One of the most common criticisms I hear of the Abrahamic religions, in general, is that our preaching of "free agency" is negated by all of the commandments given by God. I've grappled with this idea for most of my life. What's the point of free agency if you're supposed to use it a particular way? Do you really have free agency if you're supposed to abide by the commandments? Isn't God being kind of vindictive by giving you this "gift" of free agency and then immediately punishing you if you don't use it correctly?
The definition of "free agency" in Latter-day Saint theology is "the privilege of choice which was introduced by God the Eternal Father to all of his spirit children in the premortal state". We know that free agency is the ability to choose for ourselves which path we'll take and how far we'll take it. To fully understand why we have this power, we have to look at what the purpose of our lives here on earth is; We're here to gain experience. Experience comes through trial and error, forward motion, participation. In order to fully participate in something (as opposed to simply witnessing), we have to be able to be engaged, making decisions and learning along the way. Our gift of free agency allows us full access to this earthly life and all of the blessings found within.
With this gift of experience, we are also provided the opportunity to become like our Father in heaven. We are able to gain spiritual strength as we go about this mortal life. We understand how to use, operate, and care for our bodies. We make important connections and come to understand our Father in Heaven just a little bit better. The power of free agency is the glorious power to choose divinity and eternity, over and over again.
Boyd K. Packer's quote on actions and consequences really helped me to come to a much more complete understanding of the concept of free agency. To every single action, there is a consequence. Sometimes these consequences are predictable. For example, if I do all of my laundry, I'll have all of my clothes ready and available for me throughout the week. If I don't, I'll eventually run out of clothes and most likely experience stress as I scramble to get everything done by the time I need them.
When Heavenly Father gives us commandments, he's outlining actions and consequences for us. If we follow the Word of Wisdom, we will have health in our navel and marrow to our bones. We will find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge. We will run and not be weary, walk and not faint. It is promised that the destroying angel will pass by us, as it did for the children of Israel. These are pretty large promises and extremely positive consequences should we exercise our free agency to live by this commandment. God tells us what we should do with our agency so that we can receive blessings and strengthen our spirits and become more like him. His commandments help us to decipher between what will help us achieve the goal of this life and what hinders the spirit.
"And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you; Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation. I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." D&C 82:8-10
Having a knowledge of the consequences when we make a poor choice and then running into the painful, aggravating, or generally unpleasant consequences of those consequences is hardly God's way of being vindictive or punishing us. We punish ourselves as we make decisions we've been warned not to make! When our mothers told us not to put our hands on the hot stove and we did it anyway and got burned, was that burn a result of our mother's anger, or simply the nature of what happens when delicate skin comes in contact with hot surfaces? Heavenly Father has greater insight than any of us. When he warns us not to do something, the consequences he cites are not his fantasies of harming us and bringing us pain. It's him sharing his knowledge with us so we can avoid the anguish!
The Lord Preserves Faith as a Choice
One thing about God I know to be true is he is an absolute genius. In all things, we have the freedom to choose to believe. A beautiful example of this is the restoration of the gospel.
Heavenly Father chose Joseph Smith, a poor, uneducated farm boy in western New York who had a strong desire to do right by God, to restore Christ's church on earth. This boy was to translate golden plates intended to turn the hearts of modern-day people to Christ, and then go forth and spread the gospel. That's pretty unbelievable, isn't it? The Lord continues to use imperfect people to bring about his perfect work, allowing us the free agency to investigate for ourselves, pray about what has been presented to us, and decide for ourselves if we want to live in accordance with what has been shown to us. How insane must people have believed Christ to be as he went about performing miracles and guiding his people from the law of Moses into a new era of commandments? As he claimed to be the "light of the world" that would save us all from everlasting death? Yet there were still those who used their free agency to follow him and find out for their own sakes if what Christ taught was true.
We read in 1 Nephi how Laman and Lemuel, Nephi's brothers, were still doubtful and prideful even after having been visited by an angel. This should tell us everything we really need to know about the preciousness of free agency. While Nephi made the choice to place his faith in God as they were commanded to retrieve the plates from Laban, build a ship, etc, Laman and Lemuel still wallowed in doubt and complained that the things God asked were impossible. They were not bound to faith simply because of their experience. They always had the choice to move forward in faith or fall away in doubt and grief.
Throughout this life, we will be faced with choices. What will we do with our bodies? What thoughts will we choose to grow and nourish? Will we serve anyone? Will we invite the spirit into our lives and learn from Heavenly Father? Will we choose a different path? We have the full freedom to prioritize and act as we will. While we know what Heavenly Father asks of us, he will never make the decision for us.
I share my testimony now of Heavenly Father's gift of free agency to all of us. I know that it is truly a gift and the element which allows us to have fulfilling, enriching, beautiful lives. I believe that in all of God's great wisdom, he blessed us with that gift and never violates it so that we can be ready to come into his presence again. Free agency is crucial to getting anything out of this life experience. I know that Christ's atonement for us made our free agency usable and productive rather than a damning agent. I am so grateful for the example that has been set for us and for the constant guidance Heavenly Father has provided for all of us so that we can all grow more and more every day. May we all continue to learn precept upon precept what Heavenly Father has in store for all of us and how we can prepare to receive it.
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