BYU students and administration gathered in the Marriott Center Tuesday afternoon to hear Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy speak on agency.
Elder Johnson talked about agency, how it is a key element of a person’s everyday life and how every decisions someone makes involves agency.
“We deal with one key aspect of the plan of salvation, many times each day, or in reality, many times each hour,” Elder Johnson said. “Agency is essential to our progress and to becoming like our father in heaven. Part of our earth experience is being enticed by good and evil and learning to choose the good over the evil.”
Elder Johnson addressed the effect that choices have, and that when a person sins they subject themselves to the devil.
“When we sin, we subject ourselves to him,” Elder Johnson said. “We in effect, give part of our agency to him. He can’t take it from us, but we can relinquish it to him. When we yield to temptation, we become subject to the will of the devil.
Elder Johnson used an example from The Book of Mormon when Lehi and his sons traveled in the wilderness. Lehi spoke to his sons about agency and the ability people have to choose either good choices and freedom, or evil choices and captivity.
Elder Johnson quoted 2 Nehi 2: 27 to illustrate this story.
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”
Elder Johnson explained that Satan gets people to choose evil and captivity by making sins look enticing and justifiable, like they aren’t doing anything wrong.
“He is the father of all lies,” Elder Johnson said. “The only way he could sell sin is to portray it as something that it isn’t. That sin is right. That momentary pleasure leads to eternal life and joy.”
Through the Savior’s Atonement, people have the opportunity to forsake and be forgiven of their sins. Elder Johnson talked about how the Atonement has the power to release people from the chains and bondage of sin.
“Whether this freedom happens all at once or gradually, the long term effect is the same,” Elder Johnson said. “We are free. And either way it is miraculous. Individually, we can be free from any power the adversary would like to have over us by living righteously.”
