Mormons & Caffeine: What's the truth?

Mormons & Caffeine: What's the real truth? 

One popular myth about the Mormon Church is the rumor that Mormons don't drink caffeinated beverages. Some people may be wondering "Is this really true?" This being a question that many may have thought about recently as a result of the widely covered decision of the Mormon school (BYU) in September 2017 to add caffeinated beverages to their campuses, when beforehand they had been banned. As a lifetime member of the Mormon Church--or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, its real name--I can definitely answer that question. 

The Short Answer

Like everyone else in the World, Mormons have the freedom to drink whatever they want. You get to make your own choices, the Mormon Church doesn't force anyone to do anything. However, if a member of the Church wants to live in accordance with its teachings that member must forgo all types of beverages that include any amount of alcohol, black and green tea, or coffee. Along with those three beverages, Practicing Mormons must also forgo tobacco, illegal drugs and any other addictive or harmful substances. However, any other kind of drinks, caffeinated or otherwise, are permitted.

The reason why people think we can't drink caffeinated sodas is a result of the Church's teachings regarding the abstinence of alcohol, tea, and coffee. All which can, or regularly do, contain some amount of caffeine.

The Doctrine Behind It All

To some the thought of abstaining from alcohol, tea, and coffee is ludicrous. In our day and age, these beverages have become commonplace and many people consume them daily. However, just because many people drink alcohol, for instance, doesn't mean that it is healthy for you. Practicing Mormons take their health seriously and it is because we believe that God has commanded us to.

This commandment that God has given the Mormon Church is called the Word of Wisdom, a revelation and a doctrine that was given to the Church through the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith in February of 1833. The Word of Wisdom teaches what should and should not be consumed in order to maintain a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

Mormons believe that the body is a temple for the soul, meaning that in order to maintain and progress spiritually one must have a clean and healthy body. Mormons believe that the body and soul are connected and that when a person harms their own body, they, in a way, harm their soul. One way to understand that is to understand the consequences of forming an addiction.

Addictions And Their Consequences

Addictions can be formed by many things and the harmfulness of an addiction is one of the reasons why some Mormons have chosen to not consume any caffeinated beverage, including caffeinated sodas and energy drinks, even though these beverages are not part of Word of Wisdom. The reason being that caffeine can be an addicting substance.

Many millions of people around the world each day drink coffee and for many of those people, it has become not only a daily habit but also an addiction. It can get to a point where those who drink it every day feel as though they cannot get through the day without their coffee. That pick me up that gives them the energy they feel they need. This feeling of being unable to get through the day without coffee can be a symptom of that addiction. It may be hard to acknowledge for some, but if a person gets enough good food, exercise and sleep throughout the day they will have within themselves enough energy to get throughout the day. Coffee is a luxury, not a necessity.

Despite all that, people have the freedom to do as they please and if a person wants to spend money each day to grab a coffee or two at their local Starbucks, then that's their choice. Practicing Mormons, however, appreciate the freedom of not having to rely on coffee to get them through the day as well as not spending the money they would have had to otherwise.

Like coffee; tea, tobacco, illegal drugs, and alcohol can each be addictive in various levels. These addictions that can be formed can cause a person to lose a little bit of their own freedom as they surrender themselves to the unhealthy habit. With regards to the spiritual damaging part of these substances; alcohol, for instance, causes a person's mental state to become muddled or impaired and when this occurs a person tends to make poor choices, which can result in not only harming oneself or others physically but harming oneself spiritually.          

In essence, when we chose to keep our body healthy we, in turn, make it easier to keep ourselves strong spiritually. If a person is inebriated under the influence of alcohol it is much more difficult to make morally good choices then it is when a person is not under the influence of such substances.

Conclusion

In the end, each person chooses how healthy they want to be and what to put into or not put into their body. In this world today it can be really hard for some to be healthy. I know it is for me. I love sugary foods and fast foods and I end up giving in a lot and eating those things I know I probably shouldn't. But even though I am not perfect in my diet yet I have already chosen to avoid those things which I know both spiritually and scientifically are very bad for my physical and spiritual health. 

It is my hope that those who read this article will not only understand more about why some Mormons drink caffeinated drinks and why some don't but also that those who read this may be reminded of the consequences physically and spiritually of partaking of those harmful and addictive substances, whatever they may be. It's up to each individual to study and decided what it is that is harmful or addictive. It is wonderful that the miracle of technology and science has made this course of study a much easier one. 

*For more information on the Word of Wisdom visit: https://www.lds.org/topics/word-of-wisdom?lang=eng or https://history.lds.org/article/doctrine-and-covenants-word-of-wisdom?lang=eng