Agency

LDS Quotes on Agency

“As Joseph reminded his followers, ‘I believe that God foreknew everything, but did not foreordain everything.’ Exaltation, is within the reach of all, even if the journey toward that divine end is fraught with suffering. If we had insurance against a painful journey, one-third of the heavenly hosts would not have abandoned the enterprise. The risks are real. Or, in the language of the Book of Mormon, we cannot assume that our afflictions come from God, but we can know that ‘God shall consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain.'”

Terryl and Fiona Givens  |  "The Christ Who Heals"

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“If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see.”

Henry David Thoreau

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“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.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson  |  "Moral Discipline," Conference October 2009

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“Had agency come to man without the Atonement, it would have been a fatal gift.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  "Atonement, Agency, Accountability," Conference April 1988

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“For where it is in our power to act, it is also in our power not to act.”

Aristotle  |  Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 2

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“Generally our Heavenly Father will not interfere with the agency of another person unless He has a greater purpose for that individual. Two examples come to mind: Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, and Alma the Younger. Both these men were deterred from their unrighteous objective of persecuting and trying to destroy the church of God. Both became great missionaries for the Church. But even as the Lord intervened, they were given choices. Alma, for example, was told, ‘If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God.’”

Marvin J. Ashton  |  “Know He Is There,” Ensign, February 1994, p. 54

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“Exercising agency in a setting that sometimes includes opposition and hardship is what makes life more than a simple multiple-choice test. God is interested in what we are becoming as a result of our choices. He is not satisfied if our exercise of moral agency is simply a robotic effort at keeping some rules. Our Savior wants us to become something, not just do some things. He is endeavoring to make us independently strong – more able to act for ourselves than perhaps those of any prior generation. We must be righteous, even when He withdraws His Spirit, or, as President Brigham Young said, even ‘in the dark.’”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson  |  “Moral Agency,” Ensign, June 2009, p. 53

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“Truly God loves us, and because He loves us, he neither compels or abandons us. Rather, he helps us and guides us. Indeed, the real manifestation of God’s love is His commandments.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

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“Agency is a God-given right to choose between good and evil. It is not a right to do anything you please, anytime, for any purpose. Choose between good and evil, right and wrong, truth and error. If I choose, I take the consequences of the choice, for the law works either way. If I choose good, then the spirit of the Lord will be ready to inspire me to fill me with love. If I choose evil, I place myself under the influence of Satan and his helpers and his spirits; I forfeit the influence of good. And as I progress further into the evil, the light of Christ which lightens all men fades away. But my right to choose and to keep on choosing is mine continually. I can turn at any time and reverse myself. I can turn toward good if evil, or I can turn toward evil if good.”

S. Dilworth Young  |  “The Key to Faith,” BYU Devotional, July 1, 1969, pp. 2-3

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“I have seen the good fruit of the gospel blossom in my home continent of Africa. … In the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel, many are finding a sure anchor for their faith. Families uprooted from their rural communities in search of a better future in the towns and cities have found a new way to hold on to the strong family traditions which have come progressively under attack in this era of globalization. The Spirit of the Lord is moving powerfully among the people. A new celestial culture is developing in homes, nurtured by the ready hearkening to the counsel of the living prophet to have daily prayer and scripture study and to meet once a week as a family in home evening. As a result, many are able to break free from the shackles of traditions that restrict the exercise of their agency.”

Joseph W. Sitati  |  “Blessings of the Gospel Available to All”

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