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Why don’t Mormons drink coffee, tea, or alcohol? What is the Mormon Church’s law of health and proper diet?

Official Answer

Our body is a precious gift from God. To help keep our bodies and our minds healthy and strong, God gave a law of health to Joseph Smith in 1833. This law is known as the Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89:1-21).

In addition to emphasizing the benefits of proper eating and physical and spiritual health, God has spoken against the use of:

  • Tobacco.
  • Alcohol.
  • Coffee and tea.
  • Illegal drugs.

God promises great physical and spiritual blessings to those who follow the Word of Wisdom. Today, the scientific community promotes some of the same principles that a loving God gave to Joseph Smith nearly two centuries ago.

  • Braden Scothern

    We do not drink coffee, tea, alcohol, use tobacco, or illegal drugs because of a commandment known as the Word of Wisdom. The Word of Wisdom was a commandment revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith in 1833. It tells us the importance of keeping care of our bodies because they are temples. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) We know that while from the outside it may seem restrictive it really gives us freedom it blesses us physically and spiritually. The things that we are counseled to stay away from in this law from our loving Heavenly Father help us keep our agency. When you are addicted to something you have given up some of your agency, it controls you. Satan tries to use addictive things to bind us down so we cannot focus on our relationships with the Lord. In addition to us keeping our agency we are promised these things in the Word of Wisdom: "all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments... shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures... And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen." (D&C 89:18-21 So those who keep the commandment are able to be in tune with the Holy Ghost more. That is a great blessing because it is the Spirit that helps us stay on the path to eternal life and teaches us all spiritual truths. Show more

  • Molly

    God gave us the ability to choose. There are substances in coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco and other harmful drugs that limit our ability to choose. The intent of the law of health we follow is to preserve our ability to make good choices. This law of health is called the “Word of Wisdom”. It not only guides us regarding the substances to avoid, but also those to include in our diet. We are told to eat fruits and vegetables in their season, include grains, and eat meat sparingly. We are promised that if we follow these guidelines we will be healthy, able to learn and accomplish all that is required of us by our various roles in life. I am grateful for the blessings I receive from following the Word of Wisdom. As a Dietitian I especially love this law of health because as I’ve seen the US guidelines for nutrition develop they are now aligning with what the Lord told us many years before. I believe that the guidelines set forth in our law of health are the minimum requirements for good health. It may be necessary for some people to avoid certain foods or eat a lower fat diet, or avoid caffeine entirely, but these specifics are not mentioned in the law of health and are to be determined by each individual. Show more

  • Rachel

    The Mormon Church's law of health and diet is laid out in what is called the Word of Wisdom. The Word of Wisdom is the Lord's Commandment to us through the prophet to take care of our bodies! The bodies we have are sacred, given to us by God so that we can become like Him. Things like Alcohol and coffee inhibit us in the fact that they are addictive, and we do not want to be subjects to addiction, we need to be in control of our body and appetites. The commandment to not drink alcohol or stay away from drugs like tobacco also have an additional blessings - they allow us to keep the Spirit in our lives as well as allow us to keep our free agency intact, or ability to choose the right. The Word of Wisdom also lays out the kinds of foods that one should eat - herbs, grains, fruit, and meat. This is something I personally struggle with. I used to be very overweight, and I have lost the weight but my body still craves the foods I know that I shouldn't eat. In this I am subject to the addictions of my body and it is only through the Atonement of Christ that I am able to overcome those struggles little by little. I am weak but with the strength of the Lord I know all things are possible so every day I pray for strength beyond my own to resist the temptation. I do this because I know that by following the Word of Wisdom I will have promised health, and added spiritual strength. And I need that Spirit in my life! Show more

  • Ben

    Three years after the church was organized (1833), God gave a law of health to Joseph Smith (the first president of the church) that discouraged the use of tobacco, alcohol, coffee and tea. Those who observe this code of healthy eating (called "the word of wisdom") are promised to have better physical and mental abilities, and an improved ability to connect with God. Today, the adverse effects of alcohol and tobacco on health are well-known. This was not the case when mormons first began observing the word of wisdom. Whether tea and coffee are bad for one's health is similarly unknown. Like mormons in the 19th century, we observe the word of wisdom as a matter of faith rather than science. A few other points: -the word of wisdom is not just about not eating certain things, it's more about taking care of your body -some members abstain from caffeine, while others do not - it's an individual decision -herbal teas are generally considered to be ok I personally love everything about the word of wisdom. Some people might call it restrictive, but I see it as evidence of God's interest in my life. He cares about what I ate for lunch and I think that is awesome. Show more

  • Spencer

    For me, the law of health, usually called the Word of Wisdom, is important for two reasons. First, our bodies are gifts. When you look at how complex and how interactive the cells in our bodies really are, you kind of gain a new appreciation for how fragile they are, too. So why would anybody put anything into your body that is so harmful to it? Secondly, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, and illegal substances, are all psychoactive drugs, whichever way you cut it. They all alter your consciousness to some degree, which makes it understandably difficult to listen to the guidance of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost isn’t very good at shouting. Show more

  • Josh

    Mormons don't drink coffee, tea, or alcohol because we believe that these things are harmful to our bodies. Most importantly, the Lord revealed a commandment to the Prophet Joseph Smith that we should not partake of these substances, along with tobacco and illegal drugs. When a prophet of God receives revelation from God, it is like God has spoken. We can know that this commandment is important if we know that God really called Joseph Smith to be a prophet. The only way to know is to ask through prayer. I have seen the blessings of keeping this commandment in my life and I know that this is really a commandment from God. We can be healthier, happier, and more in tune to the Spirit if we keep this commandment. Show more

  • Andrew

    It's cool to see the difference between the Lord's wisdom and our wisdom. Sometimes they match and sometimes they clash. I can imagine that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with two stone tablets and proclaimed they came from God, there was probably lots of speculation whether it really was or not. Bottom line is, God keeps giving us commandments and to keep our bodies healthy by telling us to avoid tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea and any other harmful substance. Show more

  • Carl

    When I go to a party I want to walk away remembering the people I met and the things we talked about. With my faulty memory I have a hard enough time doing that. I don't need the influence of a chemical in my body to aid me in forgetting why I was doing something or who I was with. Also, if I go to sleep early and eat healthy in the morning I don't need something to get me up and going every day. I want my body to be in top shape for whatever else may come my way that day, so I am training my body to function properly whenever I want or need it. Show more

  • Chase

    We know that one of God's gifts to us is a physical body. Now if someone gave me a gift and i scratch it and break it and do not take care of it, that someone is going to feel sad that you did not care about the gift that was given to you. Our Heavenly Father is sad when we do not take care of our bodies. We can take care of our bodies by excercising, and by avoiding substances such as tobacco, alcohol, coffee/tea and illegal drugs. We can eat healthy and then that will reduce the chances of getting sick and being weak. Show more

  • Jerad

    Joseph Smith received a revelation recorded in the 89th section (known as the Word of Wisdom) of what is known as the Doctrine and Convenants (recorded revelations to Joseph Smith and other Church leaders) that was given for our spiritual and temporal (or physical) benefit. This outlaws all things that can cause harm to our body, but naming in particular: tabacco, alcohol, coffee, tea (black, green, or that comes from a "tea" leaf only), and all illegal drugs. Coffee and tea may seem strange to some, but we can easily see the addictive affects that coffee has on people, many feel that they can´t funcion without drinking it and can cause severe withdrawals (such as headaches) when one stops using it for a time. We all have a gift from God known as agency, or the ability to choose for ourselves, but when we subject ourselves to addictions, we are robbing ourselves of that precious gift to choose and can´t funcion without this substance. The body becomes dependent on this thing and it becomes difficult to change, so we are commanded to avoid such substances. The Word of Wisdom also advises us to mantain a healthy and balanced diet so that we can have energy. Some of the blessings of this law are "health in the naval and marrow in the bones, hidden treasures of knowledge (as we will have clear minds), run and not be weary, run and not be faint (see also Isaiah 40:31), and the Angel of Destruction with pass from us as with the children of Israel in Exodus," (D&C 89:18-21). Show more

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