(1) Robert D. Hales – April 2006 – “To Act
for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency”
“Now, none of us are on the narrow path all of
the time. All of us make mistakes. That is why Lehi, who understood the
Savior’s role in preserving and reclaiming our agency, taught Jacob—and us:
“The Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, that he may redeem the children of
men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have
become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be
acted upon.” That is the key—“to act for themselves and not to be acted upon.”
(2) Robert D. Hales – April 2006 – “To Act
for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency”
“Finally, remember our
agency is not only for us. We have the responsibility to use it in behalf of
others, to lift and strengthen others in their trials and tribulations. Some of
our brothers and sisters have lost the full use of their agency through
unrighteous choices. Without exposing ourselves to temptation, we can and
should invite others to receive the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Through friendship and love, we may lead them along the path of obedience and
encourage them to use their agency to make the right choices once again.”
(3) Robert D. Hales – October 2010 – “Agency: Essential to the
Plan of Life”
“Agency is to act with accountability and
responsibility for our actions. Our agency is essential to the plan of
salvation. With it we 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.”
(4) D. Todd Christofferson – October 2009 – “Moral Discipline”
“President Faust recognized that we all possess
the God-given gift of moral agency—the right to make choices and the obligation
to account for those choices (see D&C 101:78). He also
understood and demonstrated that, for positive outcomes, moral agency must be
accompanied by moral discipline. By “moral discipline,” I mean self-discipline
based on moral standards. Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency
to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the
self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true
greatness through Christlike service (see Mark 10:42–45). The root
of the word discipline is shared by the word disciple, suggesting to the mind
the fact that conformity to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ is the
ideal discipline that, coupled with His grace, forms a virtuous and morally
excellent person.”
(5) Richard G. Scott – October 1992 – “Healing your Damaged
Life”
“You may be tired of others trying to run your
life—always telling you what to do. After all, you have the right to make your
own choices. That is correct. You have that right. It is your agency. The
secret to solve problems in your life will be found in understanding and using
the eternally beneficial interaction of your agency and His truth.”
(6) Richard G. Scott – October 2010 – “The Transforming Power of
Faith and Character”
“Neither Satan nor any other power can destroy
or undermine your growing character. Only you could do that through
disobedience. A sterling character is converted into worthless ashes when
eroded by deceit or transgression.”
(7) Richard G. Scott – October 2010 – “The Transforming Power of
Faith and Character”
“Faith and character are intimately related.
Faith in the power of obedience to the commandments of God will forge strength
of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not
developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is
intended to be used. Your exercise of faith in true principles builds
character; fortified character expands your capacity to exercise more faith. As
a result, your capacity and confidence to conquer the trials of life is
enhanced. The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to
benefit from exercising the power of faith. You will discover how faith and
character interact to strengthen one another. Character is woven patiently from
threads of applied principle, doctrine, and obedience.”
(8) John H. Vandenberg – April 1973 – “The Agency of Man”
“Unfortunately, many do not realize the quality
and blessing of that gift of agency of man. If we would but reason the matter,
we would come to realize as is expressed in this thought: “Choice is an element
of human dignity. Without the power of choice, a man is a lot less than a man. Without
the exercise of choice a man never discovers what he can be or what he can do.
Choice is the key to the future.”
(9) Howard W. Hunter – October 1989 – “The Golden Thread of
Choice”
“To fully understand this gift of agency and its
inestimable worth, it is imperative that we understand that God’s chief way of
acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not by coercion and
stark confrontation. He acts by gentle solicitation and by sweet enticement. He
always acts with unfailing respect for the freedom and independence that we
possess. He wants to help us and pleads for the chance to assist us, but he
will not do so in violation of our agency. He loves us too much to do that, and
doing so would run counter to his divine character.”
(10) Russell M. Nelson – October 1990 – “Choices”
“The
proper exercise of moral agency requires faith. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
is the first principle of the gospel. (See A of F 1:4.)
Because of Him, you have your agency. He must be the very foundation of your
faith, and the testing of that faith is a fundamental reason for your freedom
to choose.”
Position
Statement
Agency or Choice is why we are here. We are here to refine our decision and
overcome natural tendencies. We are here
to learn to make perfect choices. Trial
and error is really the only way to go about learning to overcome these
tendencies. Our natural man has many
carnal desires and so we are here to educate our desires and learn to become
more like Christ. The ability we have to
choose is a wonderful gift. It allows us
to make something of ourselves and truly strive to reach our divine
potentials. It will be a glorious day
when we can look back and be pleased with our many great decisions.
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