Agency

Today in church, I led our gospel principles class as the Holy Ghost taught and testified of the following truths from the holy scriptures:

• Moses 7:32

  The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

• 2 Nephi 2:27

  Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who gives us agency to choose right from wrong and learn for ourselves. We are here upon the earth to be tested. As we are tested, we are faced with much opposition in all things. In the book of Nephi we learn that opposition is necessary to the plan of salvation.

• 2 Nephi 2:11

  For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Each of us on earth have this gift of agency. We are the only ones who can halt our progression by allowing bad influences/choices to creep into our lives. We have been given the gift of agency to exercise faith unto repentance and to seek the Savior, Jesus Christ's path and teachings.

May you have a great week and choose the right when the choice is placed before you!

C. Poulsen ~