This article was written by Katherine T., a student at Brigham Young University.
Alma 42:27 “Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.”
In our church we believe in free agency. We have the power to choose the course of action we take, and as a collective group we pattern our life after the Savior Jesus Christ. As a young adult (or emerging adult as my elders continue to remind me) I thought it was fitting to focus on a scriptures about free agency, because let’s face it I love being able to decide what to do. I love being in college and the freedom I have to decide for myself what to do, whom I hang out, and where I go. Finally I am at I point where I no longer have to follow the rules my parents have set for me, and what do I do?….I follow them anyway.
When I was younger my dad told me, “Anything you see me do, you can do.” Now, even 3,000 miles away from my family I choose to pattern my life after my dad’s. Why? You might ask. I am wise enough to realize that my dad has more experience than I do, and I know that he only wants the best for me. All of the rules I had to follow when I was younger were designed to help keep me safe, and with this understanding I have chosen to follow these rules even though I live somewhere where they cannot be enforced.
I believe that our doctrine of free agency works in a similar manner. The rules we follow, the commandments, are set by a loving Heavenly Father, and they are ultimately for our own safety. However, just like a young adult living thousands of miles away, there is no way to enforce them-it’s up to us to choose to live them. We must come and partake of the waters of life freely. No one will force us to live righteously, instead we need to choose to do so.
Learn about the basic beliefs of Mormons
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