Elder Bednar: Mormon Moral Agency - You Are Not Free To Do What You Want

The principle of moral agency is the least understood of all gospel principles. It is taught incorrectly often, and it leads people to behave in ways that are not appropriate. As I listen to members of the Church all over the world, this is how they define agency: It’s the ability to choose, and I can do what I want.

That’s false. Why do we have agency? Go find in the Pearl of Great Price in the Book of Moses God’s explanation for why we have agency.

It is to choose Him. Not to choose what we want, but to choose God and to love and serve each other. Now, buckle up.

Are you buckled up? OK. Here we go!

When you and I enter the baptismal covenant, there are three conditions of the covenant: A willingness to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, a commitment to always remember Him, and a commitment to keep the commandments. We learn about those elements of the covenant, and we exercise our agency to accept those conditions of the covenant. We then are promised that, if we honor the covenant, we may always have God’s Spirit to be with us.

OK. As we pledge to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, that begins in the waters of baptism. It begins.

We do not wholly and totally take upon ourselves the name of Christ in the waters of baptism. We begin. Where do we more fully take upon ourselves the name of Christ?

In the temple! There’s a pathway from the baptismal font to the temple. And there are increasing blessings by the power of the Holy Ghost that come into our lives.

As we begin to have the name of Christ come upon us, through ordinances and covenants, we have a new family name: Christian. And with that name, we are to represent Him at all times and in all places and in all things. Now, this is why you need to be buckled up.

When we enter into that covenant and begin to have the name of Christ come upon us, our agency is enlarged. It’s no longer individual agency. It is enlarged to become representative agency, and representing Christ and His name, at all times and in all places and in all things, becomes more important that what we want.

The reason we need to always remember Him is so that we may effectively represent Him. The reason we need the companionship of the Holy Ghost—Yes, that blesses us—but we need that companionship of the third member of the Godhead so that we may represent Him! We have already pledged that we will keep the commandments.

Have you heard someone say, a member of the Church who has entered into the baptismal covenant, “I have my agency. I can do whatever I want! ” Have you ever heard that?

Yeah, you know what the answer is? “No, you can’t! You don’t understand agency!

You don’t have agency to do whatever you want! ” We have the hymn, “Choose the Right”, don’t we, in Spanish? The hymn is called, “Choose the Right”!

Not “Choose what you want”! (Audience laughs. ) So, from tonight on, don’t ever use a misunderstood concept of agency to justify sin!

You can’t just choose what you want! And when you begin to understand that principle, then you’re on the road to becoming spiritually self-reliant, dependent upon God and devoted to representing Him all the time, everywhere. Now, I want to say this in terms that I hope won’t be scary, but they’re true.

If, after having entered into the covenant, we don’t abide by the conditions of the covenant—For example, if you or I don’t pay our tithing, do we have the option not to pay our tithing? Nope. It’s breaking a covenant.

It is not the exercise of agency anymore. Because, what happened to our individual agency? It was enlarged.

Now, it’s more important to represent Him. Is this making sense? If some night, you don’t want to go to sleep, read the scriptures and learn what happens to covenant breakers.

I guarantee you, you will not go to sleep. (Audience laughs. ) Now, I don’t want to scare you.

(And Elder Bednar also laughs. ) But I want you to understand that this is serious! Agency is the centerpoint of our moral experience.

With that agency, we are agents to act. That is self-reliance. We are not objects to be acted upon.

That is the absence of self-reliance. Now, go find more in the scriptures. This is just the beginning.