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Hi all, I'm curious what thoughts people have on the role of moderation/temperance in gospel teaching. For example, we know that the word of wisdom prohibits any drinking of alcohol, usage of tobacco (other than for washing of beasts), etc. My question is: do any believe that God mandates complete abstinence (in my example, as pertaining to the WoW), as a stepping-stone to the eventual (and much more difficult to regulate) practice of true moderation? Let me explain... As we know, using the WoW example, alcohol and tobacco are very addictive. Thus, it is much easier to refrain from them entirely (thus completely avoiding possible addiction), then say to partake of a bit of alcohol on rare occasion, with judgement and moderation (an example of this is, prior to the WoW, general authorities would smoke, and Joseph himself, according to Rough Stone Rolling, would drink on occasion, yet never to excess/drunkenness). Is it fair to say that, knowing the tendency of people to easily give in excessively to their carnal desires, that God prescribes complete abstinence from these things? Whereas, if we had a more mature and developed self control, we could indeed partake of them in true moderation and temperance? It appears to me that true moderation, if one is actually capable of this, is the higher law, yet due to the "weakest of the saints", complete abstinence at this time is prescribed in several cases (the WoW being one of them). Thoughts?