Cola Drinks – Vaughn J. Featherstone
I was over in England a while back and a bishop asked me, “What is the Church’s stand on cola drinks?” I said, “Well, I can’t remember the exact wording of the bulletin, but I remember seeing the bulletin when …
I was over in England a while back and a bishop asked me, “What is the Church’s stand on cola drinks?” I said, “Well, I can’t remember the exact wording of the bulletin, but I remember seeing the bulletin when …
With reference to cola drinks, the Church has never officially taken a position on this matter, but the leaders of the Church have advised, and we do now specifically advise, against the use of any drink containing harmful habit-forming drugs under circumstances that would result in acquiring the habit. Any beverage that contains ingredients harmful to the body should be avoided. [The Priesthood Bulletin, Feb. 1972, p. 4; also in “The Word of Wisdom,” The Doctrine and Covenants: Student Manual (Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981), p. 209.]
I was definitely informed by a chemist that the cola drinks are just as harmful as tea or coffee, and his advice was to leave all such substances alone. [“Use of Cola Drinks and Playing Games of Chance,” Answers to Gospel Questions, vol. 5 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1966), p. 75.]
The harmful effects of the cola drinks have been mentioned many times. But other drinks are often marketed that contain caffeine. Buyers should know well the products they are purchasing. [“I Have a Question,” Ensign, vol. 4, no. 3 (Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, March 1974), p. 23.]