Gospel Principles
Unit 1: Our Premortal Life with God
Chapter 4: Freedom To Choose
Concept 2: Agency Is an Eternal Principle
"In the premortal life we were free agents. That means we had power to act for ourselves (D&C 93:29-30 "29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.").
One purpose of earth life is to show what choices we will make (2 Nephi 2:15-16 "15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.
16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himsef. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.").
If we were forced to choose the right, we would not be able to show what we would choose for ourselves. Also, we are happier doing things when we have made our own choices.
Agency may have been one of the first issues to arise in the premortal council in heaven. It was one of the main causes of the conflict between the followers of Christ and the followers of Satan. Satan said he would bring all of us back to our Father's presence, but he would have taken away our agency. When his offer was rejected, he rebelled and was cast out of heaven with his followers (D&C 29:36-37 "36 And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency; 37 And they were thrust down, and thus came the devil and his angels;").
Discussion
Compare the feelings the words force and choice bring to mind."