Agency
1 “People
have to believe that the danger is real to want to find safety. They have to
fear the consequence of ignoring the peril. He made clear the hazards we face
because we are free to choose between right and wrong and because we cannot
avoid the consequence of those choices. He spoke directly and sharply because
he knew what sorrow would come to those who might not hear and heed his
warnings.”
APRIL 2006
“As a Child” Henry B. Eyring, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, General
Conference
2 “We have
been given agency, we have been given the blessings of the priesthood, and we
have been given the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost for a reason. That
reason is our growth and happiness in this world and eternal life in the world
to come. Today I ask, have we received that Spirit? Are we following on the
strait and narrow path that leads to God and eternal life? Are we holding onto
the iron rod, or are we going another way? I testify that how we choose to feel
and think and act every day is the way we get on the path, and stay on it,
until we reach our eternal destination.”
APRIL 2006
“To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency”, Robert D. Hales
Of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
3 “Agency
was manifested in the Council in Heaven as we chose to follow our Heavenly
Father’s plan and come to mortality for this probationary period. Agency allows
us to be tested and tried to see whether or not we will endure to the end and
return to our Heavenly Father with honor. Agency is the catalyst that leads us
to express our inward spiritual desires in outward Christlike behavior. Agency
permits us to make faithful, obedient choices that strengthen us so that we can
lift and strengthen others. Agency used righteously allows light to dispel the
darkness and enables us to live with joy and happiness in the present, look
with faith to the future, even into the eternities, and not dwell on the things
of the past. Our use of agency determines who we are and what we will be.”
APRIL 2006
“To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency”, Robert D. Hales
Of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
4 “Agency is
the power to think, choose, and act for ourselves. It comes with endless
opportunities, accompanied by responsibility and consequences. It is a blessing
and a burden. Using this gift of agency wisely is critical today because never
in the world’s history have God’s children been so blessed or so blatantly
confronted with so many choices.”
OCTOBER
1999, “Agency—A Blessing and a Burden”, Sharon G. Larsen
5 “When we
came into this world, we brought with us from our heavenly home this God-given
gift and privilege which we call our agency. It gives us the right and power to
make decisions and to choose. Agency is an eternal law. President Brigham
Young, speaking of our agency, taught: “This is a law which has always existed
from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to
come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice.”
APRIL 2006,
“The Gift of Agency”, Wolfgang H. Paul Of the Seventy
6 “Thus, our
agency makes our life on this earth a test period. If we did not have this
wonderful gift of agency, we would not be able to show our Father in Heaven
whether we will do all that He commanded us.
In order for
us to use our agency, we must have a knowledge of good and evil, we must have
the freedom to make choices, and after we have exercised our agency, there must
be consequences that follow our choices.
I have
learned that as we obey our Heavenly Father’s commandments, our faith
increases, we grow in wisdom and spiritual strength, and it becomes easier for
us to make right choices.”
APRIL 2006,
“The Gift of Agency”, Wolfgang H. Paul Of the Seventy
7 “Those who
rely solely on themselves and follow only their own desires and self-inclinations
are so limited when compared to those who follow God and tap into His insight,
power, and gifts. It has been said that someone who is all wrapped up in
himself or herself makes a very small package. Strong, proactive obedience is
anything but weak or passive. It is the means by which we declare our faith in
God and qualify ourselves to receive the powers of heaven. Obedience is a
choice. It is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power and God’s
unlimited wisdom and omnipotence. According to the lesson my grandfather gave
to me, it is a choice to sense the spiritual bit in our mouths and follow the
driver’s lead.”
APRIL 2014
“Obedience through Our Faithfulness” Elder L Tom Perry
8 “Why has
your moral agency been given to you? Only to live a pleasurable life and to
make choices to do the things you want to do? Or is there a more fundamental
reason—to be able to make the choices that will lead you to fully implement
your purpose for being here on earth and to establish priorities in your life
that will assure the development and happiness the Lord wants you to receive.”
APRIL 2001,
“First Things First” Richard G. Scott
9 “Trying to
please others before pleasing God is inverting the first and second great
commandments (see Matthew 22:37–39). It is forgetting which way we face. And
yet, we have all made that mistake because of the fear of men. In Isaiah the
Lord warns us, “Fear ye not the reproach of men” (Isaiah 51:7; see also 2 Nephi
8:7). In Lehi’s dream, this fear was triggered by the finger of scorn pointed
from the great and spacious building, causing many to forget which way they
faced and to leave the tree “ashamed” (see 1 Nephi 8:25–28).”
This peer
pressure tries to change a person’s attitudes, if not behavior, by making one
feel guilty for giving offense. We seek respectful coexistence with those who
point fingers, but when this fear of men tempts us to condone sin, it becomes a
“snare” according to the book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 29:25). The snare may
be cleverly baited to appeal to our compassionate side to tolerate or even
approve of something that has been condemned by God. For the weak of faith, it
can be a major stumbling block.
OCTOBER
2014, “Which Way Do You Face?” By Elder Lynn G. Robbins
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/which-way-do-you-face?lang=eng&query=charity
10 “Through Adam and Eve’s partaking of the forbidden fruit,
knowledge of good and evil was introduced into the world. Their choice made it
possible for each of us to come to this earth to be tried and tested.1 We are
blessed with agency, which is our ability to make decisions and to become
accountable for those decisions. The Fall made possible in our lives feelings
of both happiness and sadness. We are able to understand peace because we feel
turmoil.”
OCTOBER 2014, “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority”,
By Elder Richard G. Scott
11 “As those around us make choices about how to
respond to our beliefs, we must not forget that moral agency is an essential
part of God’s plan for all His children. That eternal plan, presented to us in
the premortal Council in Heaven, included the gift of agency.”
APRIL 2015, “Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom”
By Elder Robert D. Hales
12 “Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for
the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal
progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we
experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and
the devastating evil choices of others.”
APRIL 2013 “Personal
Peace: The Reward of Righteousness” Elder Quentin L. Cook
Personal Statement
Agency is being personally responsible for how one acts and
feels. As a mom I’ve talked to my kids many times about how no one else can
make them feel or act a certain way. They don’t get to choose what another
person does or says, but they do get to choose how to react and feel about it.
Agency is so important in our lives because it can stop us from blaming others
for things that happen in our lives, and instead take responsibility for what
we can do. We first used our agency when we choose to follow Heavenly Father and
come to earth. While we’re here on earth we should use our agency to do good
and right things. When we do good and right things we show Heavenly Father our
gratitude for the gift of agency that He gave us. Being able to choose for
ourselves is such an amazing blessing and we should do all we can to live righteously
so that we can continue to have the use of our agency throughout all eternity.
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