caffeine

A longstanding issue among members of the LDS Church is whether it is permissible to ingest drinks containing caffeine that are not tea or coffee. In 1918, an article published in an official church magazine reasoned that because Coca-Cola contained caffeine, which is also present in tea and coffee, Mormons should abstain from Coca-Cola in the same way that they abstain from the Word of Wisdom "hot drinks". Many Mormons have come to believe that the reason tea and coffee are proscribed is the presence of caffeine in the drinks and to avoid the substance at all costs. For many members, this convoluted section of the Word of Wisdom and mormon culture forms a crack in their belief system that leads to other beliefs unravelling as well.

Profiles with caffeine on their "shelf":