(8/19/02)
"The blessings of food, sleep, and social enjoyment are ordained of God for his glory and our benefit, and it is for us to learn to use them and not abuse them, that his Kingdom may advance on the earth, and we advance in it." — "Discourses of Brigham Young," p. 182
 

(8/20/02)
"We may make evil of all amusements, but the Saints should not be unwise, but rather understand what the will of the Lord is, and practice moderation in all things. They should avoid excesses and cease from sin, putting far from them 'the lusts of men;' and in their amusements and pastimes adopt a course that looks to the spirit as well as the letter, the intention and not the act alone, the whole and not the part, which is the meaning of moderation. In this way their conduct will be reasonable and becoming, and they shall find no trouble in understanding the will of the Lord.

"Let me exhort the young people particularly, and the Saints generally, to weigh well the value of moderation in all their actions and amusements. Remember, too, that excessive feasting is not good; neither is excessive labor, but idleness and waste of precious time is infinitely worse. 'Let your moderation be known to all men.'" — Joseph F. Smith, "Improvement Era," Vol. 6, p. 857, Sept., 1903
 

(8/21/02)
"The idea that our strengths can become our weaknesses could be understood to imply that we should have 'moderation in all things.' But the Savior said that if we are 'lukewarm,' he 'will spue [us] out of [his] mouth' (Rev. 3:16). Moderation in all things is not a virtue, because it would seem to justify moderation in commitment. That is not moderation, but indifference. That kind of moderation runs counter to the divine commands to serve with all of our 'heart, might, mind and strength' (D&C 4:2), to 'seek... earnestly the riches of eternity' (D&C 68:31), and to be 'valiant in the testimony of Jesus' (D&C 76:79). Moderation is not the answer." — Dallin H. Oaks, "Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall," "Ensign," Oct. 1994, p. 19
 

(8/22/02)
"We get sidetracked by submitting to temptations that divert us past the bounds of safety. Satan knows our weaknesses. He puts attractive snares on our paths at just those moments when we are most vulnerable. His intent is to lead us from the way that returns us to our Heavenly Father. Sin may result from activities that begin innocently or that are perfectly legitimate in moderation, but in excess they can cause us to veer from the straight and narrow path to our destruction." — Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Straight and Narrow Way," "Ensign," Nov. 1990, 65
 

6/14/06
"The prophet Alma summarized the importance of prayer in these words: 'But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering '(Alma 13:28). When I am in tune spiritually, I find that I can balance everything in my life much more easily.

"I realize, brothers and sisters, that other suggestions could be added to these. However, I believe that when we focus on a few basic objectives, we are more likely to be able to manage the many demands that life makes on us. Remember, too much of anything in life can throw us off-balance. At the same time, too little of the important things can do the same thing. King Benjamin counseled 'that all these things are done in wisdom and order' (Mosiah 4:27)." - M. Russell Ballard, "Keeping Life's Demands in Balance," Ensign (CR), May 1987, p.13