He Said: Caffeine!

When I joined the church 35 years ago the only bad habit I had to give up was drinking Pepsi cola. At time the person interviewing me suggested that my drinking four or five cans a day was a violation in their opinion of the Word of Wisdom. Not knowing any better and wanting to conform my life closer to the teachings of the Gospel I switched to drinking 7-Up or Sprite which I have continued to this day.

When I went on my mission one of my more experienced companions who was a convert to the church explained to me that drinking colas was an individual discretionary matter and that his bishop and stake president drank them. Most of the missionaries were evenly split on the subject but none of us drank them since our mission president asked us not to for a couple of reason: one he didn't want to confuse investigators who were struggling with coffee or tea and second he thought soda pop was a waste of the little money his missionaries received each month. He felt there were more nutritious things for us to eat or drink. After my mission I just continued the practice of not drinking caffeinated beverages. I rarely even drank hot cocoa although I do admit eating chocolate candy bars which has its own baggage.

About fifteen years ago I switched to drinking decaffeinated Pepsi Free on special occasions. Since I consumed too much soda pop I have diabetic tendencies. My wife has forced me to switch to diet soda pop which in the Pepsi or Coke decaffeinated versions is not even close to the original taste. On Father's Day, my birthday, and Christmas my family have an inside joke of giving one bottle of Pepsi Free (sugared) and a bag of Fritos.

I have had a few minor lapses this past couple of years when I discovered my wife drinking Diet Coke and Mountain Dew. She insists that she is only a social drinker of the suspect beverages and drinks them to get along with other social caffeinated drinkers who are a majority of her family and friends. The first few times she drank them in the presence our eight children she scandalized them since we both adamantly taught them over the years that consuming them was the height of hypocrisy.

One of our daughters picked up this bad habit on her mission to a foreign country which saddened me. In a blog post that I entitled Maté, Kava, Coca-Cola and LDS Missionaries I tracked down all the major statements I could find by Mormon authorities and concluded that

I don't really have an answer to whether you should or should not drink these beverages. There are conflicting guidelines and statements. Maybe they are intentional or maybe they are there so we can have our free will. I do know some former leaders have spoken out against them. I haven't heard anything in about twenty years though.

Personally I come down on the side of not drinking caffeinated soda. There are a few reasons I am opposed to it. I believe I am addicted to soda pop and think any kind brings health problems such as diabetes, kidney stones, etc. I feel guilt every time I pop the lid on one which is once or twice a day. Another reason is that caffeinated beverages including new energy drinks have as much caffeine in them as coffee or tea, in some cases, more. Even Sobe drinks which have vitamins and herbs can contain a great deal of caffeine. I recently saw a commercial that said drinking soda pop erodes enamel on teeth and that you can't replace hard enamel once it dissolves.

Despite my feelings many LDS members including my wife and Church leaders including mission presidents, bishops, stake presidents and even a few general authorities still drink colas. One of the contentions about drinking cola beverages is that there is just as much caffeine in them as in coffee or tea. A few members tell me that it is hypocritical to refrain from coffee and teas and drink the other substances. Many times uber-righteous non-caffeine drinker members tell cola drinkers to their face that they are just plain wrong in giving in to their natural cravings and consuming them.

I cringe every time I see my wife pop the top on a diet Coke. But lately I have moved across the line and bought her one on a recent trip. I do draw the line at Mountain Dew which is hard core stuff. I even drank one of her diet cokes when she wasn't looking a few months back when I was unusually thirsty. It was left over from a retreat with a bunch of feminist liberal women from Open Mormon. I didn't have the money or the inclination to go get a diet sugar free Root Beer at the local grocery store and couldn't stand my craving for the carbonated cool beverage when I was hot. I just hope I don't go to hell in the end for compromising on something that doesn't feel right to me and causes me such guilt and remorse.

She Said: Caffeine!

It's true--at one time I was a Nazi Word of Wisdom follower.

There are many issues which surround D&C 89, but today Dr. B. and I want to narrow the discussion down and talk about caffeine. One might well wonder why Mormons are known for not drinking Coca-Cola when the relevant statement from our "health code" states:

And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.

We all know that "hot drinks" has been interpreted to mean coffee and tea beverages. This interpretation developed from a statement made by Hyrum Smith in 1842.

And again "hot drinks are not for the body, or belly;" there are many who wonder what this can mean; whether it refers to tea, or coffee, or not. I say it does refer to tea, and coffee. (Hyrum Smith, "The Word of Wisdom", Times and Seasons, 1842-06-01, vol. 3, p. 800.)

By 1881 it was being taught that "hot drinks" should be understood as tea and coffee, no matter what form, hot or cold.

I understand that some of the people are excusing themselves in using tea and coffee, because the Lord only said "hot drinks" in the revelation of the Word of Wisdom .... Tea and coffee ... are what the Lord meant when He said "hot drinks." (In Joel H. Johnson (1881). Voice from the Mountains (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office) p. 12; cited in Church Educational System (2001). Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual: Religion 324 and 325 (Salt Lake City: LDS Church) p. 209.)

From there, the prohibition developed to mean coffee and tea only. Modern Latter-day Saints will readily drink hot beverages such as hot chocolate, spiced cider, and even herbal teas. It's instructive to track the evolution of this. With "hot drinks" narrowed down to coffee and tea, one might reason that they are restricted because they both contain caffeine. So in the early 1900's, when caffeinated soft drinks became readily available, many members figured that they should also abstain from these drinks. Elder John A. Widtsoe taught:

Whenever a drink is advertised to "give you a lift," the "lift" is likely to be caused by the drug which it contains. Such soft drinks are decidedly harmful and habit-forming, even though sold by the millions. Such caffeine-containing drinks, offered by every soda fountain and most eating places, and consumed in large quantities, should be known and avoided. (The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation, p.97)

With this in mind, President Heber J. Grant in April 1922 General Conference asked the Saints as a personal favor to him not to drink Coca-Cola. Two years later, after meeting with representatives from the Coca-Cola company, he became convinced that the amount of caffeine in the beverage was harmless and stated that he would no longer speak out against the use of cola drinks. Many other General Authorities since that time have cautioned against caffeinated soft drinks. But they are generally very careful to note that these drinks are not specifically contrary to the Word of Wisdom, because there are just as many GA's who do partake!

I think it is interesting to analyze motivations for members who have decided it is important to abstain from caffeinated soft drinks. It is recognized that it is not specifically caffeine which is against the Word of Wisdom. So why are some members determined not to partake? Those who cite the health risks often consume foods such as jello with food dyes, soups with MSG, processed meats with nitrates or chocolate, which contains mood-altering and addictive substances. They are also apt to ignore the health benefits of eating more grains and fruits in season and limiting meats, which is suggested in the Word of Wisdom.

I often wonder if those members who eschew caffeinated soft drinks are using this relatively simple religious behavior as an identifier to signify their level of "Mormon-ness." Cutting out the Coke is an easy thing to do, and it immediately brands you as a committed LDS Church member.

On the flip side, what does that say about those of us who love our Diet Dr. Pepper? Do we enjoy flouting outward convention? Is it a "safe" way to be just a little bit rebellious?

Take the Poll: Caffeine!