Agency

I am supposed to be working on a lesson for RS that is coming up in a few weeks, but as I research the scriptures, I keep getting distracted with other random thoughts....

thoughts that are REALLY good!

I don't want to discount these thoughts, when they are things that I want to search and study a little more about, but I just don't have time to dive into them right now, so I am going to blog a few of them, so that I can go back later and think about them some more.

I hope you don't mind me sharing some of the voices in my head!

I was reading today in the Book of Mormon. Particularly in Alma chapter 14 vs 11.

This chapter is talking about a group of Christians that are being persecuted for their beliefs by being burned by fire.

"But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgements which he shall exercise upon them in this wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."

This got me thinking about how sometimes bad things happen to good people. I have often asked why the Lord lets that happen. I believe that he could intervene and stop good people from being the victims of other people's evil intentions.

I think it has a lot to do with agency. 

We are given free agency to be able to make our own choices every day. Satan would have those choices taken from us. You see this all around us in countries that have oppressive leaders, and even now in our own country as our own leaders would strive to take away our liberties and choices.

Ok, enough about politics, back to my original thought.....

I thought about how our choices are related to how other's choices may affect us.

About 12 years ago, I was driving from Kalispell, Montana to Boise, Idaho where I lived.

This is about 600 or so miles.

I was a few blocks from home when a man driving a large 4WD truck made the choice to be distracted by his cell phone and ran a stop sign, T-boning my car. My daughter had to be extricated because it was so smashed and it caused me to have a nerve disorder, which leaves me dealing with chronic pain for the rest of my life.

I have often pondered why God would let that happen. I think back on all the choices I made that day that led up to me being in that intersection at that exact moment in time. There were many times that day when I was impatiently delayed behind another car doing less than the speed limit. I was frustrated because it was such a long drive, with 3 children in the back seat and I was anxious to have it over and be home. There were more than one instance when I was impatient with my children to quickly make a choice on a beverage or a snack at a store along the way.

How different the outcome would have been if I had exercised patience in just one of those many instances all day long.

For years, whenever I am in pain, I have felt anger towards this man for his choice that day. I now realize that I had many opportunities that day, perhaps sent from Heavenly Father, to make different choices that would have prevented me from being in that intersection at that exact moment.

From now on, I am going to look at those little delays as perhaps opportunities, sent from heaven, to prevent me from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and perhaps change the outcome.

I have really been pondering this idea of agency in light of what happened with the young boys of Susan Powell (if you don't know... google it.... but be warned, it's pretty ugly!)

I kept thinking that they were so young and innocent and I was having a hard time reckoning why a loving  Heavenly Father would allow such horrible things to happen to such innocent people.

This scripture kind of explains that a bit.

If God had intervened, then he would not be able to judge Josh Powell

 "according to the hardness of his heart...and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."

I definitely want to study this idea a lot more, but for now.... I leave you with my random thoughts on the matter to ponder yourselves... I would love your feedback on this idea!