Today’s Reading: 2 Nephi 2:25-30
27 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.
I’m so grateful for agency. I know the decisions we make with our agency can bring about the most wonderful blessings in our lives and the lives of those we love. We have the choice to seek after everything good, chase after a relationship with Heavenly Father and our Savior, and strive to bring happiness into the lives of others everyday.
Sometimes, I get caught up in thinking that if everyone could just know and accept the Gospel, the world would be a much better place. And yeah, maybe it would, but wasn’t that Satan’s plan? Our Father in Heaven has always planned for his children to gain experiences and make choices in mortality that would, hopefully, lead us back to him. So, while I wish my loved ones would just magically accept the Gospel and get to experience all the blessings I have had as a member of the church, that’s not how agency works.
We are taught by Elder Wirthlin:
“The Lord has given you the gift of agency and instructed you sufficiently to know good from evil. You are free to choose and are permitted to act, but you are not free to choose the consequences. With absolute certainty, choices of good and right lead to happiness and peace, while choices of sin and evil eventually lead to unhappiness, sorrow, and misery.”
The life I chose to live prior to joining the church was fun, but I also felt great sadness and experienced tremendous pain. I was chasing after people and status and looking to fill a void that I didn’t realize was there. Accepting the Plan of Salvation, joining the church and utilizing our agency to do good isn’t a magic pill. There will still be struggles to be overcome and pain to bear, but also the sweet knowledge that our pain and suffering here on earth is only temporary and our reward is far beyond the best things this life has to offer.
photo credit: erica loewenguth
I’m a newlywed, a convert, and a Michigan girl. My husband and I live in a little studio apartment and love to go on adventures. I have some pretty pieces of paper on my wall that say I’m not too shabby at communications and economics. I really love hockey, books, 2 Nephi 2:25, sunsets, and anything pink.