Windy Sydney

July 7, 2008 at 4:15 PM

A lot of Mormons DO care about whether or not there is caffeine in non-hot drinks, like Mountain Dew or Red Bull. I, like most of my Mormon friends in California, grew up in a "no caffeine" household. My parents were devastated when they found out one of my brothers enjoyed the occasional Mountain Dew. And personally, I didn't try caffeinated until I was a missionary, and only then because it was rude to decline such hospitality in the country where I was serving.

You can't find caffeinated soda at BYU, the MTC or other church-owned properties which should tell you something about the way the church's leadership feels about it. That said, the leadership has never come out directly and said there was anything wrong with it. Drinking caffeinated sodas won't keep you from getting a temple recommend, either.

Considering the date of caffeine's discovery (1819), it is likely that Joseph Smith (i.e., "God") didn't know about it and thus couldn't have specifically called it out in the Word of Wisdom. The addictive properties of tea and coffee, however, were likely very well known by the time the Word of Wisdom was written, hence the ambiguity of "hot drinks" and the proscription of them.

Personally, I think staying away from coffee and tea DOES make a difference. Both are addictive; both can stain one's teeth; drinking both can lead to expensive habits. The cost of the habits alone is enough for me to stay away...That, and I hate the smell of both. :-)

The general message I've always gotten from the Word of Wisdom is that of "moderation". However, as you pointed out, some parts of the Word of Wisdom (hot drinks) are far more emphasized in the church today than others (meat, grain, etc.). If the entire Word of Wisdom was followed rather than just parts of it, Mormons would be a lot healthier in general than they are today, I'm sure.

July 7, 2008 at 5:02 PM

Coffee may be addicting but no more than diet coke, dr pepper and even things like tylenol PM, I agree, anything in moderation should be okay. I loves me some coffee!

Most scholars in the LDS church who are educated about the Word Of Wisdon actually agree that the original hot drinks rule wasn't about coffee or tea but the 'Healing teas' that were commonly found back then by local doctors and that women made at home. These drinks usually had not only tea but a type of alcohol similar to vodka in them that was purchased at the local pharmacy. These drinks were promoted for stress, colds, aches, etc. When the subject of tea was brought up BY told the women of the church not to share their teas or their wine with the children becuase it didnt promote healthy habits or good growth. But you never know, maybe he was speaking as a man, right? Then again he also said men could drink beer made from barley.

And if you look at the list of what the mormons should bring with the accross the plains, the list that had been handed out by BY, it included 5lbs of coffee.

Speaking of coffee here is a way easy yummy recipe! I drink it at least 2 times a week.

1 cup dark coffee
1 cup ice
1 cup milk
2 tbsp of chocolate instant pudding mix.

Mix it all in a blender and drink. Yum!

July 7, 2008 at 5:52 PM

Steve-O I just have to say I really enjoy your comments. You have left the church, but you are more than willing to take a more (in my opinion) laid back approach to it too.

I have to say I think that the church population needs to rethink its WoW approach. The idea of eating meat sparingly is rarely adhered to...especially in this country. My in-laws have given up eating meat consistently and my mother in law is a vego now. She is so much more the healthier for it too. Wifey and I have considered it, but to be honest, I do love the occasional red meat....and roasts...mmmm yum.

But you are right, observing the WoW means more than just watching out for bad drinks. It means being moderate in how we consume and eating lots of good stuff. I can't help but think that if the revelation was given today, it would be a little more specific. But the phrase 'so that the weakest of the weak can still be called saints' at the beginning of the WoW chapter in D&C has me to believe that there is a higher law...and perhaps Vegetarianism is one of them.

July 7, 2008 at 6:24 PM

Steve-O, where in CA did you grow up. Most mormons where I am in So CA have no issue with caffeine in their soda. Maybe it is the different area's?

The thing is, there are so many worse things out there. I have never heard someone at GC talk about the importance of not being obese or that they need to excercise more. Those things are way more dangerous to someone's health than coffee or tea is.

July 7, 2008 at 6:45 PM

What gets me is how "evil" Utah Mormons look at coffee. Lets face it, there are tons of things in the world they consume every day that are worse than coffee. Yet if I walk into a meeting with a Starbucks cup I am looked at like Satan himself! It's just coffee people... just coffee.

July 7, 2008 at 6:46 PM

Ooooh, and thanks for the recipe, I will try it out soon!!!

July 7, 2008 at 6:52 PM

I grew up in Claremont (east end of LA County). I suspect that things are different in other areas. I wouldn't rate Claremont as "laid back" as far as the practice of Mormonism goes.

Incidentally, my wife is from Utah Valley and grew up in a no-caffeine household as well. She won't ever buy a caffeinated soda, but will occasionally take a sip of mine if I have a new flavor (like the special edition Mountain Dew flavors). I'm with her on this, more or less. If there is a choice between caffeine and no caffeine, I'll take the latter every time. Caffeine does nothing to me anyway. I've previously gone through entire 2-liter bottles of Mountain Dew right before bed and had absolutely no trouble sleeping whatsoever. As for coffee and tea, well, I've never tried either (except for flower teas, which supposedly are OK under the WoW).

July 7, 2008 at 6:53 PM

But Andee...Starbucks has the APPEARANCE of evil. Sheesh...

July 7, 2008 at 7:26 PM

How peculiar, regarding coffee and caffeine.

Caffeine isn't evil as some, like the media, make it out to be. It has health benefits, when used in moderation.

I can understand the part about addictions, but anything can become addicting...

July 7, 2008 at 7:47 PM

Steve-O,

My mistake, Starbucks is the appearance of evil. Hahaha. What on earth was I thinking? :P

The Original Anonymous,

I couldn't agree with you more about the "everything in moderation" comment. There are many studies that show coffee actually helps with certain physical ailments. I can't name them off the top of my head, but I certainly remember watching the news clips on television.

There are many things that are worse for you than coffee or caffeine.

Also, I really wish the church would just come out and say what is and what isn't against the word of wisdom. One of my grandfathers used to yell and scream if he saw his kids with coffee, or a caffeinated coke, but felt Dr. Pepper (with caffeine) was okay. I think his bishop (who knows which one...) told him that coffee and coke were against the word of wisdom.

There is way too much room for personal interpretation. If the rule is so important, they should be very clear about it.

Thanks for the comment!!!

July 7, 2008 at 7:59 PM

I think it's great that the church has not specifically called out everything that should or should not be touched with regard to the WoW. It's too bad there aren't more concepts like this.

In my mind, the god/church/prophet that specifies every little thing the believer should or should not do only testifies to the weakness of the believers. There is one scripture in the D&C that I've always thought had broad applications in life, in general. It says something to the effect of "teach men correct principles, and let them govern themselves."

Too often people in the church forget this principle. When they're bishops, stake presidents, even elders quorum presidents, they think it's not only their right, but also their duty to tell other people what to do and how to act. Very often this is nothing more than a personal matter of opinion, which is sad, because it robs people of the growth they might otherwise experience if they used their own minds to study issues and concepts, and then make their own choices...and in the end, it makes our leadership look like Pharisees.

Several months ago, I wrote a post in my blog about a mission conference gone awry for this very reason. Search for it sometime if you're bored.

July 7, 2008 at 9:57 PM

Steve-O, I know exactly where Clairemont its. I am in OC. Not very many people in my ward (or that I knew in other wards in the stake)did the no caffeine is soda thing. Most people I know should have had an IV of diet coke inserted in their vein to save the bother of drinking it.

In fact, I have a prescription stimulant I am supposed to take. My insurance company will not pay for it so I drink coffee instead (I did when I was active because as far as I was concerned it was medicinal). Someone actually suggested that I should drink lots of diet coke instead. In her mind coffee make me break the word of wisdom, but diet coke wouldn't. Go figure.

July 8, 2008 at 4:11 AM

truly confused, where in OC are you? I'm curious, but you don't have to say if you don't want to give that away. I lived there for a few years when I was young, dated a girl from there for a while when I was at BYU and have one brother there now...

July 8, 2008 at 8:00 PM

I am in Huntington Beach.

July 9, 2008 at 12:07 PM

You hit on a few issues I discuss in My Word of Wisdom Problem. It's not logical for Latter-day Saints to accept some parts of the "revelation" as being so binding that failure to abide by them would keep them from progressing spiritually (temple, callings, etc), but then ignore other parts without so much as a second thought.