Why Does God Give Us Moral Agency or the Power to Choose?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to the book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 6-8; 15; 18; 29-30; 34) to Moses’ repeating what the Lord told the Israelites forty years earlier. The title of this lesson is “Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lord,” and the following information introduced the lesson. 

Moses’ earthly ministry began on a mountain, when God spoke to him from a burning bush (see Exodus 3:1-10). It also ended on a mountain, more than 40 years later, when God gave him a glimpse of the promised land from the top of Mount Nebo (see Deuteronomy 34:1-4). Moses had spent his life preparing the children of Israel to enter that promised land, and the book of Deuteronomy records his final instructions, reminders, exhortations, and pleadings with the Israelites. Reading his words makes it clear that the real object of Moses’s ministry – the preparation the people needed – wasn’t about wilderness survival, conquering enemies, or building a nation. It was about learning to love God, obey Him, and remain loyal to Him. That’s the preparation we all need to enter the promised land of eternal life. So although Moses never set foot in the “land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8), because of his faith and faithfulness, he did enter the promised land that God has prepared for all those who follow Him.

Some principles taught in this scripture block are (1) “Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7; 8:2-5, 11-17; 29:18-20; 30:6-10, 14-20); (2) “Beware lest thou forget the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4-12, 20-25); (3) Helping people in need involves generous hands and willing hearts (Deuteronomy 15:1-15); (4) Moses was “like unto” Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15-19); (5) The Lord invites me to choose between good and evil (Deuteronomy 29:9; 30:15-20).

This essay will discuss principle #5 about using our agency to choose between good and evil. We will begin by looking at those scripture verses.

Deuteronomy 29:9

9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

15 ¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

These verses tell us that we will be blessed and “prosper in all that ye do” if we (1) keep the covenants that we make with God, (2) love the Lord, (3) walk in His ways, (4) keep His commandments, statutes, and judgments, (5) obey His voice, and (6) cleave unto Him.

Now we will compare the last words of Moses to the final teachings of Lehi to his family in

2 Nephi 2:26-29; 4:4.

2 Nephi 2:26-29

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

2 Nephi 4:4

4 For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.

These verses tell us that we have freedom to choose good or evil because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can choose good or evil -- captivity and death or liberty and eternal life – because God gave us agency. He gave us the power to choose while we lived with Him in the premortal world, and He allowed us to take agency with us when we came to earth.

Lehi also taught his family that Satan (the devil) would have power to tempt us, but we have power over him if we choose righteousness. Like Moses, Lehi tells us that we will “prosper in the land” IF we keep God’s commandments.

God wants us to use our moral agency to choose righteousness because we love God. It is not enough to say and do the “correct” things. God wants us to desire to do the correct things and choose to do them because we love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.