Topic: Agency:

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-6, 8-24 > Moses 3:17 > Alma 12:31 > Doctrine and Covenants 93:31 > Deuteronomy 30:15-20 > Joshua 24:15 > 1 Kings 18:21 > 2 Nephi 2:27-30 > Helaman 14:28-31 > Deuteronomy 11:26-28 > Doctrine and Covenants 29:39 > 2 Nephi 2:11-15 > Psalms 119:30 > Matthew 26:39, 41-42 > Matthew 6:10 > Psalms 143:10 > John 5:30 > Psalms 40:8 > Matthew 7:21 > John 7:16-18 > 1 John 2:17 > 2 Nephi 10:24 > Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-28

Although the word ‘agency’ is not found in the Holy Bible, the principle of agency is well taught. From the very beginning God gave unto man his agency, or the freedom to choose, the ability to make choices. When we think of agency, we might associate it with a commandment or a law which God has given man and the freedom we have to chose whether to keep the commandment or not. An example of this may be the Sabbath Day; do we keep it or not. We may also associate it with daily choices such as what to wear, what to eat, when to sleep and so forth. 

In the Garden of Eden, God gave unto man in Genesis chapter 2 verses 15 through 17 a commandment, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it”. It appears, from scripture, that Adam and Eve were just fine with the commandment; they did not even consider not obeying the commandment. It was not until in Genesis Chapter 3 verses 1-6 when the devil came and enticed them with an alternative, or a choice in the matter. Now Adam and Eve were suddenly faced with a decision, they had a choice. They could either keep God’s commandment to not partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, or they could accept the enticements of the devil and partake. As we see with this commandment that God gave Adam and Eve, it came with consequences, “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Obviously, if they did not eat, they would never die. With agency comes accountability. We see this take place in chapter 3 verses 8 through 24; Adam and Eve confess to eating the fruit when God asks them what they have done. God proceeds to outline for them the punishments that will fall upon them, the final one being they will be cast out of the Garden of Eden.

From the very beginning mankind was endowed with agency. From the Genesis version of the story of Adam and Eve, it is difficult to see the choice they had until they were enticed by the devil. In Moses chapter 3 verse 17, we learn that God gave Adam the choice as He gave him the commandment, “Nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee”. So God introduced to Adam and Eve their agency; He didn’t leave it up to chance or to the devil. As I stated earlier, however, it does not appear that Adam and Eve gave it a second thought until they were enticed by the devil; it was then as they began to be seduced by the devil they gave consideration to breaking God’s commandment.

Alma chapter 12 verse 31 helps us understand that Adam and Eve having partaken of the fruit, placed, “Themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good.” Certainly, it was God’s choice to give agency to mankind; if not so, as we learned earlier in the Scripture Train on Probation, this life could not be a probationary state. It could not be a proving ground, a time of testing or trial. The Doctrine and Covenants section 93 verse 31, emphasizes this point that this life is an opportunity for man to exercise his agency, whether to his condemnation or to his blessing.

In Deuteronomy chapter 30 verses 15 through 20, we see how the Lord, in very simple and plain terms, set forth the choice that the Children of Israel had. It is as simple for us today as it was for them then. It is a God given right we have to use our agency, whether it be to our good or to our condemnation. In all the teaching, preaching and prophesying recorded by prophets of God, we see how God gives man their choices, never has He taken away our agency, but uses it to bless us or to justly punish us. Joshua chapter 24 verse 15 is a good example of this. “Choose you this day”! It is always our choice, but as I mentioned earlier, with that agency comes accountability; we will have to answer to God for our choices. This is demonstrated all throughout the scriptures; remember the story of Elijah? In 1 Kings chapter 18 verse 21, Elijah asks the question, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” The people were stuck between worshiping the Lord, or Baal. Later in the story, severe condemnation came upon those who chose Baal over the Lord. It is important to point out that the people who chose Baal did not choose ignorantly, but willfully and knowingly rebelled against God. God’s blessings to us or His condemnation of us is always just. This is skillfully taught in 2 Nephi chapter 2 verses 27 through 30 and Helaman chapter 14 verses 28 through 31; “Men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man”. Meaning, that God gives man every opportunity to choose correctly, He ensures that all men have ample opportunities to be taught, to learn, to repent of their sins and so forth. In the first instance, man is given the opportunity to learn from servants of God who are sent forth to teach and to preach. If they reject this opportunity, more than likely they will be given others, until the time that God says, he has had enough opportunities. In the second instance, those who have the word and choose not to live by it will be given ample opportunity to repent and set things right between him and God; until the time comes when God says, he has had opportunity enough. All this is done according to God’s word found in Deuteronomy chapter 11 verses 26 through 28. According to how we choose to use our agency, God has a blessing or a curse for us.

At this point, I hope you understand that there are opposing forces acting upon us. With the ability to choose, we are in a position to act and not simply to be acted upon or forced into something. In Doctrine and Covenants section 29 verse 39 and 2 Nephi chapter 2 verses 11 through 15, we learn that without the devil’s temptations mankind could not learn to be agents unto themselves. We learned this in the story of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve never really understood how good they had it in the Garden of Eden until they were expelled. They never could understand sweet until they had tasted bitter. In our lives, we begin learning this from the moment we are born, thus, having grown up with a knowledge of opposites we don’t think much about it. As soon as we are born, the doctor gives our bottoms a good whack to get us to breath. We experience pain immediately after birth; then we are cleaned, scrubbed and wrapped in a soft, warm blanket and learn to feel comfort. Soon thereafter, we experience hunger and shortly we experience the sweetness of mother’s milk and a full tummy. Thus, we learn all about opposition very quickly.  Without this opposition we could not be agents, we could not learn to choose for there would be nothing to choose between. We could never understand the greatness of God if we did not have some understanding of the misery of the devil. In life, we learn to understand happiness and misery through our own choices or in the choices others make that may affect us. From this understanding just gained, we can understand better what the Psalmist stated in Psalms chapter 119 verse 30; he said he had laid the judgments of God before him. In other words, I believe what he is saying here is that he took a good look at what God had for him and what the alternatives were and with this knowledge and understanding, he used his agency to choose the path of truth, or God’s path.

At this time it is important for us to look at another aspect of agency that some consider a violation of our agency by God. This is the voluntary giving of our wills over to God, thus attempting to make our will one with God’s will for us. Some, especially youth, will say, “I am giving up my freedom if I do all these things God says I have to do to be saved in His kingdom”. This really becomes the ultimate use of our agency. Let us look at the ultimate example, even Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter 26 verses 39, 41 and 42, Christ exclaims to God in prayer, “If possible, let this cup pass from me.” He is not demanding in an act of rebellion that God find some other way to bring about the salvation of mankind and spare Him, Christ, the pain, but rather He is expressing His own independent desire. Then in an act of complete submission to God, He uses His agency, submits His independent will to the will of God, and says, “Not as I will, but as thou wilt”. We see this same submissive attitude recorded in Matthew chapter 6 verse 10. In Psalms chapter 143 verse 10, the Psalmist prays, “Teach me to do thy will”! Who knows us better than God? Who knows what will bring us the greatest happiness better than God? So why not use our agency and choose as Christ chose, to do God’s will. Christ claimed in John chapter 5 verse 30, that He could do nothing except He do according to the will of God who had sent Him. Eventually, as we learn to submit ourselves and our wills over to God we will learn to exclaim as the Psalmist in Psalms chapter 40 verse 8, “I delight to do thy will”. Why does he delight to do God’s will, because it is what brings him the most joy and happiness. Thus, it becomes a part of him, it is woven in his heart. 

Eventually we must learn that to gain salvation in the kingdom of God, we must learn to submit our will to God, Matthew teaches this in chapter 7 verse 21. Then John teaches in chapter 7 verse 16 through 18 that when we learn to submit our will to God, there will be no unrighteousness in us. Then in 1 John chapter 2 verse 17, we learn that, “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Jacob teaches in 2 Nephi chapter 10 verse 24, that if we reconcile our will to the will of God that by His grace we will be saved.

One more interesting note that we learn in Doctrine and Covenants section 58 verses 26 through 28, here we are taught that we are free to use our will to bring about good and much righteousness. God does not expect to have to command us in all things. He wants us to use our agency for good. The more we grow to be Christ-like, the closer our acts of good and righteousness will mirror what Christ would do in the same circumstances. This would be the greatest example of independent wills becoming one and the finest compliment we could pay to God, when we see people about doing good, mirroring what Christ would do.