Agency Talk

I was asked to speak today on agency, and have decided to use President Monsons talk from the October 2010 conference: The Three Rs of Choice.

He says, "I have been thinking recently about choices and their consequences. Scarcely an hour of the day goes by but what we are called upon to make choices of one sort or another. Some are trivial, some more far-reaching. Some will make no difference in the eternal scheme of things, and others will make all the difference."

At the beginning of this year, i made a few goals for myself. I try not to make goals that i can not realistically reach. that is, goals that require someone else to use their agency to make your goal possible. nevertheless, these are the goals that i made:

1st Make art everyday. This goal was simple enough for me to achieve. I recently graduated with my BFA in Studio Art from BYU, and i take it very seriously. I have kept this goal. i got a job teaching art at the community center in provo, which i love! and i am also working on some works on paper for a show in Texas next month. i have chosen to make art a priority in my life because i feel like it can influence people to be better, and come unto Christ. i choose to make uplifting art that makes people think about something more that what's there.

my 2nd goal was to exercise regularly. i haven't really reached this goal. i have made excuses for not reaching it, like "i'm too busy" or "If there were less hills around here..." but in reality, i could make time to go running everyday. I have used my agency poorly in this case.

finally, my 3rd goal was to get married, but that was one of those unreasonable goals, so i adjusted it to this: apply Alma 38:12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness. 

i am very happy to tell you that i reached this goal. my original goal. all because i used my agency to be bold, but not overbearing. not only did i use my agency to choose to love and marry a wonderful man, but he used his to choose me.

i met Austin last August. we were in the same singles ward and lived across the street from each other. we became friends easily and quickly. over time, we became better friends, establishing a good foundation. in late October he asked me out on our first date. we went to a Mexican food restaurant. we had a nice time, but it didn't lead to a second date. he came to my final exhibition in November, and help me move in December. After Christmas, we started flirting more and more. In late February I invited him to come cross-country skiing. after that, we started spending more one on one time together. in early march he invited me to go sledding with him and his family. i spent the day with them, and by the time i went home, i knew i would someday marry him. on Sunday, March 25th, we became "official". 19 days later he told me he wanted to marry me. We bought a ring, and on April 17th, while dancing on a stage in the middle of a park in Orem, he knelt down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. we spent the summer apart. he was working out of tow. i was working here. we skyped. a lot. then, on August 3rd, we became an eternal family. BEST choice i ever made!

While the first two goal are important, and can have a long-lasting effect on my career or physical well being, the last goal has impacted my eternal life and progression. I have a responsibility to do my art in returning to my Father in Heaven, and, through a miracle from God, it paid off.

President Monson explains, "As I’ve contemplated the various aspects of choice, I’ve put them into three categories: first, the right of choice; second, the responsibility of choice; and third, the results of choice."

The Right of Choice

The Savior used His agency to atone for all of us. "[He] offered Himself as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all. Through unspeakable suffering He became the great Redeemer, the Savior of all mankind, thus making possible our successful return to our Father. " 

We must remember our eternal journey. The purpose we are here on this earth: to return to live with God in His eternal glory forever and ever. President Monson speaks of a goal that we must all have. This goal should be renew each day, and not forgotten about until the next new year. He implores, "May we keep our eyes, our hearts, and our determination focused on that goal which is eternal and worth any price we will have to pay, regardless of the sacrifice we must make to reach it."

this makes me wonder how many goals have i made that are worth great sacrifice in order to achieve them. to no matter what choose good over evil, The prophet Mormon tells us, 'The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.'  even if it's harder, or more work, or less fun. I think of a visual demonstration I saw when I was in Primary that incorporated a large jar - representing your day, some rocks - representing the most important things that had to get done, sand and water - representing the less  important things needed for you day. In order to fit everything into your day, or the jar, you had to insert them in a specific order. Rocks, sand, and then water. if you were to put them in backward, they would not all fit. through this demonstration we learned that we must use our agency wisely to prioritize our lives so that they are the fullest they can be.

President David O. McKay said, “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man.” 

In 2 Nephi 2:27 we learn that "men are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

President Monson assures that, "within the confines of whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we will always have the right to choose."

The Responsibility of Choice

We, especially as latter-day saints, have a responsibility to make good choices. to further the work of God. to serve others. 

we can use our agency to do productive things to better ourselves and others, we can an education, work hard to provide for our families, study the scriptures, get to know the people around us so we can better serve them and the Lord; or we can use our agency to do wasteful things.

President Monson says, "Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal journey without providing the means whereby we could receive from Him God-given guidance to assist in our safe return at the end of mortal life. I speak of prayer. I speak too of the whisperings from that still, small voice within each of us, and I do not overlook the holy scriptures. Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices."

one of my students in my adult pottery class is such an innocent and sweet guy. he would come into class ready to work hard on his project. he engaged the rest of the class in interesting, yet, sometimes silly, conversations about if we were ever going to progress technologically. he would ask if we had seen certain movies. when we would tell him we had not seen them, he'd ask why. we'd tell him we didn't have time. his simple answer was to make time.

making time to watch a movie for entertainment might not be the best way to spend our time, but for things like exercising to take care of your body, going to the temple, fulfilling your calling, or serving others really can be. 

We are surrounded—even at times bombarded—by the messages of the adversary. 

“Just this once won’t matter.”

“Don’t worry; no one will know.”

“You can stop any time.”

“Everybody’s doing it, so it can’t be that bad.”

The lies are endless.  

When faced with significant choices, how do we decide? Do we succumb to the promise of momentary pleasure? To our urges and passions? To the pressure of our peers?

President Monson relates a story I'm sure we're all familiar with.

Let us not find ourselves as indecisive as is Alice in Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. You will remember that she comes to a crossroads with two paths before her, each stretching onward but in opposite directions. She is confronted by the Cheshire cat, of whom Alice asks, “Which path shall I follow?”

The cat answers, “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

Unlike Alice, we all know where we want to go, and it does matter which way we go, for by choosing our path, we choose our destination.

Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed—the courage to say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions do determine destiny.

C. The Results of Choice

All of our choices have consequences, some of which have little or nothing to do with our eternal salvation and others of which have everything to do with it.

My decision to date, fall in love with and marry my sweet husband has a great deal to do with my eternal salvation. The choice I make every morning to stay in bed instead of going running has much less of an impact. however, i should try harder to overcome that temptation.

The Apostle Paul has assured us, “God will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” or in my case, walk and not be weary, and run and not faint.

President Monson says, "We have all made incorrect choices. If we have not already corrected such choices, I assure you that there is a way to do so. The process is called repentance. I plead with you to correct your mistakes. Our Savior died to provide you and me that blessed gift."

I know that repentance is real. It is not a scary thing. We can use the atonement everyday. to repent of small things or large things. to overcome challenges. to defeat satan. all we have to do is choose to use the gift our Savior and Redeemer gave His life for.

In closing, I want to share President Monsons plea, "may we be filled with gratitude for the right of choice, accept the responsibility of choice, and ever be conscious of the results of choice."

I know that our Agency is an incredible gift that we can use everyday. i know that if we choose to use it for good we will be blessed beyond measure. i know that Jesus Christ came to earth to be an example for good and that He gave His life to enable us to overcome this world and continue our journey with Him in eternal glory. I love Him. And I am grateful for the blessings of agency.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.