AGENCY

"Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others. The very War in Heaven was waged over our moral agency and is essential to understanding the Savior's earthly ministry." 

-By Quentin L Cook, 2013 April General Conference, Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness, Sat. Afternoon Session

"The voice of the Lord is clear and unmistakable. He knows you. He loves you. He wants you to be eternally happy. But according to your God-given agency, the choice is yours. Each one of you has to decide for yourself if you are going to ignore the past and suffer the painful mistakes and tragic pitfalls that have befallen previous generations, experiencing for yourself the devastating consequences of bad choices. How much better your life will be if you will follow the noble example of the faithful followers of Christ such as the sons of Helaman, Moroni, Joseph Smith, and the stalwart pioneers-and choose, as they did, to remain faithful to your Heavenly Father's commandments."

2009 April General Conference, Learning the Lessons of the Past, Saturday afternoon session- M. Russell Ballard

"Moms and dads can do everything right and yet have children who stray. Moral agency still obtains. But even in such painful hours it will be comforting for you to know that your children knew of your abiding faith in Christ, in His true Church, in the keys of the priesthood and in those who hold them. It will be comforting then for you to know that if your children choose to leave the straight and narrow way, they leave it very conscious that their parents were firmly in it. Furthermore, they will be much more likely to return to that path when they come to themselves and recall the loving example and gentle teachings you offered them there. 

2003 April General Conference, A Prayer for the Children, Sunday afternoon session- Jeffrey R. Holland

"Some of you young men may be letting others set your standards. You defend yourselves by saying,"who said we shouldn't do this or we shouldn't do that?" There are so many shades of right and wrong that each of you has to decide where the line will be. I strongly urge you that if there is any question in your minds or hearts about whether your personal conduct is right or wrong, don't do it. Each of us has moral agency, and the gift of the Holy Ghost will sharpen our impressions of what is right and wrong, true or false. It is the responsibility of the prophets of God, not to spell out every jot and tittle of human conduct. If we are conscientiously trying to avoid not only evil but they very appearance of evil, we will act for ourselves and not be acted upon."

2003 April General Conference, The Devil's Throat, Priesthood session- James E. Faust

"Life is not that way. Yes, moral agency allows you to choose what you will, but you cannot control the outcome of those choices. Unlike the false creations of man, our Father in Heaven determines the consequences of your choices. Obedience will yield happiness, while violation of His commandments will not."

2004 April General Conference, How to Live Well amid Increasing Evil, Sunday afternoon session- Richard G Scott

"As we look into the future, we are going to need to be stronger and more responsible for our choices in a world where people "call evil good, and good evil". We do not choose wisely if we use our agency in opposition to God's will or to priesthood counsel. Tomorrow's blessings and opportunities depend on the choices we make today."

2004 April General Conference, Choices, Priesthood session- James E. Faust

" I have heard a few parents state that they don't want to impose the gospel on their children but want them to make up their minds about what they will believe and follow. They think that in this way they are allowing children to exercise their agency. What they forget is that the intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth, of things as they really are. Without that, young people can hardly be expected to understand and evaluate the alternatives that come before them. Parents should consider how the adversary approaches their children. He and his followers are not promoting objectivity but are vigorous, multimedia advocates of sin and selfishness."

2009 October General Conference, Moral Discipline, Sunday afternoon session- D. Todd Christofferson

" As we press forward along the strait and narrow path, we build progressive spiritual strength- strength in using our agency to act for ourselves. For both young men and young women, this growth is aided as they learn doctrine and share their testimonies through the new online curriculum, Come Follow Me."

2013 April Conference, Stand Strong in Holy Places, Priesthood session- Robert D. Hales

"There have always been two great competing forces in the world. These began before the world was created. These opposing forces are the forces between good and evil. Between those two powerful forces each of us is caught in a tug of war. In simple terms, that which is good comes from God, that which is evil comes from the devil. You can't have it both ways, you are only deceiving yourselves. It doesn't work that way. It never has, It never will."

2003 April General Conference, The Devil's Throat, Priesthood Session- James E Faust