Agency

1.) "Moral agency is a part of life because Heavenly Father wanted each one of us to act for ourselves and to become what we want to be." (Russell M. Nelson, Focus On Values, February 2013, New Era)

2.) "Our choice in this life is not whether we will or will not be subject to any power. Our choice is to which authority we will yield obedience: God's or Satan's. As Lehi stated, it is a choice between liberty and captivity (see 2 Nephi 2:27). If it is not one, it is necessarily the other." (D. Todd Chistofferson, You Are Free, March 2013, Liahona)

3.) "Agency--our power to choose--is fundamental to the plan that brings us to earth. Typically, God does not intervene to forestall the consequences of some persons' choices in order to protect the well-being of other persons--even when they kill, injure, or oppress one another--for this would destroy His plan for our eternal progress (see Alma 42:8)." (Dallin H. Oaks, As He Thiketh in His Heart, January 2013, CES Devotionals)

4.) "We have also been given the gift of agency. In a thousand ways we are privileged to choose for ourselves. Here we learn from the hard taskmaster of experience. We discern between good and evil. We differentiate as to bitter and the sweet. We discover that there are consequences attached to out actions." (Thomas S. Monson, Words of the Prophet, May 2012, New Era)

5.) "Agency used righteously allows light to dispel the darkness and enables us to live with joy and happiness. ... You and I were among those who used their agency to accept Heavenly Father's plan to come to earth, to have a mortal life, to progress." (Robert D. Hales, To Act For Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency, April 2006, http://www.lds.org)

6.) "The principle of spiritual self-reliance grows out of a fundamental doctrine of the Church: God has granted us agency. I believe that moral agency is one of the greatest gifts of God unto His children, next to life itself." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Developing Christlike Attributes, October 2008, Ensign)

7.) "A cunning part of [Satan's] strategy is to dissociate anger from agency. making us believe that we are victims of an emotion that we cannot control." (Lynn G. Robbins, Agency and Anger, April 1998, http://www.lds.org)

8.) "The Master could overwhelm us with His supernal knowledge, but He does not. He honors our agency, He allows us the joy of discovery. He encourages us to repent of our own mistakes. He permits us to experience the freedom that comes from our willing obedience to His divine law. Yes, the way He uses His knowledge provides a great example for us." (Russell M. Nelson, The Mission and Ministry of Jesus Christ, April 2013, Ensign)

9.) "Without agency--our ability to choose and act for ourselves--was an essential element of this plan. Without agency we would be unable to make right choices and progress. Yet with agency we could make wrong choices, commit sin, and lose the opportunity to be with Heavenly Father again." (Robert D. Hales, Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life, October 2012, http://www.lds.org)

10.) "And so we're faced with two propositions. One is that we ought to be guided by the spirit of inspiration, the spirit of revelation. The other is that we're here under a direction to use our agency, to determine what we ought to do on our own; and we need to strike a fine balance between these two. ..." (Bruce R. Mcconkie, Agency and Inspiration, June 2012, Liahona)