# Mormons and Coca-Cola **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 16, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292 "2002-07-16T20:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/1 "2002-07-16T20:52:07Z")
I’d always thought that LDS didn’t drink caffeinated beverages. recently I heard that they were allowed to drink Coca-Cola. It was further stated that this change occurred when the LDS church became financially involved with Coca-Cola. What’s the story? ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/2 "2002-07-16T20:58:42Z")
IIRC (not a Mormon, mind), it was held that the prescription against caffeinated beverages in Mormon scripture had been misunderstood, and that it only applied to heated beverages. Thus, Coke and other cold caffeinated beverages were acceptable. I have also heard the “drink Coke/Mormons invested in Coke” connection as well, and it has always struck me as a UL. Sua ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/3 "2002-07-16T21:34:52Z")
There’s a prohibition in Doctrine and Covenants against drinking “hot beverages”, understood to be coffee and tea. People have extrapolated from that the idea that caffeine should be avoided. So, some devout Mormoms don’t drink cafeinated soft drinks. However, there is no prohibition against drinking them. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/4 "2002-07-16T22:28:05Z")
Yes, the “LDS Church owns Coke” story is an old, hoary UL. Whether or not to drink caffeinated sodas is left up to an individual’s choice/interpretation in the LDS Church. There is no specific prohibition, as Capt. Amazing pointed out, but many people feel that it is a good idea. In general, it isn’t considered a good thing to become dependent on any substance–so if someone began craving Coke every day, they might decide to quit (as my MIL did). Probably we would all be healthier if we avoided Coke, but the LDS Church hasn’t got a rule about it. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/5 "2002-07-16T22:35:10Z")
Captain A’s hit it spot-on yet again! I’m LDS and the prohibition against coffee and tea originally started out as an advisory against hot drinks. The church leadership determined early on that “hot drinks” were defined to be coffee and tea. Later on, the leadership decided that the Word of Wisdom (advisory against hot drinks, alcohol, tobacco, and wanton consumption of meat {this last you don’t hear about too much}) was directive in nature. Many LDS, on their own volition, have decided that the reason God prohibits the hot drinks is because of the caffeine in them. Others don’t worry about that and thus still drink Pepsi, etc., and most don’t worry about hot chocolate - a perennial favourite. In deference to the huge number of people in the Church who don’t consume beverages with caffeine added to them, church-sponsored events usually don’t have soft drinks with said alkaloid in them, although hot chocolate does show up often. As one who was seriously addicted to coffee, I finally quit the coffee habit by avoiding caffeine in all its forms other than in chocolate. Apparently, for me, there’s not enough caffeine in the chocolate to knock me into a Java Junket. Last year, I decided also to quit the alcohol and the meat consumption. I even avoid alcohol in mouthwash by using only the Rembrandt[sup]tm[/sup] alcohol-free stuff. Anyway, here’s an interesting link for you: [http://www.ldsveg.org/](http://www.ldsveg.org/) that discusses the Word of Wisdom. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/6 "2002-07-16T23:30:00Z")
May one have herbal tea? I’d HATE to have to give up hot tea. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/7 "2002-07-16T23:34:21Z")
Guin: Not only may one have it, this one lives on herbal tea! ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/8 "2002-07-16T23:38:17Z")
hi jack: Am i the only one who can tell the difference between coca cola and pepsi? vanilla, who drinks iced tea every day. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/9 "2002-07-16T23:41:37Z")
What about drinking, say, heated milk? Is there are a prohibition against that? To be more clear, can a devout Mormon drink a hot beverage that doesn’t contain caffeine? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/10 "2002-07-17T00:59:41Z")
**vanilla** -I can tell the difference. Pepsi is sweeter, and Coke has more of a bite to it. I never noticed the difference until I got a Coke after always drinking Pepsi-which my mother prefers. Me-I like them both. ---
**Author:** ![hansel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@hansel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansel)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/11 "2002-07-17T01:16:36Z")
What’s the reasoning behind prohibiting hot drinks? I mean, the original justification, not the various interpretations. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/12 "2002-07-17T01:27:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shoshana \* > recently I heard that they were allowed to drink Coca-Cola. Heard from whom? > [@](#): > > It was further stated that this change occurred when the LDS church became financially involved with Coca-Cola. Stated by whom? Seriously, when someone makes a claim, ask for proof. And then when they decide they can’t because they don’t have any, you can deliver, with a flourish of course, the following from [http://www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com): > [@](#): > > Claim: The Mormons own the Coca-Cola Company. > Status: False. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/13 "2002-07-17T01:49:52Z")
hansel: The original justification is that it was revealed to the Prophet. _Doctrine & Covenants 89_ > [@](#): > > [sup]1[/sup]A Word of Wisdom, for the benfit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion– > [sup]9[/sup]And again, hot driinks are not for the body or belly. You can read the entire section of the D&C at [http://www.lds.org](http://www.lds.org) ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/14 "2002-07-17T02:06:08Z")
Wait, if you can’t have hot drinks…why can you have hot chocolate and hot herbal tea? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/15 "2002-07-17T02:26:31Z")
Because the church leadership already determined that the particular phrase _ **as used in D&C 89** _ meant only tea and coffee. {I almost typed this paragraph out twice more…for emphasis.} Back in the day, the only common hot drinks were coffee and tea. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/16 "2002-07-17T02:59:39Z")
OIC. Makes sense. Thanks, **Monty**. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/17 "2002-07-17T03:47:32Z")
Dang. I was in the military too long. It took me a while to recognize “OIC” as “Oh, I see” instead of “Officer in Charge.” BTW, Guin. Did you ever try mixing Pepsi and Coca Cola together? My younger brother used to love that combination. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/18 "2002-07-17T06:18:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*BTW, Guin. Did you ever try mixing Pepsi and Coca Cola together? My younger brother used to love that combination. \*\* I do that, i call it “Poke”. My favorite is Pepsi and Mt. Dew combined in 96 oz. cups for road trips. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/19 "2002-07-17T06:32:27Z")
Dang, Tars. I bet you can “flintstone” the vehicle from California to New York with no worries about fuel! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292/20 "2002-07-17T18:26:35Z")
Thanks. Very helpful. Monty, the statement didn’t arise in a debating or proving context; a colleague was trying to figure out why an LDS coworker was drinking a Coke, and got this explanation from another coworker. She came to me because it didn’t ring true, and because I am generally a walking encyclopedia (or at least a walking data retrieval system). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mormons-and-coca-cola/119292.md?page=2)