can a Mormon help answer this question please?

Question

(serious answers please no negative comments) I had 2 LDS missionaries over and they are very nice people, I had them over 5 times and they explained the book of mormon to me, Since doing a lot of my own biblical research over the past year I learned that mormons (specifically these two) have pretty much the same beliefs as myself because they also follow the bible. I just dont follow the book of mormon as well. However there is one thing that confuses me and neither of the missionaries were able to answer my questions. Every time they come over I offer them water, coffee or tea. They always ask for water. I asked last night if there was something other than water they would like to drink that I can buy for them for when they visit again. One of the Elders told me that water is fine because God has told us we are not allowed to drink coffee tea or alcohol because it is harmful to our bodies. Now, me having a degree in health science objected to any herbal tea being harmful. They agreed with me. I also objected to one glass of dry red wine being harmful because it is actually very healthy so long as we only have one glass a night (of merlot for example) because it is a great antioxidant and is healthy for the heart and arteries. The elders told me that being an alcoholic isnt ok in Gods eyes and I agreed with that, but drinking one glass of wine every now and then and not letting yourself become an alcoholic is ok. They said God has asked us not to drink alcohol and neither of them could show me in the bible where he says that. I asked about communion, if it was bad to drink wine for sacrament as Jesus has told us to do (or some use grape juice) and they said yes it is bad and so is grape juice so they use water as a representation. I said Jesus drank wine in moderation and the ancient egyptians in moses's day drank beer because the only water source was from the Nile river and the niles water still to this days is swimming with disease, I understand that back in those times that most water was dirty so to clean a beverage was to ferment it thus creating some type of alcohol and we dont have to do that so much today in more civilized popultaions but God obviously knows that one glass of dry red wine is healthy and that teas (even black and green) can be medicinal, and they continued to say that modern revelation is that we cannot drink any type of alcohol because again it is harmful...yes if it is abused and if it is anything other than dry red wine once a night. So I asked, "are you allowed to drink soda then?" and they said "yes" and I said "well soda is extremely bad for you, it is high in processed sugar and carbon dioxide" (carbon dioxide is what we exhale because it is toxic and exhaling is the way our bodies release it, so why would you put carbon dioxide back into your bodies?) anyway. The point is that they couldnt back up their argument with scripture. The point that alcohol is bad for you (and black, white, and green teas) because it is unhealthy doesnt make sence because so is soda and most types of juices. So Can anyone tell me where God has appointed us not to occasionally have a glass of healthy wine or non-herbal teas? Coffee is generally unhealthy so I wont argue with that, but where does God mention we cant have the cocoa bean either?

Answer 1

First, you will not find a “Biblical” or even a "Book of Mormon" scripture to support the restriction of coffee, tea and alcohol (From now on called, C.T.&A.). Since Mormons believe in “modern day revelation” they feel that their "Doctrine and Covenants" is just as much scripture as the Bible and Book of Mormon. This is where there "Word of Wisdom", or rules against C.T.&A. appear (#89). The Mormons believe the Joseph Smith reveled the "Word of Wisdom" or a set of health laws "for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children" in 1833. While the "Word of Wisdom" covers C.T.&A., it isn’t limited to that. It includes other things like getting proper sleep and exercise, and proper eating.



Second, while the Mormons know that one glass of C.T.&A. isn't going to hurt you physically, they belief that God has told them not to drink C.T.&A.. Therefore, it isn't a physical issue for them. It is a spiritual one. This is similar to Kosher laws. No Jewish person believes that one bite of pork is going to be bad for them physically, but it is spiritually harmful. Therefore you’re trying to justify the partaking of C.T.&A. from a "it's not physically harmful" point of view, which isn’t going to convince any Mormons to have C.T.&A. since they feel it's "spiritually harmful".



Third, Herbal tea is technically fine for Mormons. However, I would guess, but this is just my guess, the missionaries probably wont drink any herbal tea you offer due to the appearance of breaking the rules. They are forced to follow a lot of rules that even regular members aren’t forced to follow. They are trying to convert people and people "Look to them" as an example of being a proper "Mormon". Therefore if a "Convert" sees them drinking "Tea" after the missionaries said it was a sin, it may lead to problems, even if it turns out it was herbal tea. I would also guess that missionaries wont buy Starbucks for the same reason. They don't want people accidentally thinking they are drinking coffee. However, again, other then Herbal tea being technically fine, the rest is just MY opinion. I have no facts on those matter, nor do I know if missionaries wont drink herbal tea or buy Starbucks for sure.



Lastly, while some people and even some Mormons say that Mormons can’t drink soda or eat cocoa beans, it’s not true. While some Mormons make the personal choice that these aren't healthy and should be avoided, it has never been Mormon Doctrine. This is no different than a Baptist or Catholic saying, God wants me to keep my body, which is a temple, healthy, so I wont drink soda anymore. Interestingly, in the past their own leaders have given conflicting answers to the caffeinated soda question, but I have never heard of the cocoa bean even being mentioned by the upper leadership. In any case, it was all over the news in Utah that the LDS Church issues a statement saying that caffeinated sodas have “never been part of the Word of Wisdom" and they can drink all they want.

Answer 2

The problem with allowing one or two or three drinks is, where do you draw the line? Too many people will use that as an excuse to consume to excess. It isn't whether a glass of wine is good for you or not, it is that a line had to be drawn somewhere, and drawing it at ZERO alcoholic beverages avoids a lot of trouble down the road. Same with caffeine. Is a small cup of green tea bad for you? I don't know. But again, a line had to be drawn somewhere and it was easier to just draw it at zero tea or coffee.



Keep in mind that this does not apply to herbal tea, it very specifically applies to caffeinated teas made with the leaves of the tea plant.



What about soda? You have brominated vegetable oils, preservatives, caffeine, and other harmful ingredients. 5 hour energy drinks, energy drinks with massive amounts of caffeine - why does the church allow this?



The answer is because it is not feasible to micromanage a list of what can and what cannot be consumed. The church would have to evaluate every single beverage and food that came out and maintain a huge list of what we can and cannot consume. Instead of doing this, the line is drawn at alcohol, coffee, caffeinated teas. We are left on our own from that point forward to decide for ourselves what to eat and drink. We are counseled to avoid harmful and/or addictive substances, and a while back there was even a talk published on the dangers of energy drinks. But the church is not going to start dictating to the members what they can or can not eat and drink. Doing so just isn't feasible. The line has been drawn, and it is up to us to figure out where to go from here.



The church never said it was the caffeine that was the cause of the prohibition against tea and coffee and in fact the church has never taken an official position on caffeine consumption. This is what the church has said officially:



"With reference to cola drinks, the Church has never officially taken a position on this matter, but the leaders of the Church have advised, and we do now specifically advise, against the use of any drink containing harmful habit-forming drugs under circumstances that would result in acquiring the habit. Any beverage that contains ingredients harmful to the body should be avoided."

(LDS Church, Priesthood Bulletin, Feb. 1972, p.4)



The church handbook likewise says nothing about consuming caffeinated beverages.

Answer 3

The revelation concerning these things was given in 1833. It states that we should not drink hot drinks which then was interpreted to mean coffee and tea. The Lord does not go into detail but the reasons tend to be more spiritual them physical. In Mormonism, being led by the spirit is really important. Things that are addictive or numb the spirit are to be avoided. Mormons do drink herbal tea.



Mormons are taught to do all things in moderation. So, though there is no council for eating chocolate, it would not be wise to gorge ourselves on it or become so dependent on food that we are overweight addicts. However, there are many Mormons who do struggle with these things. I am glad that I do not need a cup of coffee to get me going in the morning.



God does not give council to be mean but to help us be health and happy. If we have faith (trust) in Christ, we will follow him no matter what we think will happen, knowing that it is all for our good.



Here is the entire health revelation known as the word of wisdom:



http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng

Answer 4

Herbal tea is ok, but coffee (even decaf) and caffeinated teas are not allowed.



A glass of alcoholic wine now and again is also not recommended, a glass of grape juice without the fermentation is equally full of antioxidants. Soda should also not be consumed regularly, but it is not specifically mentioned. Basically anything that is harmful to ingest.. shouldn't be ingested.



The Church's stance on other substances has been to rely upon common sense rather than to submit an extensive list. It is our duty to take care of the bodies that God has given us. God has given us a chance to learn, grow, teach, and be kind to others, he is not well pleased with those who squander their time on addictive substances and shirk all opportunities to serve him and keep his commandments.



Think about giving your 16yr old a new car only later to find out your child abused it, didn't take care of it, and destroyed it.. on purpose.