208 - Are Caffeine and Meat Against the Word of Wisdom? I Church History Matters I Word of Wisdom Series

208 - Are Caffeine and Meat Against the Word of Wisdom? I Church History Matters I Word of Wisdom Series

From Church History Matters by Scripture Central

June 9, 2026 · 52 min · Episode 210

About this episode

This episode explores the history and cultural debates surrounding the Word of Wisdom in the Latter-day Saint community throughout the 1900s.

In this episode of Church History Matters, we trace the fascinating and sometimes surprising history of the Word of Wisdom throughout the 1900s. How did a revelation originally framed as “not by commandment or constraint” become one of the defining markers of Latter-day Saint identity? Along the way, we explore the influence of Elder John A. Widtsoe and Leah Widtsoe’s influential book The Word of Wisdom, the leadership of President David O. McKay, and the growing cultural debates surrounding caffeine, chocolate, meat consumption, and other “gray areas” that shaped Mormon life in the twentieth century. We’ll examine how Saints and leaders wrestled with questions the revelation itself does not explicitly answer: Is caffeine against the Word of Wisdom? What about cola drinks? Why did some members avoid chocolate or hot soup while others focused only on coffee, tea, alcohol, and tobacco? And how did cultural traditions, personal opinions, and local teachings sometimes become confused with doctrine?

People in this episode

Host: Scripture Central

Topics covered

  • Word of Wisdom
  • Latter-day Saint identity
  • caffeine debates
  • meat consumption
  • cultural traditions
  • doctrine confusion

Keywords

  • Word of Wisdom
  • caffeine
  • meat
  • Latter-day Saints
  • John A. Widtsoe
  • David O. McKay
  • doctrine
  • cultural debates

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