Monday, April 22, 2013

The Need to Understand Agency

It's Sunday morning.  I just finished getting ready for church, which starts in about half an hour.  As I was doing my hair, I was listening to the scriptures.  I was listening to 2 Nephi.

As I was listening, I was receiving guidance. I was also comforted by a feeling of peace. I felt as if a set of caring arms or the softest blanket in the world was being placed around me.

Then this thought came to me:  you need(ed) to learn the importance or value of agency.  Then my thoughts went to the fact that you learn best when you experience something yourself.  We must gain a testimony and a working knowledge of the importance, value and absolute necessity of agency.  How else can/could we have the courage and faith necessary to let it be the governing principle that it is.

It's a tough thing for a person like me to learn.  It's a tough thing for a person like me to realize, that in some situations, there is nothing I can do to help, and that another's decisions are not due to the fact that I failed in some way.  Tough things to learn, but necessary.



1 comment:

  1. Love this (and you!)

    One scripture that I like in this area is Helaman 14:30 and 31. The whole scripture is great. It says, "ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourself." What I like in the context you are referencing is this portion: "whoso perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself." It is really the person who makes the choice that bears the responsibility for the consequence. It doesn't mean we have no responsibility to teach. We do. But our accountability is for the teaching we do or don't do, not for the choice that the person whom we are teaching makes.

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