OK, I have a confession to make. Some of you may know that I am a Latter-Day Saint. For those of you who don't know what that is, it means that I'm a Mormon. This means that I am a Christian, but not a Catholic, and not a Protestant.
Anyways, last week a co-worker was under the impression that members of my faith cannot partake of anything with caffeine. Yes, I know, this is a sad misunderstanding, but don't worry, even some members of my faith are unsure of the actual doctrine.
First off you need to realize that this
commandment is only for members of the LDS Church. This means that I
am the one held accountable for obeying it. We believe that those who
are not baptized members of the LDS Church are not held accountable to
this law. See, I can go to happy hour with you guys, have a Coke while you have your beers, and
still be friends. 
The revelation given to Joseph Smith entitled the Word of Wisdom is the actual doctrine for the LDS Church on this matter. The text is recorded in the 89th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. I'm not going to quote anything here, you can follow the links and go read it if you want (only 21 verses long). What I do want to mention is that the Word of Wisdom isn't just about what I must avoid taking into my body, but also what I need to be sure to include in my diet. Remember, this revelation was received in 1833.
- The Have's
- Wholesome herbs
- Fruit of the Vine (above and below ground, this includes vegetables)
- Meat (sparingly - whatever that means)
- All grains
- The Have Not's
- Wine
- Alcoholic Drinks
- Tobacco
- Hot Drinks (Coffee and Tea)
This means I can drink caffeinated soda and energy drinks (though I probably shouldn't drink too much). This also means I need to stop eating BBQ so frequently (ouch!). The very end of the revelation talks about the blessings from living the Word of Wisdom. So there you have it! Now hopefully we understand one another a little better.