Outside the Blog -- by Jon Young

To Latter-Day Saints, agency is our freedom to make choices.  The concept is simple enough, we think, that we may not notice a particularly common misunderstanding.   Consider two examples:

1.  A high school student decides she does not want to attend seminary, but her parents will take away her privilege to drive if she does not. A friend explains that she should be able to avoid seminary and keep driving the car since agency gives her the right to choose for herself. 

2.  The same student is late to class so she exceeds the speed limit and gets a ticket.  Having agency, she chose to exceed the posted speed limit and experienced the consequence.

These two examples of how we might understand  agency are clearly not the same.  In the first, agency is  the freedom to choose between alternatives with limited coercion and ignored consequences.  The second is a choice to do right or wrong by an imposed law which has a consequence.  If we look to the scriptures to understand agency, we find it is most like the second situation with Heavenly Father as the law giver. This concept of agency has the following attributes:

• God gives us knowledge and will
• Law is imposed
• Choice(s) are made
• Consequences are realized

Agency is a gift from God

In Moses 7:32 we read:  "... I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;" 

Agency is a personal choice between right and wrong

The Guide to the Scriptures on LDS.org states agency is "The ability and privilege God gives people to choose and to act for themselves."

Agency requires personal accountability for consequences

D&C 29:39 reads "And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet—"

Returning to example #1 above, the young student does not want to chose to obey a parental rule, she wants to be rid of it and the imposed consequence.  By avoiding both law and consequence under the guise of  "agency," she hopes to deny herself agency as it applies to her dilemma with her parents.  We often see ourselves and others invoke the right to agency in situations where we may seek exception to life's best practices or to disobey appropriate laws or counsel we may not agree with.  

What people really want when they seek to avoid law and consequence is freedom. Don't get me wrong, freedom is a good thing when the laws and consequences we want to avoid actually impede our personal and collective ability to improve and find greater happiness.  When rule of law increases our ability to progress, learn, and make good choices, freedom from those rules is not good.

Agency allows people to define their moral and social freedoms.

President Marion G. Romney taught this idea in a General Conference address.

Free agency, however, precious as it is, is not of itself the perfect liberty we seek, nor does it necessarily lead thereto. As a matter of fact, through the exercise of their agency more people have come to political, economic, and personal bondage than to liberty. -- Marion G. Romney October 1981.

So we might then say that capitalists and communists don't produce or reduce agency, rather the human use of agency creates capitalists, communists, or any other system of social governance.

Consider Elder Boyd K Packer's view of agency as stated in the 1992 General Conference talk "Our Moral Environment".  Here he states there is really no such thing as "free agency" from which various "pro-choice" arguments are derived:  

... we pass laws to reduce pollution of the earth, but any proposal to protect the moral and spiritual environment is shouted down and marched against as infringing upon liberty, agency, freedom, the right to choose.

Interesting how one virtue, when given exaggerated or fanatical emphasis, can be used to batter down another, with freedom, a virtue, invoked to protect vice. Those determined to transgress see any regulation of their life-style as interfering with their agency and seek to have their actions condoned by making them legal. 

As a Latter-Day Saint, reading this initially invokes thoughts of political controversy over drug use and abortion, but do we, highly conservative as a group, sometimes argue the right to "agency" or "freedom" as justification to oppose laws that protect the environment, promote public education, and care for the infirm or disadvantaged?  I believe we do, and we do it too often.  Clearly some freedoms are not virtues and our call to freedom obscures selfish desires, even from ourselves.  

Lack of freedom does not take our agency away

Recall the case of Joseph in the Old Testament whose jealous brothers sold him into slavery. The results of Joseph's good choices didn't necessarily lead him to freedom.  His choice to obey his father and refusal to commit adultery actually resulted in slavery and then a prison sentence!  Whether he was a slave, a prisoner, or at the height of his political power governing all of Egypt, agency allowed Joseph to rise above his circumstances even as his freedom diminished or increased dramatically.  Agency itself was not sacrificed or created by Joseph's situation.

Another notable example is the experience of Jewish Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl.  In Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Successful People," Covey reveals that Frankl's choice to cope constructively and give meaning to his experience in the Nazi death camp gave him a type of "freedom," which aligns better with the LDS concept of agency.

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning

Understanding that agency is not freedom can empower us!   Understanding this we can no longer excuse ourselves from righteous doing because something restricts our freedom to do something else.  There is nothing to blame for not finding a great deal of purpose or meaning in our lives regardless of our situation.  There will always be right and wrong choices life asks us to make and to learn from.

Personal thoughts on the proper role of freedom in government

Although freedom is not the fundamental gift that moral agency is, I recognize freedom's importance for personal and community prosperity.  Freedom, as I define it here, isn't unfettered access to any choice we'd like to make.  Freedom is the set of choices that allows the highest potential for human achievement physically, intellectually, and spiritually.   This optimal set of choices isn't a constant and may need to change based on current challenges or new knowledge.  I recognize freedom to choose one's own business and to determine what they should produce and at what price typically leads to economic prosperity.  I also believe there are many choices that government should regulate in a way that ultimately protects or leads to greater freedom for all.

When people are victims of random circumstances that cause great suffering, or public goods require sufficient contributions, or anywhere the human mind is generally prone to bad choices, adding some public encouragement or discouragement through law is perfectly defensible.  All military, police, fire, education, health care, safety net programs, environmental protection, and retirement plans for the larger community are justifiable.  They can increase personal freedom to make good choices now and for future generations if we implement them wisely.

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” -- Matthew 1:20-21

Christ came to earth as a divine gift.  Christ’s suffering for our sins and mortal experience gave Him perfect empathy.  Humanity, through Christ, could find redemption and atonement for our sins.

Atonement actualized by giving

Atonement requires sincere repentance and it’s necessary companion:  giving.  Christ commanded that we offer forgiveness as he has done for us.  He has also commanded that we give to those less fortunate than ourselves.

Luke 3:8, 10-11

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance... And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?  He answereth and saith unto them, He that has two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

This Christmas season we celebrate Christ’s gifts to us and our gifts to Christ, specifically, our gifts of service to others.

Our gifts to Christ humble us

Recall the gifts of the wise men to the Christ child.  This, in part, represents the need for the learned, wealthy, or powerful to humble themselves before Christ and serve those whose circumstances and abilities are less fortunate or capable of earthly success.

The popular Charles Dickens novel “A Christmas Carol” tells about the redemption of a wealthy and cold-hearted miser.  Decades previous to the publishing of Dicken’s novel, the age of enlightenment or reason advanced new concepts in physics, individual freedom, private property rights, and the economics of wealth, free trade, and competition.  This competition took place in an environment of an exponentially growing population striving for limited resources.  “Misery and vice” seemed necessary for human advancement. However, many wise men of that time, and still today, believed that mankind's poor were a necessary part of of human advancement and their pains should be left unaided lest humanity cease advancing.

Such a man was Ebenezer Scrooge. When Ebenezer was asked to share his wealth with the poor he pointed out they should accept the difficult government programs available at that time or die “and decrease the surplus population.”
Later in the novel and accompanied by the Spirit of Christmas Present, Ebenezer watched his poor, but thankful clerk’s family enjoying Christmas cheer:

“God bless us every one!” said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

“He sat very close to his father’s side upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hand in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him.”

“Spirit,” said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, “tell me if Tiny Tim will live.”

“I see a vacant seat,” replied the Ghost, “in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”

“No, no,” said Scrooge. “Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared.”

“If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,” returned the Ghost, “will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.

"Man,” said the Ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked [saying] until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child.”

On Ebenezer’s redemption at the end of the story, he gave much to care for and save Tiny Tim.

Our own judgments of those less fortunate and capable (and we do have them) are often less conspicuous, but we too judge others under the pretense of knowing how much others deserve their lot in life, misuse help they've been given, or how our own needs consume both time and resources.  We may also set up for ourselves social situations that avoid serving those with special needs.

Pope Francis beautifully put it this way:

Sometimes we are tempted to be that kind of Christian who keeps the Lord’s wounds at arm’s length. Yet Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other people’s lives and know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and we experience intensely what it is to be a people, to be part of a people.

Christ's gifts are for everyone (and so should ours)

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

13 Article of Faith

    We believe...in doing good to all men.

Though we avoid "worldliness," which means sin, do we remember John stated "for God so loved the world?"  We must not avoid service to others whom we may feel to judge as "worldly" or sinful.

Give without personal care for reciprocity

Christ taught in Luke 6:31-35

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Give without fear of social stigma

Luke 5:30-32

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Give the gifts of unity and reconciliation

After Christ visited the Book of Mormon people, a great unity occurred in that land.

4th Nephi 1:15-17

15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.

Today, we have "-ites" deeply separated by wealth, appearance, education, race, offense, politics, and religion.  Through Christ's atonement, we can become one with those whom we find ourselves, consciously or not, estranged by ignorance or selfishness. I believe we can remove the various "-ites" that separate all of us to varying degrees.  We must not think to do this by making everyone become more like us, but by showing Christ-like love and respect while humbling ourselves to serve their greatest needs.

Pres. Uchdorf Remarked in his recent “Reconciliation and Thanksgiving” address.

In this time of uncertainty, mistrust, fear, rumors of war, and political road rage, is there still hope for integration and openness across different cultures, religions, societies, and political interests?  Is there still hope for virtue, moderation, and divine moral principles?

My dear friends, my answer is a clear and resounding yes!”
...
It takes courage and humility to put away old hatreds, divisions, and traditions that constrict and confine people into a blind succession of destructive behavior toward others.

Where there is gratitude, there is humility as opposed to pride; there is generosity as opposed to selfishness.

I believe that it is within our reach to breach barriers of hate and build bridges of brotherhood and understanding between opposing cultures, religions, political ideologies, and world views.

Brothers and Sisters, may we draw on the power found in the teachings of Christ this Christmas and give the best gifts to those we normally do not.  Amen.