Agency- the power to choose!

(A walk through the Sugar Maples at tapping time.)

This week I'm chewing on the idea of agency.  I honestly could write for hours on this topic, but I have only 5 minutes before my morning routine is thrown out of whack.

(Fun Friday Hair)

This quote from pg 217 of the biography, Boyd K. Packer: A Watchman on the Tower, has been mulling around in my mind.

"If the doctrines of the Church could be put in boxes of various sizes and shapes to fit them . . . I would find the box labeled "agency" and set that in place first. . . . As we examine this foundational doctrine, we find such words as "choice", "freedom", "liberty", and we quickly learn that our God intends that we should be free to choose good on one hand and evil on the other."

(Silly with Ellie's glasses at dinner.)

I, personally, have a love/hate relationship with agency.  I believe that agency IS that power within us... We can choose our actions even when we don't feel like doing something.  That is more powerful than we know.

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. (Doctrine and Covenants, Doctrine and Covenants, D&C 58)

These thoughts are echoing in my mind as I try to make sense of evil and good.  This is a talk by Elder Hales, May 2006.

"I once had an opportunity to accompany President Spencer W. Kimball to a distant land. We were given a tour of the various sites in the area, including underground catacombs—burial grounds for people who had been persecuted by Christian zealots. As we came up the dark, narrow stairs of that place, President Kimball taught me an unforgettable lesson. He pulled my coattail and said, “It has always troubled me what the adversary does using the name of our Savior.” He then said, “Robert, the adversary can never have joy unless you and I sin.”

"As I contemplated this comment and studied the scriptures, I began to understand what President Kimball may have meant. I recalled the word of the Lord to all the inhabitants of the earth as recorded in the Book of Mormon: “Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people.” ¹⁹ It is our sins that make the devil laugh, our sorrow that brings him counterfeit joy.

"Although the devil laughs, his power is limited. Some may remember the old adage: “The devil made me do it.” Today I want to convey, in absolutely certain terms, that the adversary cannot make us do anything. He does lie at our door, as the scriptures say, and he follows us each day. ²⁰ Every time we go out, every decision we make, we are either choosing to move in his direction or in the direction of our Savior. But the adversary must depart if we tell him to depart. He cannot influence us unless we allow him to do so, and he knows that! The only time he can affect our minds and bodies—our very spirits—is when we allow him to do so. In other words, we do not have to succumb to his enticements!

"We have been given agency, we have been given the blessings of the priesthood, and we have been given the Light of Christ and theHoly 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."

How we CHOOSE to feel, think, and act!!! Wow.  The power of choice!  This is SO different from what the world teaches.

(Oh, Eve!)

I'll come back later and place the link to this talk.  Elder Hales, To Act for Ourselves the Gift and Blessing of Agency, May 2006.  It is SO good.

Every time we go out, every decision we make, we are either choosing to move in his direction or in the direction of our Savior.

Wow!  I love this.

Today, I'm going to "March" in the direction of goodness.  The power is in me to act or to be acted upon.  I love this idea.

I just know Satan is real.  There is darkness in this world and there is light!  I want to be a light.  I want my home to be light!  As I understand our God-given power to choose, I am excited to choose better.

This is what I'm thinking about today as I fold laundry.  

Choose goodness friends!

There is much joy in a good life.