Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote:
“The doctrine of our freedom to choose is not fully represented in the precious Holy Bible. Blessedly, key verses have been given to us in the breakthroughs provided by Restoration Scriptures. Said Lehi: “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 captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).
The vital revelations about the agency of man—our freedom to choose—inevitably disclose the perfect generosity and justice of God. Simultaneously, they show how deeply serious God is about human joy and about the necessity of our having moral agency in order to achieve a later fullness of joy.
Likewise, these revelations disclose his sublime character. The Prophet Joseph declared,”If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 343) No wonder so many mortals are strangers to themselves as they twist and turn to avoid facing their true identity.
When we try to comprehend and to apply such a grand doctrine, however, we display sheer naivete at times. Though declarative regarding agency, fundamentals such as these underscore our underappreciation:
1. “I [have given] unto man his agency” (Moses 7:32; italics added)
Agency is such a great gift, and yet we sometimes barely get beyond examining the outer wrappings.
2. “Thou mayest choose for thyself” (Moses 3:17; italics added).
The ultimate sovereign self!
Of course, our genes, circumstances and environments matter very much, and they shape us significantly; yet there remains an inner zone in which we are sovereign. In this zone lies the very essence of our individuality and our personal accountability.
So many spiritual outcomes require saving truths to be mixed with time, forming the elixir of experience. Desire notes a deep inner longing or craving, more than passive preferences or fleeting feelings.
In the agonizing atoning process, Jesus let His will be “swallowed up in the will of the Father” (Mosiah 15:7). As sovereigns, we chose to yield to the Highest Sovereign as our highest act of choice. It is the only surrender which is also a victory!
3. “That ye may live and move and do according to our own will” (Mosiah 2:21; italics added). God will not use compulsory means. In contrast, almost all of us are quite willing to use such means ourselves at times (Doctrine and Covenants 121:39).
Gods granting of agency is so compete and personal. It is so breathtaking! With first realizations there is understandably initial exhilaration, but beside it a disquieting realization also emerges. Satan actually “sought to destroy the agency of man”, beginning with the war so vigorously fought in the premortal world (Moses 4:3; see also Revelation 12:7). The clash between our need for agency and Lucifer’s desires for ascendancy were the causes, Everything else was ancillary in those distant, formative moments—just as everything else will finally be ancillary in the reality of the final Resurrection.
4. “Act according to [our] wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good” (Alma 12:31; italics added).
5. Whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free” (Helaman 14:30; italics added).
~Elder Neal A. Maxwell, ‘Moving in His Majesty & Power’ (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004). 1-5
