality of life that the buying public expects these things, and if the Board of Directors, even if most of them are LDS, make the decision to sell them, you either ‘participate’, or you find employment elsewhere.
Of course, I like the example of the Chick-Fil-A chain, owned by the S. Truett Cathy foundation, whom, I understand, are devout Christians. Their restaurants are NOT open on Sundays, per the policy of the Cathy family. As the founder quipped, “If we can’t make a decent living by having our restaurants open six days a week, we need to find another line of work.”
And being LDS in a decidedly non-LDS environment has its ‘advantages’. Just ask the poor LTJG, on his first cruise, and the only LDS member on the crew, who was appointed ‘morale officer’…which meant he was in charge of the booze, which is actually PROHIBITED on a Naval vessel, especially the subs, but nevertheless somehow finds its way on board.

What does the practice of tattooing have to do with the WoW? Whether or not to tattoo is more a cultural thing, much like the wearing of beards and mustaches, though you won’t see me get any (more).
This recent convert obviously still needing to make a living, and if he earned his daily bread getting folks ‘inked’, who were you or anyone to judge?
As the late Bruce R. McConkie once stated: “The WoW is not the Gospel, and the Gospel isn’t the WoW”.

Tracey – re: your father. I’m glad for all those that wear the ‘dolphins’ (some TATTOOED on their biceps or shoulders) in the ‘Silent Service’ that your father evidently participated in the SubSafe program. Did he work for a contractor (like Electric Boat, GE, or Westinghouse?), Naval Civilian, or was he a Naval Nuclear Engineering Officer (12xx ?). Never mind that the late Elder Richard G. Scott fairly much, with his innovations on the design of a Naval Propulsion reactor compact and RELIABLE enough to serve in a submarine, made the Nuclear-powered submarine a reality which has served well in the Navy’s role to defend the United States. Anyone like to question his ‘worthiness’?

And to answer this wag that made the undeserved quip about your father’s supposed ‘unworthiness’ to hold LDS membership on account of his participation in SubSafe…not only haven’t our nuclear subs killed ANYONE (at least officially and certainly not in anger), they’ve ensure that the Navy hasn’t lost a nuclear boat since. FWIW, when an Ohio-class SSBN goes out on deterrent patrol, I’d hope that LDS men (and now woman, sigh…) are included in the crew entrusted with that boat and it’s potentially deadly compliment of Trident II D5 SLBMs (one missile, limited by treaty to 8 warheads, which may be W76 or W88s, can ruin a country’s day, for sure). I want the Navy to have nothing but the ‘best’ entrusted with that awful duty.

My sister-in-law lives in Las Vegas and used to work at a
snack cart in one of the casinos. She
was told by her Bishop that as long as she wasn’t doing anything directly involved
in gambling, she would have no problem getting a temple recommend.

My father was told he had no right to be a member of the
church because he killed people. He was
an engineer who worked on making submarines safer for our serviceman.

The question is, is dreb worried about himself, someone else
or just in general? If it makes you feel
uneasy I’d say don’t take the job. If
you know the main work you are doing is acceptable or what you are specifically
doing is not against doctrine, just make sure your above what else is going
on. Lastly, don’t get hung up on
specifics of every angle that you miss out on opportunities. You might find out
you are the example others are needing.

Lets take that one step further…I don’t think the real question was really answered. Is it appropriate to own a business that sells products that violate the word of wisdom? In my mind the answer would be no! Would the church condone someone who owned a bar where 100’s come a night to get drunk, or a plan parenthood location that performs abortions…whats the difference other than one is selling addictive harmful substances that ruin lives, or abortions that take lives? The Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance and we are commanded not to contribute to it…Alma speaks about that somewhere in the 40th or there about chapters to his sons.

If someone who has a temple recommend doesn’t realize the appearance of sin then are they really qualified to hold a recommend? I am not being self righteous as trust me, I sin every day and need the atonement as much as anyone.

Whether something is legal or not is not by itself the definition of what is right or what is wrong. Many things which are wrong are illegal but so are many things are right. This becomes increasingly the case as we put our trust in men over the principles enshrined in our founding documents. This points us back to our personal relationship with God for truth. And searching the counsel of the prophets for the best ground to start from.