Agency

In Alma chapter 32 we find Alma teaching a group of people who have been humbled by their afflictions. He teaches them about faith and compares the words he speaks to a seed that must be planted and nourished if it is to take root. He then states, “ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering” (Alma 32:43). This got me thinking about agency. Agency in its simplest form is the ability to choose; the ability to decide the action that we will take.

Each and every day of our life we are given numerous opportunities to make choices. Some are insignificant, yet some can make all the difference to our eternal progress and exaltation. The choices we make might be based on our desires, past experiences, beliefs, expectations, necessity, or our circumstances. One thing we need to remember about agency and making choices is where they will ultimately lead us. President Thomas S. Monson explains it this way:

"Life’s journey is not traveled on a freeway devoid of obstacles, pitfalls, and snares. Rather, it is a pathway marked by forks and turnings. Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed: the courage to say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions do determine destiny" (Thomas S. Monson, "Courage Counts” Ensign, Nov 1986).

It is our thoughts and actions that will ultimately show our greatest desires.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell states:

“Actually, everything depends—initially and finally—on our desires. These shape our thought patterns. Our desires thus precede our deeds and lie at the very cores of our souls, tilting us toward or away from God. God can ‘educate our desires’. Others seek to manipulate our desires. But it is we who form the desires, the ‘thoughts and intents of [our] hearts’.

“The end rule is ‘according to [our] desires … shall it be done unto [us]’, ‘for I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts’. One’s individual will thus remains uniquely his. God will not override it nor overwhelm it" (Neal A. Maxwell, “'Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father'”, Ensign, Nov 1995).

Agency is not something new, and it is not limited to our short sojourn here on earth. Before we came to earth each of us had the ability to choose, and those of us who are here chose to be here. President Joseph Fielding Smith spoke of premortal spirits possessing agency when he said:

“God gave his children their free agency even in the spirit world, by which the individual spirits had the privilege, just as men have here, of choosing the good and rejecting the evil, or partaking of the evil to suffer the consequences of their sins.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:58-59)

Agency is such a critical piece of our Father in Heaven’s Plan of Salvation that He watched as some of His spirit children chose not to follow His plan, but instead chose to follow Lucifer – to their own eternal detriment.

The Lord allows us to make choices, and through trial and error we learn more about what we want and what we don’t want. In the end, we show through our choices what it is that we truly want.

Marion G. Romney explains:

“Over and over again the scriptures teach that men receive from the Lord according to their desires. Alma declared:

“… I know that [God] granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction” (Marion G. Romney, “Magnifying One’s Calling in the Priesthood”, Ensign, May 1973).

We are on this earth to be tried and tested. In Abraham the Lord explains, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25).

In a vision to Moses the Lord states His purpose for our existence. “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). His goal is to help us attain eternal life with Him. Everything He asks of us is for our eternal benefit. We cannot see the end from the beginning, as He can, so we must learn to trust in and rely on His ultimate plan for us.

We have been blessed with a body, and also the ability to think for ourselves. Our minds are amazing. With them we can choose to do so much. Those choices are based on our ultimate desires, whether they be good, bad, or indifferent.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin speaks of the power of the mind when he said:

“All evils to which so many become addicted begin in the mind and in the way one thinks. Experience teaches that when the will and imagination are in conflict, the imagination usually wins. What we imagine may defeat our reason and make us slaves to what we taste, see, hear, smell, and feel in the mind’s eye. The body is indeed the servant of the mind.

“In his widely acclaimed essay As a Man Thinketh, James Allen reinforced what Jesus so beautifully proclaimed. Mr. Allen wrote:

“Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master. …

“All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., n. d., pp. 8–9, 34.)" (Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Pondering Strengthens the Spiritual Life”, Ensign, May 1982).

With the ability to choose we need to be careful how we use our precious time on this earth, and whom we "list to obey" (Alma 3:26). As we choose to follow the Savior we may strive to not commit sin, but we will need to dig a little deeper within ourselves to also be committed to do those things we should be doing. This comes through consecrating our hearts to the Lord, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell explains:

“To the extent that we are not willing to be led by the Lord, we will be driven by our appetites, or we will be greatly preoccupied with the lesser things of the day….

“Once the telestial sins are left behind and henceforth avoided, the focus falls ever more on the sins of omission. These omissions signify a lack of qualifying fully for the celestial kingdom. Only greater consecration can correct these omissions, which have consequences just as real as do the sins of commission. Many of us thus have sufficient faith to avoid the major sins of commission, but not enough faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions or to focus on our omissions” (Neal A. Maxwell, “'Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father'”, Ensign, Nov 1995).

Faith

This brings us to faith. One of the first principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to have “...faith in the Lord Jesus Christ” (Articles of Faith 1:4).

In Alma 33 the people Alma has been teaching ask him how to plant the seed of faith. His response is to, “begin to believe in the Son of God” (Alma 33:22).

Believe there really is a God. Believe that his Son died for you. Believe that you really can be forgiven. Believe that you really can change. And this 'good seed' of belief will work in you. As you believe and ask God for forgiveness you will feel a lightening in your soul – a great weight of sin being removed, a realization that there really is a God in heaven who knows you, loves you, and is waiting with outstretched arms to help you. You will then be able to recognize that this seed must be good; and seeds from the same tree produce the same fruit. So believe and continue to taste of all the wonderful fruit that this tree has to offer. 

Elder Richard G. Scott says this about faith:

“When faith is properly understood and used, it has dramatically far-reaching effects. Such faith can transform an individual’s life from maudlin, common everyday activities to a symphony of joy and happiness. The exercise of faith is vital to Father in Heaven’s plan of happiness. But true faith, faith unto salvation, is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in His doctrines and teachings, faith in the prophetic guidance of the Lord’s anointed, faith in the capacity to discover hidden characteristics and traits that can transform life. Truly, faith in the Savior is a principle of action and power” (Richard G. Scott, "The Transforming Power of Faith and Character”, Ensign, Nov 2010).

Just like planting a tree, nurturing it, and waiting for the fruit to grow, it takes time and nurturing before the seed of faith will grow. Some of the ways to increase our faith are through obedience, studying the scriptures, prayer, fasting, paying tithing, temple attendance, and service.

Prayer

Another important principle is that of prayer. In the Bible Dictionary we learn about the relationship between God, man, and prayer.

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings” (Bible Dictionary, "Prayer").

As we humbly approach our Father in Heaven in prayer, we may not always receive the answers we desire. We must learn to have faith in the Lord and in His timing.  As Elder David A. Bednar states,

“The object of our prayers should not be to present a wish list or a series of requests but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing. Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate” (David A. Bednar, "Ask in Faith”, Ensign, May 2008)

Let me share an experience from my own life. A few years ago, the company that my husband worked for was forced to downsize, and my husband was told that he would be let go. Through a bit of effort on his part he had a job offer shortly after this announcement. The job was exactly what he wanted to do, with good pay, a good location, and the timing was perfect. We took our decision, to accept this job offer, to the Lord and felt a very definite “no.” We were surprised but decided to trust the feeling. We declined the offer, and they extended the offer again – something they did three times (an additional test of our faith). My husband then became unemployed, with no other offers in sight.

After three months he was able to find another job; but when compared to the earlier job offer this one did not look like his ideal job. Now, several years later, we reflect back on the employment opportunities that have come to us since that time, and the tremendous opportunities for growth and development my husband has had that would not have come had we accepted the original job offer.

Prayer is a very personal way that we can find out the will of the Lord for ourselves. It allows us to communicate with our loving Father in Heaven. I love this quote by Elder Richard G. Scott about the personal nature of prayer:

“Prayer is a supernal gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul. Think of it: the absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with

Him as our Father….

“It matters not our circumstance, be we humble or arrogant, poor or rich, free or enslaved, learned or ignorant, loved or forsaken, we can address Him. We need no appointment. Our supplication can be brief or can occupy all the time needed. It can be an extended expression of love and gratitude or an urgent plea for help. He has created numberless cosmos and populated them with worlds, yet you and I can talk with Him personally, and He will ever answer” (Richard G. Scott, "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer”, Ensign, May 2007).

The Lord knows all, and as we humble ourselves before Him we can be guided in our lives to find greater fulfillment and happiness than we could have found on our own.

Scriptures

Reading, studying, pondering and applying the scriptures in our lives is another way that we can choose to follow the Savior.

I want to speak in particular about the Book of Mormon, and the promises it contains. I have read the Book of Mormon many times throughout my life. A few years ago I realized that the stories had become so familiar that I didn’t really get much out of my scripture reading. I remembered a talk by President Ezra Taft Benson in which he talked about reasons for reading the Book of Mormon. He said,

“It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path” (Ezra Taft Benson, "The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion”, Ensign, Nov 1986).

Marion G. Romney also spoke of the power that comes from a regular study of the Book of Mormon when he said:

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (Marion G. Romney, "The Book of Mormon”, Ensign, May 1980).

I decided that I was going to test these promises and make a daily, purposeful study of the book of Mormon. When I first started, I was a little worried because I generally read right before bed. I didn't think I could get much out of it, and I was also worried that staying up late to read would not be as beneficial as sleeping. As a young mother I was often very tired, leading to my emotions running a bit high at times. I knelt down and explained my situation to the Lord – how I wanted to begin a serious study of the Book of Mormon, but was a little nervous about the effects that come from late nights and losing sleep.

I started to read every night, and prayed before I read. One thing I noticed was the amount of sleep I needed seemed to lessen. I was able to function well and my emotions stayed in check. About a month after starting this experiment I had a really rough day when I got angry and ended up in tears. When I talked to my husband about my troubles he said that he was surprised at my reaction. He said that for the past month there had been such a wonderful, peaceful feeling in our home.

My husband knew nothing of my experiment, and I feel that the spirit in our home was changed because of my consistent reading from the Book of Mormon. There truly is a power that comes from reading the scriptures. One lesson this experience has reinforced to me is that when I remember to turn to the Lord for help, He is always there.

Obedience

Obedience, to me, is an all-encompassing principle. Much of what we do, and who we become, in life depends on our obedience to the will of our Heavenly Father. True obedience cannot be forced. It comes from way down deep inside, and is reflected in the person we are becoming. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said this about obedience,

“Seventy years ago, Lord Moulton coined a perceptive phrase, ‘obedience to the unenforceable,’ describing ‘the obedience of a man to that which he cannot be forced to obey’. God’s blessings, including those associated with consecration, come by unforced obedience to the laws upon which they are predicated. Thus our deepest desires determine our degree of ‘obedience to the unenforceable.’ God seeks to have us become more consecrated by giving everything. Then, when we come home to Him, He will generously give us ‘all that [He] hath.’

“…the submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we ‘give,’ brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us” (Neal A. Maxwell, "'Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father’”, Ensign, Nov 1995).

As we strive to be obedient to God’s will, instead of our own, we can be guided and directed by the Holy Ghost. Attending the temple, as often as we can, will help renew our spirits and provides a greater understanding of the plan of salvation. As we pay our tithing the Lord has said, “prove me now herewith…if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:20). This is a promise from the Lord. Plant the seed and test this promise.

As we continue on our journey leading to eternal life, we need to remember what we are aiming for. If it is eternal life with Heavenly Father, then obedience to His laws is what will get us there. It is also through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can become cleansed from our sins and imperfections, and try again when we fall short. Elder David B. Haight reminds us,

“Immortality comes to us all as a free gift by the grace of God alone, without works of righteousness. Eternal life, however, is the reward for obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel” (David B. Haight, "The Sacrament—and the Sacrifice”, Ensign, Nov 1989).

It doesn’t matter to the Lord what specific assignment we complete or if we are doing better than soone else. In the day of judgment we will not be compared to anyone, except ourselves. As we put the Lord first in our lives things will work out in the end. Elder Rex C. Reeve states:

“I suppose in the day of judgment the question won’t be so much what did you do or where did you serve, but rather, did you serve me with all your heart? Did you put me first in your life?...

"Yes, the answer and solution to all the challenges and needs we have, national or personal, is to turn our hearts to God, put Him first in our lives, keep His commandments—and all things will work for our good, even those tests which seem so big and require so much. They, too, will bless our lives” (Rex C. Reeve, "Look to God”, Ensign, Nov 1982)

What will truly make a difference in the next life is the direction we are facing when we leave, and the choices we made while here on earth. President Henry B. Eyring states, "If we choose the right, we will find happiness - in time. If we choose evil, there comes sorrow and regret - in time. Those effects are sure" (Henry B. Eyring, "A Priceless Heritage of Hope”, Ensign, May 2014). In the end, the rewards we receive from the choices we made will be ours, and ours alone.