In the pre-existence the war in heaven was fought over agency. Christ wanted to allow us to have our agency so that we could become like our Father in Heaven while Satan wanted to force us all to return to our Father.
Elder L. Lionel Kendrick said, “We continued to have our moral agency following our spiritual birth. Our spirits were born innocent, but some became more intelligent, noble, and great than others because they exercised more faith and performed greater works in pre-mortal life. During this period, Satan exercised his agency in attempting to destroy ours, and many chose to follow him. In the Grand Council during pre-mortal life, we each exercised our agency; there were not then, nor will there ever be, any neutrals.”
In Moses 4: 3 the Lord says “Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;”
God had given Satan agency and with that agency he chose to seek God’s own power and take away our agency. For this reason was he cast down.
Joseph F. Smith stated, “Lucifer’s plan would, according to his reasoning, remove the possibility of any child of God committing sin. Man should not be given the opportunity to sin; therefore either he should not be given any commandments, (thus could not sin,) or if he is given commandments he should not be given the right of choice as to whether or not he will keep the commandments but should be forced to keep them”
Why was it wrong to force us not to commit sin?
We would have no children; we would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for we would know no misery; doing no good, for we would know no sin. We would have remained in our pre-mortal condition without the possibility of mortal bodies or earthly experiences. We would have had no possibility of godhood.
Therefore we fought for that opportunity to become like God. This battle wages on as Ezra Taft Benson said “It was the struggle over free agency that divided us before we came here; [it] may well be the struggle over that principle which will divide us again.”
Does it now divide us? Has it not divided us throughout all history? The founders of this country fought for their agency and created a constitution for this country in an effort to maintain our agency. Elder Ballard said this about our constitution “The freedom and independence afforded by the Constitution and Bill of Rights are divine rights – sacred, essential, and inalienable.”
It affords us our God given agency. But is not our Constitution under attack?
In 1942 President J. Reuben Clark Jr. said “You and I have heard all our lives that the time may come when the Constitution may hang by a thread. I do not know whether it is a thread, or a small rope by which it now hangs, but I do know that whether it shall live or die is now in the balance.
This statement was said in 1942! If the life of the constitution was in the balance then, how much more must it be now? And why do we continue to allow the rope of the constitution to continue to unravel?
Ezra Taft Benson explains, “How strong is our will to remain free-to be good? False thinking and false ideologies, dressed in the most pleasing forms, quietly-almost without our knowing it-seek to reduce our moral defenses and to captivate our minds. They entice with bright promises of security, cradle-to-grave guarantees of many kinds. They masquerade under various names, but all may be recognized by one thing-one thing they all have in common: to erode away character and man’s freedom to think and act for himself. Effort will be made to lull us away into a false security. Proposals will be and are being offered and programs sponsored that have wide appeal. Attractive labels are usually attached to the most dangerous programs, often in the name of public welfare and personal security. Again, let us not be misled.”
Brothers and Sisters are we being lulled into a false sense of security? Why do so many attempt to follow Satan plan? It is because agency means responsibility. That is why so many dread it and are willing to accept proposals that take it away. We must be responsible and fight to maintain our agency. As Patrick Henry said, “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it”. We must accept responsibility.
The Lord says in D&C 58:27–28 “Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.”
President Benson said “This principle of allegiance to the Constitution is basic to our freedom. But the greatest handbook for freedom in this fight against evil is the Book of Mormon.”
For example consider the following:
Amalickiah was a wicked man who wanted to be king of the Nephites. His promises and flattery persuaded many rich and power-hungry people to support him. Even many Church members were deceived into following Amalickiah.
Are there not many like unto Amalickiah among us, and our leaders today? And what finally brought the Nephite nation down? Orson Scott Card wrote in the Sept 1977 ensign article Dissent and Treason “The Nephites were finally brought down when the unrighteous became the majority, oppressing the righteous, perverting the law, waging unjust wars, and allowing secret combinations to prevail. When the majority is wicked, it is the righteous minority that is in dissent-and while the righteous are tolerant, the unrighteous are not…
He continues
“What does this mean to us, today? We need to examine our own society: does the majority follow the pattern of the righteous Nephites? Are we dedicated to freedom; tolerant of disagreement; righteously serving God? Do we uphold the law even when our enemies exploit it against us? Are we loyal to our nation whether we agree with particular policies or not? Are we merciful in victory, and humble and sharing to those less fortunate than we? Are our leaders righteous, unselfish men?
“If there are dangers and problems, we must act as the righteous Nephites so often did: rallying to oppose the destruction of freedom through every lawful means, without ever losing sight of the rights of those we disagree with, without ever serving our own pride or seeking our own aggrandizement. If the righteous Nephites had been content with passively attending church and had not heeded Moroni’s rallying cry and flocked to the banner of liberty, it is quite possible that the treasonous dissenters might have succeeded in their aim.”
Could this not happen to us today? Do we do as Moroni? “And I will come unto you, and if there be any among you that has a desire for freedom, yea, if there be even a spark of freedom remaining, behold I will stir up insurrections among you, even until those who have desires to usurp power and authority shall become extinct.”
Did Moroni not fight with all his heart for that gift of agency, which we fought for in the pre-existence? Do we do so little as to read and seek understanding in that Constitution, which President Benson said, is basic to our freedom and thus our agency?
President Benson said “I have faith that the Constitution [and thus our country's agency] will be saved, as prophesied by Joseph Smith. It will be saved by the righteous citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be saved by the en-lighted members of the Church-among others-men and women who understand and abide the principles of the Constitution.”
I testify of that truth! And pray that each of us will seek to be an en-lighted member of the Church. That as we stand up and raise the banner of freedom and “act in doctrine and principle… according to the moral agency which God has given us,” and heed the words of the prophets as they tell us to be “actively engaged in worthy causes that will improve our communities and make them more wholesome places in which to live and raise a family.” That we will then be “accounted worthy to inherit the mansions prepared for [us] of [the] Father.” And receive Eternal Life and glory with our Father in Heaven. I say these things in the name of our Savior, who makes all blessings possible, even Jesus Christ, amen.
Source:
L. Lionel Kendrick, “Our Moral Agency,” Ensign, Mar 1996, 28
Joseph F. Smith, Gospel. Doctrine 1952
See L. Lionel Kendrick, “Our Moral Agency,” Ensign, Mar 1996, 28
Title of liberty p220 Ezra T. Benson
M. Russell Ballard, Religion in a Free Society, Ensign October 1992
President J. Reuben Clark Jr., First Counselor in the First Presidency, General Conference Report October 1942
Ezra Taft Benson July, 1973 Conference report
See Alma 46:1–7
Alma 60:27
October 1987 Ensign 17 6-7 Ezra T. Benson
D&C 101: 78
Spencer W. Kimball, “President Kimball Speaks Out on Service to Others,” New Era, Mar 1981, 47
D&C 72: 3–5
