It can't be understated how really great it feels to choose for yourself how to live.

I don't pretend to understand the reasons for everything about Mormonism. The fact is, if I could answer all the questions I'd still be Mormon. Nevertheless, here's the lowdown:

Mormon's have a book of scripture, so-called modern revelation, called the Doctrine and Covenants. In D&C section 89 the council is given (if you read closely God supposedly says that this is not meant as commandment) "And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly."

Sometime after the Word of Wisdom, as it is now called, some prophet or General Authority decided that "hot drinks" meant specifically tea and coffee. Many members interpret this to mean caffeine and therefore abstain from all caffeinated beverages. Others take it to mean coffee and tea in all forms, hot or otherwise. A very few others take the words literally and avoid all hot drinks including soups, cider, cocoa, etc.

The real answer is that early church leaders devised this simple way to subtly control the behavior of their followers and it became a cultural tradition. One that has Mormons like my mother and wife convinced that coffee is a gateway to child molestation.

You know, every time I go to molest a kid I prefer booze to hot drinks. Just seems to get everyone in the mood much quicker.

With hot drinks you always run the risk of someone getting scalded.

OK, I know way too many obscure answers to Mormon history questions. I can't quote chapter and verse, but if you gave me a couple hours I could find the references from which I got this info.

The Word of Wisdom (Doctrine & Covenants, section 89) has its origins in the "Temperance Movement" which was very popular in the Midwest at the time this "revelation" was received. Joseph Smith's wife, Emma, was an adherent of this temperance movement. The rest of the story is well-known as told by Brigham Young:

I think I am as well acquainted with the circumstances which led to the giving of the Word of Wisdom as any man in the Church, although I was not present at the time to witness them. The first school of the prophets was held in a small room situated over the Prophet Joseph's kitchen,... When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, and spit all over the room, and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke. This, and the complaints of his wife at having to clean so filthy a floor, made the Prophet think upon the matter, and he inquired of the Lord relating to the conduct of the Elders in using tobacco, and the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom was the result of his inquiry." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 12, p. 158)

He leaves off the very important role Emma played here: she was one of the founding members of the Kirtland Temperance Society (disparagingly referred to as the Cold Water Society), and had successfully campaigned for the closure of a distillery in town. She was a woman with a mission, to eliminate the use of alcohol and tobacco, to reduce the eating of meat, and to recommend against the use of hot drinks. The Society promoted these ideas in the name of "health".

Unfortunately, shortly after this revelation was given, many Latter-Day Saints took the advice literally. They would not boil water which was to be used by humans. You often read of the horrible bouts of dysentery and cholera running rampant through various Mormon settlements after 1830; now you know the reason.

After Joseph's death and the emigration from Missouri to Utah, Brigham Young found political capital in the use of the Word of Wisdom to promote domestic production of various beverages. He saw consumption of alcohol, coffee, and tea as a drain on the economy of Utah, and repeatedly exhorted the Saints to avoid consumption of out-of-state goods. He even encouraged some Saints to start their own tobacco farms (despite Utah's horrible growing season for the crop) in order to curb local enthusiasm for the weed.

(See http://www.lds4u.com/lesson4/wisdom.htm )

Over time, adherence to Brigham's interpretation of the Word of Wisdom increased, and in 1928 faithful following of the Word of Wisdom became a requirement for entry into Mormon Temples. Contrary to popular belief, there was no vote on this change, but just a quiet modification of the wording of the temple recommend interviews. The timing is useful to note here, as just a few years earlier (1920) the LDS church was a primary financier of the Prohibition amendment to the US Constitution, and LDS leaders expressed grave disappointment that the state, which had so unanimously approved of the amendment a few years earlier, overwhelmingly approved the ouster of Prohibition a few years later in 1933.

In 1928, when this became a requirement for temple entry, Prohibition was already under enormous pressure, for it illegalized what had been legal for thousands of years. It appears that this requirement was added to the temple recommend interview in order to reiterate the church's position on Prohibition.

(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition)

OK, I had more to say, but this is already way too long for an anonymous comment. Enjoy!

its not that weird there buddy. us mormons don't drink anything that's addictive, or realy bad for you. and sorry to say it lady, COFFEE IS BAD FOR YOU ;] ;] ;]. alrighty, why don't you go reasearch us on lds.com? :] okay. coffee is gross anyhow. ;] bye!

Shouldn't you be in school right now?

I think you are the first person to say "tea-bag" on this site.

I have been happy with my Latte Express so far though I have had a little issue lately where the motor won't spin and it trips the GFCI outlet in my kitchen. It stopped doing it though so... hmmm...

which i'll consider an honor!

also, i think the great white ghost of joe smith is causing the latte express issue. no, seriously.

His ghost is both white AND delightsome. A delicious combination.

I'm sure if you asked my mother, it's the coffee that made you gay. If only you could find Jesus, you could learn to love women.

Yes, everybody loves a good tea-bagging.