Dear Gramps,

I joined the church 23 years ago and gave up coffee and tea. At that time our stake president and his councilors were not issuing temple recommends to anyone who was drinking cola soft drinks. So, because I wanted to be worthy to go to the temple, I gave them up. That was 22 years ago. Well, now I have a stake president who tells me that drinking cola soft drinks cannot keep anyone out of the temple. I’ve noticed that many temple-going saints, including my bishop and his children, drink cola drinks.

Well, here is my problem. I have three children that my husband and I have raised to avoid cola drinks. They now are looking around at the bishop’s children (their peers) and telling us that drinking cola drinks is OK and that they can’t keep them out of the temple. I realize that they must choose for themselves, but I seem to remember a priesthood bulletin from sometime in the 1970s that addresses this issue. Could you find that bulletin and then give me your opinion on how I might talk to my teens about this? I have read many of your answers, and I have a lot of respect for your wisdom. Thank you.

Karen, from Washington

Dear Karen,

We must remember that there is the Word of Wisdom and “the word of wisdom.” The revelation known as the Word of Wisdom prescribes against hot drinks, which have been officially defined by the Mormon Church as tea and coffee. Since that scripture is one of the canons of the Mormon Church, it is binding on all members and compliance with it is required if we are to receive temple recommends and other blessings from the Lord.

However, in the spirit of the Word of Wisdom we are enjoined to avoid ingesting anything that is habit-forming or injurious to our health. But such things are left to our own wisdom and discretion. It is true that if a person is compliant with all the other principles of the gospel and yet drinks cola