Hot Chocolate

[sarge712]

Does hot chocolate (or cocoa for you Yankees, etc) qualify as a "hot drink" per the Word of Wisdom? I was working with my daughter on her Seminary scripture mastery scrips and the hot drinks part stood out. I work at night and in winter I drink gallons of the stuff. However I will quit it cold turkey if its taboo. I don't see why it wouldn't be is why I am asking though I need more enlightened folks than I am to fill me in. Thanks!

[ghostcat]

Years ago the church clarified their interpretation of hot drinks as consisting of coffee and tea. The tea referred to does not include herbal teas. I personally have come to believe that it also includes any excessively hot liquid. you know scalding soup or anything that burns the tissue as its going down.

[BackBlast]

On my mission we always interpreted it as Coffee and Black Tea.

[ghostcat]

The direct answer is hot chocolate is okay.

[mirkwood]

Yea it's fine. I drink it all winter long too. 7-11 has a hot chocolate with mint that I really like.

[sarge712]

Thanks!

[sunsinger]

Thanks!

I once read an article that said hot liquids promoted throat cancer, but that was 30+ years ago. So it must have been refuted because you don't hear about it now.

[Equanimity]

The church cannery wouldn't sell hot chocolate if it wasn't ok. ;0)

[Molly]

Hot chocolate is very high on the list as a comfort drink. Hot chocolate and hot soup are great for mass feedings.

Molly

[crazyknitter]

This last winter, as we were working very dilligently on our food storage, out of the blue ALOT of hot chocolate fell into my lap. I had already thought we had quite enough stored, but I felt pretty firm that this was from above and it would come in handy to have.

[LarnaE]

Does hot chocolate (or cocoa for you Yankees, etc) qualify as a "hot drink" per the Word of Wisdom? I was working with my daughter on her Seminary scripture mastery scrips and the hot drinks part stood out. I work at night and in winter I drink gallons of the stuff. However I will quit it cold turkey if its taboo. I don't see why it wouldn't be is why I am asking though I need more enlightened folks than I am to fill me in. Thanks!

It isn't against the Word of Widom, but you can sure gain some weight drinking it. I was drinking a big cup several nights a week. It was my special calm down from the day drink. I then made the mistake of reading the label. It has tons of calories. I still have a cup once in a while on special occasions. Why do all the yummy things have to have so many calories?

[JayE]

The official answer comes from the church's handbook of instruction. To summarize, "hot drinks" refer to coffee and tea (not herbal). The temperature is irrelevant. Any form of coffee breaks the commandment of the WOW - hot, cold, decaf, all kinds.

The WOW is really in two parts - the commandment and the spirit.

The commandment says to abstain from coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs. That's it.

If you abstain from those substances, you can answer truthfully in a worthiness interview that you obey the WOW.

The spirit of the law would include things like abstaining from caffeine, or any other substance that is not good for you. It also includes counsel to eat herbs, whole grains, etc. and to give thanks (mentioned twice in D&C 89).

Hot chocolate might very well violate the spirit of the law, if you drink a lot of it, but it is not part of the commandment, like "hot drinks" are.

[ghostcat]

Jay,

Thanks for the post. If you notice, when I mentioned temperature I did so as a Personal thing. I just can't believe that pouring a scalding liquid of any kind down ones throat is a good idea:l0 (20):.