-{This post is a reproduction of a comment I left at Half Sigma involving a misperception about Mormons and caffeine}-

When I was living in the Mormon west, I worked for the bishop (the LDS equivalent of a priest) of the local church. He had a free coke machine downstairs that served caffeinated drinks. Mormon and non-Mormon employees alike partook. I asked Mormon coworkers about the caffeine ban and found out that contrary to popular belief, there isn’t one. At least not as I understood it.

The Words of Wisdom in the Doctrine & Covenants bans “strong drinks” and “hot drinks”, which has been interpreted to mean alcohol, coffee, and tea. It is not universally interpreted to include all caffeinated products such as cokes. Some do anyway because addictive substances in general are discouraged, but there is no hard rule.