Category: Word of Wisdom

Why Can’t Mormons Smoke?

Answer Capsule

Latter-day Saints do not smoke because smoking violates the Word of Wisdom, a revelation that teaches respect for the body and avoidance of harmful substances. While the Word of Wisdom was originally given as wise counsel rather than a strict commandment, abstaining from smoking eventually became a formal requirement for temple participation. Smoking does not prevent anyone from attending Sunday worship services, but it does affect eligibility for making sacred covenants through baptism and temple ordinances.

Doctrine Explained

When the Word of Wisdom was first revealed in the 19th century, it was presented as guidance rather than a binding law. Members were encouraged, but not required, to follow its health principles.

Over time, Church leaders increasingly emphasized abstinence from tobacco as scientific understanding of its harms became clearer. By the early 21st century, abstaining from smoking was fully standardized as a requirement for receiving a temple recommend, which allows participation in sacred temple ordinances.

Smoking is viewed as harmful to the body, which Latter-day Saints believe is a divine gift essential to God’s plan. Practices that intentionally damage the body are therefore considered inconsistent with making and honoring sacred covenants.

Church Participation and Temples

All people are welcome to attend Sunday meetings of the Church, regardless of personal habits or lifestyle choices. No one is required to stop smoking in order to visit or participate in regular worship services.

Restrictions apply only to covenant-making ordinances such as baptism and temple worship. Temples are reserved for those who meet specific spiritual standards, which include obedience to the Word of Wisdom. More about temple worship can be found in the article Mormon temple ceremonies.

Scriptural and Official Sources

The Word of Wisdom is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 89. Official guidance on tobacco use is also explained in the Gospel Topics article Word of Wisdom.

Why Latter-day Saints Believe This

Latter-day Saints believe God’s standards are meant to protect both spiritual sensitivity and physical health. Obedience to these standards is seen as preparation for making eternal promises with God.

Clarifying Common Misunderstandings

Latter-day Saints do not believe smokers are unwelcome, judged, or rejected. Participation in the Church is open to all, while covenant requirements are voluntary and personal.

Faithful Affirmation

Latter-day Saints affirm that God invites people to come as they are, while also inviting them to grow through covenant commitment.

Why Don’t Mormons Drink Coffee and Tea?

Answer Capsule

Latter-day Saints do not drink coffee or tea because these drinks are prohibited by a health commandment known as the Word of Wisdom. This commandment specifically instructs members to avoid coffee and tea, and obedience to it is required for participation in temple ordinances. While many members associate the restriction with caffeine, the Church’s official teaching focuses on the substances named in the revelation rather than caffeine itself. Abstaining from coffee and tea has also made Latter-day Saints socially distinct, reinforcing religious identity and often prompting conversations about their beliefs.

Doctrine Explained

The Word of Wisdom instructs Church members to avoid “hot drinks,” a phrase that Church leaders have consistently interpreted as referring to coffee and tea. This instruction is treated as a commandment, and faithful members refrain from these beverages regardless of preparation method or temperature.

Many Latter-day Saints personally associate the prohibition with caffeine because coffee and tea are well-known sources of it. As a result, some members choose to avoid caffeinated drinks entirely, including soda and energy drinks. However, the Church has clarified that caffeine itself is not prohibited, and consuming caffeinated beverages does not affect one’s eligibility to attend temples.

Modern drinks such as soda were not common or widely available when the Word of Wisdom was revealed. Because the commandment specifically names coffee and tea, Church standards have remained focused on those substances rather than extending the restriction to newer beverages.

Scriptural and Official Sources

The Word of Wisdom is found in Doctrine and Covenants 89, which outlines principles of health and obedience. Church interpretation of coffee and tea is explained in the Gospel Topics article Word of Wisdom.

Why Latter-day Saints Believe This

Latter-day Saints believe that obedience to specific commandments, even when they set members apart socially, helps create a disciplined and covenant-focused community. Not drinking coffee or tea often makes members immediately recognizable in social or professional settings.

This distinctiveness has historically functioned as a quiet missionary tool. Questions about why members refuse common beverages frequently open conversations about faith, health, and belief in modern revelation.

Clarifying Common Misunderstandings

Latter-day Saints do not believe coffee or tea drinkers are immoral. The restriction applies only to those who choose to make and keep religious covenants within the Church.

Faithful Affirmation

Latter-day Saints affirm that God sometimes asks His people to live differently from surrounding culture. They believe these distinctions serve both spiritual and practical purposes.

Why can’t Mormons Drink?

Answer Capsule

Latter-day Saints do not drink alcohol because their religion teaches that God has given a health law known as the Word of Wisdom. This law instructs members to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and harmful substances in order to protect both physical and spiritual well-being. Obedience to this commandment is seen as a way to show respect for the body, maintain moral clarity, and remain worthy to participate fully in Church worship. Abstaining from alcohol is therefore a religious practice rooted in divine instruction, not a cultural preference or social rule.

Doctrine Explained

The reason Latter-day Saints avoid alcohol begins with their belief that the human body is sacred. The body is viewed as a gift from God and an essential part of His plan for human growth and eternal life. Caring for the body is therefore considered a spiritual responsibility, not merely a health choice.

In 1833, Joseph Smith received a revelation known as the Word of Wisdom, which outlines principles of health and conduct. This revelation counsels against the use of alcohol and other substances that impair judgment or harm the body. Over time, obedience to the Word of Wisdom became a formal requirement for Church members.

Alcohol is believed to interfere with self-control, clear thinking, and spiritual sensitivity. Because Latter-day Saints place a strong emphasis on moral agency and personal accountability, avoiding substances that diminish judgment is seen as essential to living according to God’s commandments.

Scriptural and Official Sources

The Word of Wisdom is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 89. This revelation teaches principles of health and promises spiritual and physical blessings to those who follow it.

The Church’s official explanation of the Word of Wisdom is found in the Gospel Topics article Word of Wisdom, which clarifies why alcohol is prohibited and how the commandment is practiced today.

Church leaders have consistently taught that obedience to this commandment is connected to spiritual strength and readiness to enter temples, where sacred ordinances are performed. Guidance on this standard is outlined in the Church’s General Handbook.

Why Latter-day Saints Believe This

Latter-day Saints believe God’s commandments are given for the benefit of His children. Avoiding alcohol is understood as a way to protect families, reduce addiction, and promote clear thinking and emotional stability.

Because eternal family relationships are central to Latter-day Saint belief, behaviors that strengthen trust, responsibility, and long-term commitment are strongly emphasized. Abstaining from alcohol is seen as one way to support those goals.

This belief is not based on the idea that alcohol users are immoral, but on the conviction that God has revealed a higher standard for His covenant people.

Clarifying Common Misunderstandings

This practice is sometimes misunderstood as a belief that alcohol is inherently evil. Latter-day Saints do not teach that people who drink alcohol are bad or sinful by default.

Latter-day Saints do not believe that abstaining from alcohol guarantees righteousness or spiritual superiority. It is viewed as an act of obedience, not a measure of personal worth.

Faithful Affirmation

Latter-day Saints affirm that God’s commandments regarding health are expressions of divine care. They believe obedience to the Word of Wisdom brings both spiritual strength and lasting well-being.