Agency (by Kathy Goodlad)

  Lehi teaches us that if there was no opposition, there would be no righteousness nor wickedness, neither good nor bad. We can’t act for ourselves if there is no choice (see 2 Ne. 2:11, 16). To become a committed follower of Christ, we must have the option to reject Him. So Satan is permitted to exercise his power, and yielding our will to God can sometimes become difficult. Yet it is in this exercise of acting for ourselves that we grow.

C. S. Lewis said: “Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. … You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.” Lewis goes on, “Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means” (Mere Christianity [1960], 109–10).

Thomas S. Monson stated,

We know that we had agency before this world was and that Lucifer attempted to take it from us. He had no confidence in the principle of agency or in us and argued for imposed salvation. He insisted that with his plan none would be lost, but he seemed not to recognize – or perhaps not to care – that in addition, none would be any wiser any stronger, any more compassionate, or any more grateful if his plan were followed.

We who chose the Savior’s plan knew that we would be embarking on a precarious, difficult journey, for we walk the ways of the world and sin and stumble, cutting us off from our Father. But the Firstborn in the Spirit 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. 

The prophet Lehi tells us: “Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they 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."

Thomas W. Monson also stated that with the right of choice comes the responsibility to choose. We cannot be neutral, there is no middle ground. The Lord knows this, Lucifer knows this. As long as we live upon this earth, Lucifer and his hosts will never abandon the hope of claiming our souls.

This past year at my elementary school we piloted a new program called “Earn a Bike” in partnership with the non-profit organization, Off the Front. In this program we promised all fourth-grade students, if they chose to follow our outline and earn enough points, they would each be given a new bike and helmet. They were all very excited as this was something that their families would not be able to afford on their own. We concentrated on five areas – behavior, attendance, grades, healthy living choices and effort. They did not have to be perfect in any of these areas, they could fail one week, set a new goal and try harder the next week and would still be able to earn enough points in the end. They were also given mentors that came and checked in with them each Friday. In our school that was the superintendent, two assistant superintendents, the school board president and a local business owner of H & J Chevrolet. They did a great job of encouraging each of their assigned students which also included a modified version for 10 special needs students. We felt as they were fourth graders, and being a walk-in school, that they should be able to make it to school each day. Still we had one boy who had 41 absences out of 180 days with no medical excuse. It was hard for us to justify his earning of enough attendance points so he was not awarded the amount that he needed to earn a bike. We also had a girl who broke her jaw and missed two weeks of school but was not penalized for those points. Overall, we did see that the fourth-grade attendance was higher than the rest of the school. We also saw a change in behavior with the start of the program as we had less fourth grade office referrals or minor infraction slips. Students were making better choices.

They were also making better health choices in drinking more water and eating less sugar. They even chided the superintendent when he showed up to a soccer game with a soda, he tried to explain that it was a diet soda, but they still weren’t having it. I asked them what they thought of the program and how it affected their choices. “I want the bike so bad and don’t have a bike, so I do better so that I can get the bike.”

Alexis shared that when she was at the store with her grandmother, she was looking for drinks that said “no sugar”. Karol Ojeda  stated “I am starting to eat every morning healthier and drinking a lot of water because I want to lose weight and be healthy. Mr. Magnussen told me not to eat a lot of junk and eat healthy.” 

“It gives me more consequences and I want to be good and not bad. Sometimes when I am trying to not be bad and not talk to others and I look at the chart and it makes me want to keep doing good.” Carolina Rodriguez. Adrian Torres saw his total for behavior for quarter 1 and promised himself to try harder for quarter 2. “I feel like Earn A Bike helps me because I do better on my behavior. When Mr. Magnussen calls me to talk to me about my behavior I feel embarrassed. I want him to be proud of me.” Yaraset Villasenor

As you can see the students quickly learned that they were being held accountable each week for their choices, good or bad, and that it had a direct effect on their final goal of earning a bike. They received direction, encouragement, and a means to change their behavior. They were given the tools they needed to reach their goal. They each had a mentor to guide them in the correct path. In the end only 6 out of 99 students did not earn a bike.

Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland talks of Alice when she comes to a crossroad 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 on 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. 

We make decisions all day long, some like whether I should eat a hamburger or hot dog, or drive a Mini Cooper or silver Honda Accord makes little difference to my goal of eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

However there are other choices that we make with our right to choose that will have a direct effect on our eternal goal. We also need to remember that we have the responsibility to choose wisely as we will also live with the results of our choices. Just as my fourth graders were making choices trying to earn a bike, some choices resulted in their inability to reach that goal. 

You remember the scripture story of Elijah: Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a test to see who is God. They would each pray to their god to see which would burn up the offering on the altar. When the priests called mightily to their idol, they were left unheard and unsupported. In stark contrast, one lone prophet of the true and living God was not only heard, he was magnified in his efforts. When Elijah petitioned his God, the fire of the Lord came down and consumed everything—the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust—and it licked up the water in the trench. Following this exhibition, the people said, “The Lord, he is the God” (1 Kgs. 18:39), and then the scriptures say the priests of Baal were killed. There were no unbelievers still alive in northern Israel that day! 

Choices would not be a dilemma if good were rewarded as quickly and spectacularly as was Elijah or if wrongdoing meant immediate death. But it is not that simple when our work is to increase our faith.

It seems so simple. So why do we not make right decisions every time? One reason is that the consequences of our actions are not always immediate, which is especially trying in a world where we have been conditioned to expect quick results. President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) stated: “If pain and sorrow and total punishment immediately followed the doing of evil, no soul would repeat a misdeed. If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil—all would do good and not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency. … There would also be an absence of joy, success, resurrection, eternal life, and godhood.”1

Making right choices frees us and blesses us, even in choosing what may appear trivial in our lives.

Because our purpose here on earth has not changed, nor will it ever, our Father steadily and regularly supplies additional gifts to make our world safe and strengthen our wise use of agency. Think about the gift of prayer—opportunities to be heard and understood. Think about the gift of the Holy Ghost, who will show us all the things that we should do (see 2 Ne. 32:5). Think about sacred covenants we have made, the scriptures, priesthood and patriarchal blessings. Think about the ultimate gift of the Atonement and its reminder in the sacrament that blankets us with love and hope and grace. These gifts help us use our agency wisely to return back to our heavenly home, where “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

One night a young woman dreamed she was walking in the mall and noticed a shop on the second floor she hadn't seen before.  The name over the door said, "Your Heart's Desire."  She crossed the store's threshold and was enveloped in a charming fragrance.  The store had a homey feeling, with shelves full of fascinating items.  A short, smiling, dumpling of a lady was behind the counter.  "What is it your shop sells?" asked the young lady.  "Just as the name implies, everything your heart desires!" came the purring answer.  "Oh, I know what I want!" exclaimed the girl, "peace, happiness, love for everyone, and . . . "   "Wait a minute," giggled the cashier.  "You don't quite understand.  We sell whatever your heart desires.  But we don't sell the finished product, we sell seeds - and you have to choose the ones you plant."

Our faith and commitment are tested when the world offers tempting and enticing alternatives that can turn our faces from the Lord’s kingdom. Some would like to live in that eternal city and still keep a “summer home” in Babylon. If we are not consciously and deliberately choosing the kingdom of God, we will in fact be moving backwards as the kingdom of God moves forward “boldly, nobly, and independent” (Joseph Smith, “The Wentworth Letter,” in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, ed. Daniel H. Ludlow, 5 vols. [1992], 4:1754). Choosing which way we face will determine our blessings or our burdens. The Lord invites us to cast our burdens on Him, and He will sustain us (see Ps. 55:22), while Mormon warns, “The devil will not support his children” (Alma 30:60).

Much adversity is man-made. Men’s hearts turn cold, and the spirit of Satan controls their actions. In foreseeing the day of suffering in our time, the Savior said, “The love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound” (D&C 45:27). Violence, immorality, and other evils run rampant on the earth. Much adversity has its origin in the principle of agency. We tend to think of agency as a personal matter. If we ask someone to define “moral agency,” the answer will probably be something like this: “Moral agency means I am free to make choices for myself.” Often overlooked is the fact that choices have consequences; we forget also that agency offers the same privilege of choice to others. At times we will be affected adversely by the way other people choose to exercise their agency. Our Heavenly Father feels so strongly about protecting our agency that he allows his children to exercise it, either for good or for evil.

Sharen G. Larsen stated in a conference address - "Isn’t it incredible? There are six billion people on this planet, and Heavenly Father cares what I watch for entertainment, and He cares what I eat and drink. He cares how I dress and how I earn and spend my money. He cares what I do and don’t do. Heavenly Father cares about my happiness."

Our Father’s caring comes in so many ways, and we have only to listen and live for it. Someone said, “If [we] have not chosen the Kingdom of God [first], it will make in the end no difference what [we] have chosen instead” (William 

President Howard W. Hunter said: “There is nothing sad or gloomy about a person who accepts the truths of the gospel and incorporates these principles in his daily living. God wants all of his children to be joyous and glad, and we can have this blessing if we are willing to keep his commandments and live by his word in all that we do” (in Conference Report, Sept./Oct. 1961, p. 108).

I pray that we will take seriously our “right” to choose and keep our ultimate goal in mind………………doing the things that we need to do to earn enough points to reach eternal life with our Father in Heaven. Use the tools we have been given to take responsibility for our choices so that we can receive the results we are righteously seeking. 

Talk given by Kathy Goodlad in church - unknown date