I drink a Pepsi on occasion & do feel guilty, primarily because I don’t want my kids to (having grown up in a caffeine-free home).

My take on it is that the Word of Wisdom cautions us against tea & coffee (based on the Prophet’s clarification of hot drinks) and we’re assuming that caffeine is the reason. It may or may not be.

On the other hand, I find caffeinated soda very addicting, and that – for me – is not in keeping with the spirit of the law.

Izzy’s, on the other hand–pure manna. Not too sweet, 30% fruit juice, 70% sparkling water–it’s absolutely an adult soft drink.

My mission president (in South America) told us it was probably safer to drink Coke then drinking the water. From that time on, I guess that I’ve taken the position that if it was ok on my mission, then it is ok when I’m not carrying around the “White Bible”.

Regardless, last Sunday a very good friend of mine was over at our house for dinner. We were talking about colas, and he talked about an experience he had on his mission. The area president (and I know and have spoken to this General Authority) was talking to the missionaries at a mission conference. He threw the floor out to questions. One of the missionaries, in that self-righteous voice that missionaries sometimes get said, “Some missionaries in the mission feel that it is alright right to drink Coke. Some of us feel that caffinated drinks are against the Word of Wisdom. What is your feeling about Coca-Cola?” The tall 6″5′ former Idaho potato farmer said, “Wait a second” reached down to his bag, pulled a red aluminum can out, popped open the top and took a nice long drink. He set the Coke can on the podium and asked, “Any questions?”

I, too, adore an ice cold Coke. Can’t stand Diet Coke, but I was hooked on Diet Pepsi for a time.