Why Don’t Mormons Drink Coffee

Mormons, also known as the Latter Day Saints, have stayed away from coffee way before it grew in popularity in today’s era. But why don’t Mormons drink coffee? Are Mormons allowed to drink coffee? There are a lot of questions. First things first, let’s address the biggest of them all. The answer is no. As part of their religious beliefs, Mormons refrain from the caffeinated cup of goodness also known as coffee. 

Even in later years where other forms of caffeine have become socially acceptable, coffee has remained a big no-no. There is a long history of why this is and how the Mormon faith has changed their thinking as time has gone by. 

History

The Mormon faith is a lot younger than other belief systems, dating back to 1833 when Joseph Smith and his revelations catapulted the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. If you know anything about Mormon beliefs, then you have heard of Joseph Smith. He is responsible for the Book of Mormon where his revelations were transcribed into doctrines and covenants known as the Words of Wisdom. 

One of these Words of Wisdom is to thank for the refrain from coffee. Number 9 states that “hot drinks are not for the body or the belly”. As you might wonder, this includes much more than just coffee. Tea, hot chocolate, and our beloved coffee all fall under this category. 

While there is a lot of confusion on why this is a rule, there is a bit of a benefit from steering away from coffee at least. There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, caffeine in large amounts is not good for your body, and can be highly addictive. We’ll talk a bit more about this later. Also, there have been a few studies correlating coffee to cancer. That being said, even if you aren’t in the Mormon faith, it might be a smart idea to give coffee a break to focus on your health every once in a while. 

However, what is strange about the Mormon practise on this is that they don’t partake in drinking iced coffee either? Why is this? In order to fully understand this, we need to talk about another Word of Wisdom. Mormons are instructed not to partake in any harmful substances. Many have interpreted this to be any type of habitual or addictive substance. Alcohol, tobacco, and yes, coffee, all fall into this category. 

While in our modern-day society, coffee might not be seen at the same level as tobacco and alcohol, it is extremely addictive. Why do you think we love it so much. Caffeine in general is something that the Mormon faith steers away from. This explains why they don’t drink sodas either. For those of us that live on a caffeine heavy diet, this is extremely difficult to imagine implementing into our life. 

While this is a belief that began when the Book of Mormon was formed, this did not become a universal rule until much later. The hold of coffee took a while to break before it became a known practice to steer clear of. 

Practice

All of this is easy to understand in theory, but do Mormons actually put this belief into practice? Studies show that, unlike previous generations, Gen Z Mormons are taking on the Words of Wisdom as guidelines rather than fact. This has been found to be true for almost all religious laws outside of the Latter Days Saints. 

However, earlier generations have branched out a bit, drinking hot chocolate and hot tea. For the most part though, coffee is the one drink that seems to stick out as the big no-no in the older generation of the Mormon faith. 

So there you have it. The Mormon belief system when it comes to coffee is relatively black and white, but just like all religious practices, it evolves as society does. People interpret things differently, generations start to reevaluate why certain practices are in place, and people grow and change. Next time you see a Mormon friend or acquaintance, you can let them know about your newfound knowledge when it comes to the Mormon church and its relationship with coffee.