These are just some thoughts I had about agency awhile ago. This is NOT doctrine, nor is it strongly backed by or based upon it; it is merely philosophy. It is also very disjointed. please feel free to correct or disagree with me on any point whatsoever, I would very much enjoy it :)
Before the world began there was a war, a mighty war in Heaven - which war is still wagging today - We were, and are, among the most valiant that fought; we were not merely fighting for ideals, but for truths, for beings. If we lost,we would not just loose agency and freedom, not only would love be made void and law cease to exist, but I would no longer Be. We would no longer have an Identity. There would be no individual; No self. We would be come "part" or "extensions" of the devil, for, we could not choose, we could not act, we could not think, we may have thoughts, but they would be planned for us, and we would have no ability to direct them, for that requires a will and a choice.
But we do not become "one" with him as we do the Savior: when we become one with Christ, we can grow, progress, and learn throughout the eternities, we can become.
When we follow Satan, that great serpent, we are being acted upon; we are not acting, we are not choosing, we are not progressing, we are not living. We become one with Christ, yet still individual, whereas with Lucifer, we are merely assimilated into the whole and used, not strengthened built upon or raised, but used, worn out, and spent, like a sponge that eventually wears away to nothing after years of use and can no more be joined together.
That's why so many people now have to be special and unique, it's what they fought for! And those coming down to earth now are the ones that fought the hardest for it.
Every law of man, every government and every action either infringes upon our agency or allows it to flourish.
We must have opposition in order to become. If there was no opposition our life would be as someone pushing a lump of clay from one side, it doesn't do much other than make it fall over into a worthless clump that is utterly unidentifiable; but if you have pressure on it from all sides, especially when that pressure is being applied by a wise hand, it will form a beautiful sculpture.
Btw, I wrote this before I read the Screwtape Letters, so it's all original thought.
I might add that the reason Lucifer's plan was allowed to get so far was not because God saw anything good in it, but merely to give us opposition and a proper choice to make.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how far lucifer thought through his wants and desires before laying them out in front of us. And when people left with him, did they really know what his plan would have spelled out for thier future? no future.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I came to just recently, and it might add something here. Agency is very important, as you have stressed. In fact, I'd say the only thing more paramount to the plan of salvation would be the atonment, and that might be arguable. But Agency is a great power. It is the power to create, destroy, choose, progress, degress, and become all in one. It is a power that we have to learn to use, and we gain that wisdom through gaining an education, and that is why education is so important. Until we have a full education, we cannot use our agency to its full potentional; because when we know what we are doing, we are better able to do it, and thus better use our agency. (That might have been a little repetitive, sorry.)
ReplyDelete@Hilton
ReplyDeleteI completely agree.
@Carmen
I've actually thought about that before, and the conclusion I've come to is that in order for God to be "a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also"(sorry, I've forgotten the reference to that...) I think they would have had to know exactly what they were doing. It just doesn't seem just, or merciful, that they would be condemned to eternal misery because of ignorance. Why they would choose that know exactly what it entailed, I have not yet been able to figure out.
@Preston
Not at all, and I agree! I would say also that without knowledge we cannot act at all.
I've been studying this exact topic lately. I thought "I'll go to Alyssa's blog, she'll surely have stuff about this. And ta-da! You do!"
ReplyDeleteI came up with this today (I won't worry too much about punctuation)
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all mankind are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights governance is instituted among men, deriving it's just power from the consent of the governed [this part is the fuzziest to me. I take it as meaning that it is just that governance gives you power, since you chose it.] That when any form of governance becomes destructive of these ends it is the right of the people to alter and abolish it, and to institute new governance, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."
I think that's 2nd Nephi 2 right there. I thought it was so cool.
I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on this.