Several years ago, at a Benson family function where Tom Monson was invited, I had a chance to briefly chat with him. I asked him how his health was doing and, surprisingly enough, he told me that his foot was giving him a bad time and that he was a diabetic.

Um, Earth to Tom: Lay off the cola, big guy. Given your decrepit condition, you don't have to be a "prophet of God" to figure that one out.
_____


But Tom can't help himself. You see, he's a cola addict, big-time.

On that fact, here's what was posted on RfM awhile ago by "TLC," entitled "I Dated Tom's Daughter Ann." (WARNING: for TBMs, this may be hard to swallow):

"Steve [Benson] shared this story from me anonymously but I'm retelling it here; owning it and attaching my name to it and making it real for those who might have had their doubts when Steve told it.

"I started at BYU in the fall of 1972 and in the first couple of months one of the girls I dated was Ann Monson. Absolutely stunningly gorgeous and way out of my league. I asked her out and she said yes and I took her to the Homecoming Ball in the Fall of 1972. Showed up at her dorm to pick her up and I'm pretty sure it was both Thomas and Frances that were there to greet me. They'd both come down to help Ann get ready for the big shindig.

"I walked in and there was Ann looking like a stunning replica of Ann Margaret circa 1965. I will never forget what a vision she was standing there in her spaghetti-strap dress that was for all the world a most blatant violation of BYU dress code. But who was going to argue with her daddy about it, huh?

"Not me. I was into girls with an edge. :-)

"I took Ann to the dance and watched as people's heads swiveled around ala Linda Blair all night long trying to see who this gorgeous bitch was in the immoral ball gown. It was kind of like being with Cinderella only I don't think Ann was wearing a tiara that night. And I kind of don't think that squirrels and birds dressed her either. Could be though - strange stuff goes on at BYU.

"Ann was and probably still is, a gorgeous woman. Why she invested any time with me I'll never understand, but it's widely known that us gay boys in hiding can be quite appealing to the ladies. Suck it up straight boys and get over it. You may have my spoils if you wish.

"Homecoming was followed by General Conference or vice-versa. Ann showed me around temple square and the underground tunnels and then we sat in those big cushy chairs in the tabernacle behind the big kahunas during a couple of sessions of conference and ate with the mormon giants in a special dining room somewhere there on Piazza Tempio. I was having lots of fun and Ann was was at least pretending to be into me and stuff. Can you imagine if I had just not chosen to be gay I might be mormon royalty right now???

"Yeh, like that was ever gonna happen.

"On another visit to Salt Lake Ann took me to her home in one of the privileged hillside neighborhoods. On the way out the back door to show me the gardens we passed a long stack of Pepsi crates full of empty Pepsi bottles. Ann pointed at them as we were going out the door and with a laugh said, 'Dad's nasty little habit.'

"Now you gotta put this in context of the early 70s when most mormons were still laboring under the weight of the urban legend that said the Coke and Pepsi were 'against the word of wisdom.' (If mormons stopped drinking Coke today the company would go out of business.) I thought about Ann's words: 'Dad's nasty little habit' and decided right then and there that it was OK for me to masturbate more and be a little gayer than I'd ever been before. If Tom Monson could have his nasty little habits then surely it was OK for me to have mine.

"I mean no disrespect towards Ann in telling this story. I'm justifiably angry at her daddy for declaring war on me and my community, but Ann isn't her dad and who knows, she might actually disagree with what he did as well. All I can tell you is that back then she was beautiful, she was extremely intelligent and aware and that dating her was a lot of fun. All these years I have secretly gloated about the fact that I'm probably one of the few guys ever, if not the only one, in BYU's history that's taken a girl to Homecoming who was wearing a revealing spaghetti-strap dress. Somehow there's just some really wonderful irony in that.

"Gay boys rule!!"

("Recovery from Mormonism," bulletin board post, 18 November 2008, 23:57, by "TLC")

*****


Below is further, damning evidence that Tom Monson plays fast and loose with the Mormon God's revealed word, ignoring the inspired counsel of modern-day LDS prophets and instead living by his own retrobate rules:

"'Drinking Soda (cola)'
by W. John Walsh

"While it is not a technical violation of the Word of Wisdom, Latter-day Saints are encouraged by Church leaders to avoid caffeinated drinks. It is believed that caffeine in large quantities, such as found in caffeinated soft drinks, is not good for the body and therefore violates the spirit of the Word of Wisdom.

"While many Latter-day Saints drink decaffeinated cola drinks, some people have suggested that we should avoid the empty calories of those beverages in favor of something more nutritious. It is well established that many people are overweight and yet also do not receive enough nutrition in their diets. The popularity of cola beverages has been linked to both problems in recent studies (See CNN Report on 2/15/01) Counsel from Church leaders on this subject is as follows:

"President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

'Generally when we speak of the Word of Wisdom, we are talking about tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor, and all of the fringe things even though they might be detrimental are not included in the technical interpretation of the Word of Wisdom. I never drink any of the cola drinks and my personal hope would be that no one would. However, they are not included in the Word of Wisdom in its technical application. I quote from a letter from the secretary to the First Presidency, "But the spirit of the Word of Wisdom would be violated by the drinking or eating of anything that contained a habit-forming drug." With reference to the cola drinks, the Church has never officially taken any attitude on this at but I personally do not put them in the class as with the tea and coffee because the Lord specifically mentioned them [the hot drinks]. I might say also that strychnine and sleeping pills and opium and heroin are not mentioned in the Word of Wisdom and yet I would discourage them with all my power.' ("The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball," p. 202)


"President Heber J. Grant taught:

'I am not going to give any command, but I will ask it as a personal, individual favor to me, to let coca-cola alone. There are plenty of other things you can get at the soda fountains without drinking that which is injurious. The Lord does not want you to use any drug that creates an appetite for itself.' ("Conference Report," April 1922, p. 165)


"Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught:

'. . . [T]here are many other substances which have a harmful effect on the human body, though such particular things are not specifically prohibited by the Word of Wisdom. Certainly the partaking of cola drinks, though not included within the measuring standard here set out, is in violation of the spirit of the Word of Wisdom. Harmful drugs of any sort are in a like category.' ("Mormon Doctrine,} p. 845)


"Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone taught:

'Speaking of those who rationalize the Church's stand on cola drinks, Bishop Featherstone said, "We can find loopholes in a lot of things if we want to bend the rules of the Church."' ("The Church News," Conference Issues 1970-1987, p. 9)


"Elder Samuel O. Bennion taught:

'I heard President Grant say, recently, that he would consider it a favor to him, if men and women would abstain from the use of tea and coffee, tobacco, liquor, and coca-cola; that they would have power given them to establish themselves in the faith, and save themselves from debt, sickness, and disease. And he read from the revelations, that the destroying angel would pass them by; and he is a prophet of God.' ("Conference Report," April 1922, p. 140)


"Elder John A. Widtsoe taught:

'Whenever a drink is advertised to "give you a lift," the "lift" is likely to be caused by the drug which it contains. Such soft drinks are decidedly harmful and habit-forming, even though sold by the millions. Such caffeine-containing drinks, offered by every soda fountain and most eating places, and consumed in large quantities, should be known and avoided.' ("The Word of Wisdom: A Modern Interpretation," p. 97)


"Elder Mark E. Peterson taught:

'And then there are some soft drinks which contain harmful or habit-forming ingredients. The leaders of the Church have not attempted to add to the list of prohibitions in the Word of Wisdom to include all such items, but they teach that in the spirit of the Word of Wisdom, if not in the letter, we should avoid anything which contains ingredients which are harmful and habit forming.' ("A Word of Wisdom," p. 15)

http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/health/cola.htm

*****


Tom Monson, you are living, cola-bloated boozin' proof that in the last days, even the very elect shall be deceived.

Here's Tom's out, however: Coca Cola denies its cola contains alcohol.

("Revealed: Coca Cola Contains Alcohol," at: http://www.bhatkallys.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1451:revealed-coca-cola-contains-alcohol&catid=89:world-&Itemid=463 versus "Coca-Cola Denies Rumours It Contains Alcohol," at: http://www.thenational.ae/featured-content/home/middle-headlines/coca-cola-denies-rumours-it-contains-alcohol)

So, who ya gonna believe?

Where's a real prophet when you need one?

Or, as Coke would put it, "the real thing"?

:)



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 08:07PM by steve benson.

I vividly remember being told the story at seminary thing about how Spencer W. Kimball was once at some event and they gave him water in a Coca-cola cup and he refused to drink it to "avoid the appearance of evil" I am 99% sure that story is complete bullshit.

Steve, you told us only half the story...what's this alcohol business about? Link?



Now That Cola Drinks Have Been Found to Contain Alcohol, the Prophet Ought to Start Following the Prophets . . .

"There's alcohol in Coca Cola!

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/food-drink/coca-colas-secret-ingredient-revealed-blog-12-yahoo-lifestyles.html

"Oops! Poor TBMs! Yes, there's not much, but it is there."

("There's alcohol in Coca Cola!," posted by "matt," on "Recovery from Mormonism" bulletin board, 15 February 2011, 7:45 a.m.)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 07:31PM by steve benson.

Naturally, being TBM all of my life I never tasted alcohol. But now that I endulge in the occassional "strong drink", I swear that I could faintly taste it in Coke.

I had vaguely heard in the past that Coca Cola contained or was made from cocaine or derivident. I ignored it though, didn't really believe it was an issue now and didn't really want to know. I too like my Diet Coke, with or without its own alcohol content or that which I add.

I discovered years back that regular intake of Diet Coke did seem to cause depression in me. (Oh no, my main reason for leaving the Mormon Church was that I felt depressed there. Is my whole reason for walking away a mistake? Was it the Coke and not the Church that sapped my joy?)

I knew it was hardly healthy in any case but as my drink of choice was rum and I used to mainly drink only at Christmas time, I thought the limited exposure would keep me safe. Then I noticed that it would take me six months after Christmas every year to quit drinking the Coke. The rum was take it or leave it. Had to have the Coke. Then I'd be off it for six months and then back on the next Christmas. I heard somewhere that there is an added addictive ingredient to keep Coke drinkers drinking the product. I quit for a few years because of the potential addictive nature of it more so than other health issues with it. I rigourously avoid addiction in any form as a matter of personal preference. I like to be in control, to the max, for sure. Then I started again a few years ago at Christmas time again and haven't bothered to quit between yuletides since.

But with this revelation about alcohol and also the old cocaine issue in the back of my mind, it's time to rethink it again. Not to mention all the other ingredients that are hardly healthy.

Stray Mutt posted about the cocaine thing earlier today in another thread (Matt's):

Mutt wrote:
"Then there's the whole cocaine thing.

Original original Coca-Cola included cocaine. The process has been changed since then, though.

From Wikipedia:

Because cocaine is naturally present in coca leaves, today's Coca-Cola uses "spent," or treated, coca leaves, those that have been through a cocaine extraction process, to flavor the beverage. The coca leaves are imported from countries like Peru and Bolivia, and they are treated by chemical company Stepan, which then sells the de-cocainized residue to Coca-Cola. Some contend that this process cannot extract all of the cocaine alkaloids at a molecular level, and so the drink still contains trace amounts of the stimulant.[1][4] The Coca-Cola Company currently refuses to comment on the continued presence of coca leaf in Coca-Cola."

-----

Yow. There are many reasons to avoid Coke besides just the WoW that may or may not discourage or forbid it.

TBM friends who oversaw my "conversion" insisted that caffeine is not a banned substance in Mormonism. Of course, they were imbibing the Coke, Root Beer and Mountain Dew and had a vested interest in seeing caffeine as being on the allowed list.

The WoW/caffeine question always irks me. It's a perfect example of:

1. How the Church leaders contradict each other.

2. How the Church leaders rarely utter definitive statements about any points of doctrine or practice.

What could be simpler than determining whether the injunction against hot drinks is because of caffeine or not? If not, ok. If so, a lot of Mormons are breaking the WoW, possibly unawares. I remember going out for Sunday lunch with an RM pal of mine and his new wife. He took one small sip of iced tea and his wife totally freaked. Crying, she said, "You just broke the Word of Wisdom". I was shocked that iced tea was off the OK list and also that it was so upsetting to her. In the scheme of things, a big strapping guy, good-looking, smart and fun, drinking a glass of iced tea is not the unforgiveable sin.

It should really be so very simple for the Big-3 to come up with a clear doctrinal statement about the WoW to quash all the years of confusion about such a basic thing.

Note too that energy drinks are in the news due to the caffeine jolts they provide which are seen by many concerned parties as harmful, especially to youth.

There are many health-promoting reasons to be aware of what we consume. I am actually pleasantly surprised to see that some of the church leaders have called it right on this one, as far back as 1922 in some of the quotes in the OP. Why can't the Big-3 today back up the past leaders on the health mandate, their WoW guidelines?

It's so simple yet, as usual, they irritatingly make it all so obscure and confusing.

As for Tom's essay about dating Monson's daughter, I enjoyed reading that for the 40th time. Thanks for reposting it, Steve. What the heck is Thomas on about though with the self-deprecation? Talking about stunningly gorgeous - I still remember my first reaction on seeing a photo of Tom and his partner Les. I may have actually moaned aloud. And I had the common hetero female reaction about how it's not fair that so many gorgeous guys are gay. Even so, I must admit to looking more than once at their photo just to enjoy the view.

As for Monson and his Coke habit. It's kind of a cliche that people with diabetes, especially the undiagnosed ones, never go anywhere without a litre of Coke or three to get them through their day. In fact, there's an old medical joke that you don't even need to do tests for diabetes on some patients. If they show up for their appointment with their litre under their arm, the diagnosis is clinched.

Meanwhile, I don't need the Mormon WoW to govern my consumption choices. Between the potential alcohol, drug and caffeine content of Coke and other similar substances, as well as the chemicals and other unhealthy additives, it's a no-brainer that good health requires wise choices which in this case means ditching the soda.

So. What else goes good with rum? :)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 08:27PM by Nightingale.

Even MORE rum, of course! ;o))

No, it's definitely 41 at this point. :)

I didn't mean that to come across as a rude comment, btw, so hope it's clear I meant that even after 40x it's still enjoyable to read that one again, due to the great story that it is, the way Tom writes so well, and the laugh it always is to think of our TLC dating Monson's daughter.

That is priceless. One for the exmo archives, absolutely.

But I'm always up for re-reading a great story well told. :)

I'm thinking maybe Monson gets through Mormonism via his Coke habit.

I can actually relate to that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2011 02:48AM by Nightingale.

Coke did have cocaine in it at one time.

The history of the drink goes back to the Civil War. A doctor started playing with cocaine in its natural form (the coca plant) and brandy as a medicinal drink/pain killer. A generation after the war, his family started remaking the drink for commercial sale. By the end of the century, the prohibition movement was kicking into higher gear. Fearing the brandy would be a problem, the small company looked for something non-alcoholic that could cover up the strong/bitter taste of coca. They eventually found the cola bean, and coca-cola was born.

Then decades later when the powers that be figured out what coca was, the company swapped that out for caffeine and more sugar to replicate the stimulant effect of coca.

Rumors now, tied to the secret formula aspect, are that the company still uses a smaller amount of coca flavoring that somehow processes out the cocaine to keep the distinctive flavor of "the Real Thing."

--aine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYS732zyYfU



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2011 02:13AM by steve benson.

Doesn't TSCC own shares in Coca Cola or is that just an urban myth???

I have some friends in low places and I do know that some of the big 15 drink them caffeinated concoctions.

carbonated water is a stimulant too.
due to the body's autonomic reaction to it.

There is plenty of alcohol in vanilla extract and everyone adds it to their milk shakes straight up ;)

There is a definite link between soda consumption and diabetes.

I've never seen a healthy person with a soda habit.

His beloved Diet Coke contains aspartame...

SLC
Who sings the praises of Pepsi drinkers...
Because it leaves more Coca-cola for the rest of us...
However, I'm gonna beat the snark out of that guy who let the cat out of the bag,
About the genuine Mexican brew sweetened with real sugar.
None of the stores around here can keep the stuff on the shelves as it is...
Trust me, you don't need rum in that heavenly elixer...

And a Cabbie note to WCG: This bud's for you...

http://www.hookedonjuice.com/

>JUST WHAT IS THE SUGAR CONTENT OF FRUIT JUICE? We’ll use orange, apple, cherry and grape juice as examples. Even with no sugar added, fruit juice contains about the same amount of sugar as the same amount of soft drink.

The one's he said to Fanny Alger...

"Cm'ere sweetie."

Wow. I've never read SB referring to "the Lord" just straight out like that before. It sounds almost respectful. I'm sure I must be reading it wrong. :)

I consulted the Great Guru Wiki to answer your aspartame query:

"The Word of Wisdom not only admonishes against the use of harmful substances, but it also describes those foods which are good for man..."

The phrase 'harmful substances' covers a multitude of sins, literally. Aspartame is not recommended for human consumption (depending on your preference for health and longevity) so I'd put it under the 'harmful' (or likely to be so) category.

On another note, I always get a kick out of the following blurb.

Wiki:
"The Word of Wisdom is a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith as a response to an inquiry. Brigham Young (second president of the Church) related some of the circumstances leading up to the reception of the revelation:

“The brethren came to that place for hundreds of miles to attend school in a little room probably no larger than eleven by fourteen. When they assembled together in this room after breakfast, the first they did was to light their pipes, and, while smoking, talk about the great things of the kingdom, … and as soon as the pipe was out of their mouths a large chew of tobacco would then be taken. Often when the Prophet entered the room to give the school instructions he would find himself in a cloud of tobacco smoke....” (Journal of Discourses, 12:158.)"

-----

How many of today's rigid Mormons actually know their revered prophets and leaders used to inhale, chew and spit tobacco products. Eeeeewwwweeeeeeyyywwwwwwwhewie. Tobacco spitting men. Blech.


http://www.mormonwiki.com/Word_of_Wisdom



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2011 05:08PM by Nightingale.

Not this article, just the contrast between it and the one NG cited...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame

>Aspartame has been the subject of several controversies, hoaxes and health scares since its initial approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974. Critics allege that conflicts of interest marred the FDA's approval of aspartame, question the quality of the initial research supporting its safety, and postulate that numerous health risks may be associated with aspartame.

>The validity of these claims has been examined and dismissed. In 1987, the U.S. Government Accountability Office concluded that the food additive approval process had been followed properly for aspartame. Aspartame has been found to be safe for human consumption by more than ninety countries worldwide, with FDA officials describing aspartame as "one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved" and its safety as "clear cut". The weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a non-nutritive sweetener.

I always go with these guys on most stuff... Ya clicks yer mouse, and ya makes yer choice...

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

>Claim: the artificial sweentner Aspartame has been proved responsible for an epidemice of cancer, brain tumors, and multiple schlerosis...

>FALSE

I don't use much of it myself since I don't do diet sodas and I prefer Splenda in my morning java...

But the aspartame doomsayers do tend to get the ol' bullchip warning system clanging...

Monson must surely know that you a famous Mormon critic. I would think that he would have ostracized you. I'm surprised, but intrigued, that he actually let you speak to him.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2011 02:40PM by steve benson.

Back in the late '60s, when I was volunteering at a summer camp for developmentally disabled kids, I met my first-ever Mormon, a teenaged camper. When we were introduced, she told me, "I'm a Mormon. We can't drink Coke," as if that were the entire scope of Mormon religious practice.

I have reliable information from the Red Bull Company of Utah; the Utah County Market is strong....very strong.

At some of their complimentary distribution events, the kids at the Y can't seem to get enough of it....

Oh well, at least it's not Coke...