A few days ago in class, we discussed the principle the
Elder Bednar taught in a conference address and that Nephi taught in the second
chapter of the second book of Nephi: To
act, or be acted upon. “To act” is to take initiative and be proactive. It
leads to happiness and effectiveness. The difference between being proactive
and simply being acted upon is the use of the gift of agency. We are free to
choose a) liberty, freedom, and eternal life or b) captivity and death, as
taught in the scriptures. There are four essential ingredients that make our
choices a matter of agency (like choosing between Sprite and beer, rather than
just choosing Sprite or 7-Up). They are:
1. Knowledge of good and evil.
2. Opposition.
3. Law
4. Having the power to choose
I have had many experiences in my life that exhibit the
difference between “acting” and being “acted upon.” Most recently is the
adjustment into college life. I know from a couple of rough days that if I let
myself simply be “acted upon” and not make conscious choices about how I spend
my time, I quickly run out of time and find myself stressed and flustered. It
is essential for me to make checklists and choices every day in order to fit in
all of the necessary things. Relating to the analogy we’ve all heard before- as
long as I fit the essential pebbles in my jar first, it is easy to fit the fun
sand in between the cracks. I am learning this more and more each day. Some of
the choices I make don’t seem to have eternal consequence, but I know that each
decision will either benefit or harm my character, and as I strive to choose
the things that Jesus would, I can come close to God.
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