From Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles’s (deceased). His book ’21 Principles, Divine Principles to help you live by the Spirit. . .
Principle 5 . . . I have been taught that we can make many choices in life, but we cannot choose our final destiny. Our actions do that.
It can appear that we control outcomes in our life, but we do not. Worthiness, righteousness, faith in Jesus Christ, and the plan of our Father assure a pleasant, productive future, while lying, cheating, and violating the laws of personal purity assure a life of misery here on earth and beyond the veil, unless there is requisite repentance.
You may be tired of others trying to run you life—always telling you what to do. After all, you have the right to make your own choices. That is correct. You have that right. It is your agency. The secret to solve problems in your life will be found in understanding and using the eternally beneficial interaction of your agency and His truth.
When others give you advice, have you ever said, “I just don’t believe the way you do. Those are your standards and your principles. I have my own”? Please understand that no one can change truth. Rationalization, overpowering self-interest, all of the arguments of men, anger, or self-will cannot change truth. Satan knows that, so he tries to create an atmosphere where one unwittingly begins to feel that he can not only choose what to do, but can determine what is right to do. Satan tries to persuade us to live outside of truth by rationalizing our actions as the right of choice.
But our Eternal Father defined truth and established what is right and wrong before the creation of this earth. He also fixed the consequences of obedience and disobedience to those truths. He defined our right to choose our path in life so that we would grow, develop and be happy, but we do not have the right to choose the consequences of our acts. Those who willfully, consistently disobey His commandments will inevitably learn that truth. Our agency does allow us to choose alternate paths, but then we are bound to the consequence God has decreed for our choices.
Our Heavenly Father gave us truths, some as statements of cause and effect. We call them commandments. They guide our life to happiness. We knew that Satan would try to persuade some to live without fixed standards in life so that decisions would be based on whims, what appears convenient, or what provides the greatest personal return in that moment. In this way Satan removes the power of truth from one’s life so that he take the soul captive.
The painful consequences of sin were purposely put in His plan by a compassionate Father in Heaven so that you need not follow that tragic path in life. A sinner will not only suffer in this life, but sins that have not been forgiven through true repentance will cause anguish beyond the veil. (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:4, 15-24) By contrast . . . . continued, Principle 5, a much bigger plan continued
From Richard G. Scott, ’21 Principles to Live By (Deseret Book, Salt Lake City: 2013), 28-30)
