By: Delbert L. Stapley, “Using Our Free Agency,” Ensign, May 1975, 21
For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so … righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.” (2 Ne. 2:11.)
As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we have this gift of free agency to use in our mortal lives. We must be tried, tested, and proved to see if we will choose the right and do all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall command us. As spirit children of God, we have built-in powers of conscience sufficient to develop our free agency in right choices and to acquire qualities of goodness, humility, and integrity of purpose.
A person’s freedom should never be suppressed by men, by Satan, nor by our Lord. Men should never be in bondage one to another. While Satan would like us under his control, God does not control the actions of men. He has given us our agency to combat the trials, temptations, and evils of every kind. However, he gives certain principles that, if followed, will lead us back to his presence. God’s kingdom is founded upon perfect liberty. Every man, woman, and child has the right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. Each person alone is responsible to his creator for his individual acts.
God gave us the everlasting gospel, the principles of life and salvation, and has left it up to each of us to choose or reject, with the understanding that we become responsible to him for the results of our acts. The Lord does not force anyone to embrace the gospel, and he will not force them to live it if they have embraced it. “They act for themselves, and act from choice.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 57.)
Satan exerts his greatest power when God has a work to do among his children on earth. Every dispensation of the gospel since the beginning of time has come to a close, not because God has failed, but because man has failed God by the improper use of his free agency.
THIS is what influnces my thoughts. Not politicians.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Free Agency
Posted by DanceNplay at 10:03 PM
Labels: Free Agency
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
Sarah - I don't want to get in a debate with you on your blog, unless that is what you want, about Agency or Free Agency. However, you missed my point if this talk (and I'm sorry if this is not the case) was in response to my comments about Free Agency.
However, this talk only supports what I said, and does not refudiate it. Agency is a gift given to us from GOD to make choices for ourselves. You can call it free agency if you would like, however again as I said, the problem with using free agency is that we are not free in reality. We are free to make the choice, but not free from the consequences, and the Brethern have repeatedly spoke about this in many talks over and over. They have also combated the idea, just as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and all other great Prophets of the world, that just because we are granted agency, does not mean we are given the freedoms to do what we want and when we want.
Our agency is given to us singularly, and anytime we infringe upon anothers "free agency" we have crossed that line. The problem with many ideas such as homosexuality, abortion, and other heated political ideas, is that those choices infringe upon others agency. Just as the reason it is illegal to drink and drive, is if you kill or hurt someone you have taken that persons "free agency" away. That is why we have laws of the land and church.
Now we could debate homosexuality and legalizing gay marriage as not infringing upon ones agency, however I would assume that arguement would boil down to this one question. Do you believe in God and the Church? and if so, do you believe the principles taught in the church are higher than that over wordly views and principles? I don't ask this question suggesting you don't, but that is the essence of the arguement. If you say yes to both, then you understand that morality must have a dark line, and it should not be crossed. It is a fundamental belief that the family is the central figure of the gospel (a mother and a father). If you believe in the church, then you agree to that and understand that it takes a father and a mother to create eternal families. Homosexuality is in direct contridiction to that belief. It also takes the "Agency" of another (a child) away to live and have that opportunity of a father and a mother. Yes divorices happen, and yes, divorice robs that same agency from the children as well. However, if you struggle with the concept of eternal marriage (again no accusations in that comment), then of course it would be hard for you to understand how legalizing gay marriage takes ones agency away. This exact reason is why the church has heavily encouraged members in California to stand up to the current proposition to legalise gay marriages. They have sent leaders to local leaders in surrounding states to encourage the members to be active in standing up against this proposition.
A country or people with no morals, is a country that is on a fast track to destruction. Having morals is what governs a people, the idea of having freedom/liberty to do what you want is what destroys that same people.
Just my thoughts, I appreciate the thought provocing posts. However, I would never trade my freedoms and free society for a good looking, well spoken, and enthusiastic solialist. Of course the downfalls of a free/capitalist society is the pride, greed, and self-centerism... that is where we fail in using our agency: "Every dispensation of the gospel since the beginning of time has come to a close, not because God has failed, but because man has failed God by the improper use of his free agency." (from the talk you posted). However, if we turn to socialism, then we are robbed or our free agency, and we are left with those who are empowered to with the agency to make decissions for us.
Post a Comment