Have you ever offered an LDS friend a cup of coffee, only to remember that Latter-day Saints do not drink it?
That ordinary moment can open a surprisingly important conversation. Coffee is not only a dietary choice in LDS life. Following the rule can affect whether someone is considered worthy to enter the temple.
Why Is Coffee Against the Word of Wisdom?
Latter-day Saints avoid coffee because of a health code called the Word of Wisdom, found in Doctrine and Covenants 89. The revelation advises against “hot drinks,” which LDS leaders later interpreted as coffee and tea. Today, following the Word of Wisdom is expected of faithful members and is required for a temple recommend.
The rule is not officially based on caffeine alone, and individual members may explain or apply it differently. Many Latter-day Saints drink caffeinated soda or energy drinks while still avoiding coffee and tea. Some avoid all caffeine because they understand “hot” to mean stimulating substances, while others drink caffeinated soda but avoid coffee in every form, including decaf. Members may also reach different conclusions about coffee flavoring and desserts.
Do not rush to correct your friend’s explanation. First, ask what the Word of Wisdom means to them.
What Does Coffee Have to Do with Temple Worthiness?
For a Latter-day Saint, avoiding coffee is more than a health decision. It is an act of obedience connected to temple worthiness.
During a temple recommend interview, members are asked whether they understand and obey the Word of Wisdom. Someone who continues drinking coffee may be unable to receive a recommend and participate in temple ordinances.
Gordon B. Hinckley once told of a woman who admitted during a recommend interview that she occasionally drank coffee. The bishop responded:
“Sister, surely you will not let a cup of coffee stand between you and the house of the Lord.”
Hinckley used the story to show that even a seemingly small act of disobedience could stand between a member and the temple.
That is why coffee carries more spiritual significance in LDS life than it does for many Christians. The question is not simply whether the drink is healthy. It is whether the member is willing to obey and can therefore be considered worthy to enter the temple.
How Can I Talk About Coffee with My LDS Friend?
Coffee will probably come up naturally if you spend time with Latter-day Saints. You do not need to force the subject or prepare a speech.
Do not tease your friend or try to make the rule sound ridiculous. Even when its reasoning seems confusing, avoiding coffee may represent a sincere act of faith and a real sacrifice.
One of our missionaries once went out for ice cream with an LDS friend. When they noticed a coffee flavor, the friend quietly admitted that coffee ice cream had been her favorite before she converted.
Instead of making a joke, the Christian could simply have asked what the rule meant to her.
Begin with ordinary curiosity:
“Why don’t you drink coffee?”
Then listen. Your friend may talk about health, caffeine, obedience, or following church leaders. Depending on the answer, you might ask:
“Would drinking coffee affect whether you could receive a temple recommend?”
Or:
“How does following the Word of Wisdom affect whether you are considered worthy?”
These questions allow your friend to explain the connection rather than forcing you to make it for them.
As the conversation develops, you may be able to ask a deeper question:
“Where do you find confidence that you are worthy before God?”
Approach the conversation to understand your friend, not to expose an inconsistency. The concern is not whether the coffee rule sounds reasonable to you. The deeper issue is how obedience, temple access, and worthiness fit together.
Move the Conversation Toward Jesus
Christians also want to obey God. The difference is not that obedience matters to Latter-day Saints but not to Christians.
The deeper question is where our confidence before God rests.
You might say:
“I understand why you want to obey. I want to follow God too. But my confidence before him cannot rest on how successfully I have understood and kept every requirement. It rests on Jesus.”
Then explain the hope Christ gives:
“My confidence is not that I have made myself worthy. Jesus gives me his righteousness. My standing with God rests on his perfect obedience and completed work.”
Those who trust in Christ are accepted because of what he has done. Jesus does not merely help us become worthy enough. He gives sinners the worthiness they need.
The most important question is not whether someone drinks coffee. It is whether our confidence before God rests on proving ourselves worthy or on the perfect righteousness Jesus gives us.