Agency...I have a love hate relationship with you! I sure as heck want mine, but when it comes to some aspects of life I wish we didn't have it! Namely parenting! This last week I read through the end of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon which includes the Alma the Younger story. I love this story for so many reasons! Alma was living a rioutous life. He was really making some awful choices, I thin about his father Alma and how hard it must of been for him to have a son who was out trying to destroy everything that was so important to you and meant so much to you! It had to have been emabarrasing for him. It must have been heartbreaking to see your son making such awful choices. Alma did the only thing he could do. He prayed. He did not pray that an angel would come strike his son. He did not pray that he would change. What he prayed for was that his son would be brought to the knowledge of the truth. Praying that the Lord would intervene or force Alma the younger to do something is not the Lord's plan.
I mean think about this. This agency thing was such a big deal that their was an entire war over it. Sometimes when I am watching my child make really dumb mistakes, I wish Satan's plan had won. Now...I don't want that for me...I like my agency. But sometimes I wish I could force my kids to Celestial glory! It is hard to watch them fall even though sometimes falling is the absolute BEST thing for them.
I know in my life making a pretty big mistake was a major turnaround point for me.. It was a pivotal moment. I chose to follow the Lord. I have faced toward Him and have never wavered since that time. I can say this now, many years later that the best thing that happened was the poor choice I made in my life. Was there consequences? You betcha! Do I still struggle with consequences because of my choices? Yes Is the atonement real? Yes.
The story of Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah is amazing because they spend the rest of their time fighting to fix the wrongs they did. They had a complete turnaround. They wanted to do what is right and bring the world His truth. They spend the rest of their life trying to do that!
This time around, I have learned more about agency. I have been reminded that the Lord will not step in and take someone's agency away from them. I don't know about you, but sometimes I just want to send Him a text message that just this one time it would be alright. I love that the Lord's plan is perfect and even if we can't see the reasons why, the Lord is always looking out for us.
