One of my earliest memories of Mormons, or members of the Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints, as they are officially called, was inviting two of their missionaries into our Christian student flat at Uni. However, on offering them a coffee or tea, we were abruptly told that they were not allowed to drink these beverages.
This unique eccentricity has increasingly come forward as a public question.
In fact, in her recently released autobiography, A Different Kind of Power, New Zealand ex-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was raised Mormon, said this was the question most often asked of her: ‘Is it true that you can’t drink coffee?’
Can Mormons Drink Coffee?
It is true that Mormons are not permitted to drink coffee or tea.
This can be traced back to the ‘Word of Wisdom’, a portion of the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the religious texts of the LDS. According to Doctrine and Covenants Section 89:
“Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833. As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently, he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result.”
This Word of Wisdom includes prohibitions of tobacco, wine, and strong drinks, the advice to eat meat sparingly and only “in times of winter, or of cold, or famine,” and most pertinently for us
“ And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.”
At that time, the phrase ‘hot drinks’ was almost certainly referring to coffee and tea. And so while it seems that this Word of Wisdom was treated by the early LDS church as somewhat optional (it was “not by commandment or constraint”), it was quickly inscribed into canon law.
In fact, for an LDS member to be a Temple Recommend Holder, a position of some note, they must report to a church leader that, among other things, they have faithfully kept the Word of Wisdom.
Why Can’t Mormons Drink Coffee?
It has been widely believed that the reason for this unique prohibition is the presence of caffeine in coffee, which can be both addictive and has been thought to be harmful to the body. This question was especially brought to the fore in 2012 when Mitt Romney, a professed Mormon, was seen drinking a Diet Coke on his presidential campaign. This stirred a bucket load of questions, and in the end, the LDS church released an official statement that “the church does not prohibit the use of caffeine” and the phrase hot drinks in the Word of Wisdom “does not go beyond [tea and coffee].”
It is likely that the coffee and tea part of D&C 89 reflects the realities of the time period. Scholars have noted that the early 1830s, when this scripture was written, was a time of rampaging epidemics such as cholera, and that the prescriptions and prohibitions of the section largely follow the orthodox medical practices of the day.
It is important to note that while the Word of Wisdom promises “ health in their navel and marrow to their bones,” it is not primarily a health code. Instead, this is a spiritual and religious distinction much like halal or Kosher. It is linked not only to temporal benefits but more importantly to eschatological blessings from God.
Do Mormons Drink Coffee?
To me, especially as a coffee lover, this is perhaps the most fascinating question. Do members of the LDS keep this, or do many stray to the forbidden cup?
The answer, as you might suspect, is mixed. A key 2016 survey found that four in ten LDS church members (under 51) had drunk coffee during the previous six months.
The survey further showed that as of 2016:
- Among active, faithful, church-attending Mormons, roughly one in four say they’ve had coffee, tea, or alcohol sometime in the last six months.
- About one in five active temple recommend holders report consuming coffee and tea (18% for each) in the last six months
- Only 34% of U.S. Mormons insist that abstaining from coffee and tea is “essential” to being a good Mormon.
- The younger generation tends to be more flexible on this issue than the older Boomers
So no, not every Mormon abstains from coffee, just as not every Jew is strictly kosher. As with other religions, it depends on a wide range of factors, including how active the church member is, age, and general demographic
Why can’t Mormons Drink Coffee- Takeaway
So in summary, members of the LDS Church generally do not drink coffee because it is prohibited in the Word of Wisdom given by prophet Joseph Smith.
This is not primarily a health concern so much as a religious dogma and a Mormon distinctive.
