Lesson 4 in Gospel Principles opens the discussion of why agency is necessary. Agency is "the right to choose between good and evil and to act for ourselves".
Anyone who has children, or who has taught children, or has been a child, knows that one will never learn how to do something if it is always done for them. We are on this earth to learn and ultimately come back to the presence of the Father. He will not drag us back home. We have to make the choices that put us on the path. Giving us the power to choose allows us to be accountable for our actions and provides the learning experience necessary for our eternal progression.
Satan provides the opposition we need to have a choice. He does not love us and wants to destroy all that is good. To be happy in life, one must choose good over evil. Some would say that choosing to obey God is limiting. For instance, choosing to obey The Word of Wisdom by abstaining from alcohol might appear to limit our ability to have fun and participate in certain social circles. But with every choice there is a consequence that we cannot choose. We know the destructive and enslaving consequences that can abound from drinking alcohol.
If we saw a sign at the beach that warns us of a whirlpool and an admonition to stay out of the water we have several choices. We can ignore the sign and go in the water anyway or we can choose to swim where it is safe, or not swim at all. We are free to make the choice. But if the choice is to ignore the warning we will have limited our other choices when we get caught in the whirlpool's grasp. The right choice opens up many possibilities the wrong choice limits them.
"Heavenly Father will not allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist." A choice that seems to limit our ability to enjoy life, such as choosing to be morally clean, is actually a choice that gives us more freedom. It is up to us to make the choices that bring us true joy and happiness and put us on the path to eternal progression.
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