Agency, The Power to Choose
I taught this lesson over the past two sundays. We had to cut it short the first sunday because we spent so much time doing introductions. I have a huge class and wanted to give the new 12 year olds a chance to get to know the older teens. So I had them say their names, where they went to school, and one thing about themselves that no one else knew. Our sacrament meeting had gone over and we only had a few minutes anyway, so the lesson was cut short.
We had a good discussion about Agency again this past sunday. These youth are very smart and know the basic doctrines of the gospel. I focused on the scriptures and had them do scripture chases with each, this is a contest where I call out the scripture and the first to find it stands up and reads. They loved it and it is a great prep for early morning seminary, which will start for some of these teens next year. My own Son Jeff is an 8th grader and he will attend early morning seminary at the church next year as a high school freshman. I told them to work hard on their scripture chase skills because they will do it all the time in Seminary.
Here is the actual text of the lesson from the manual.
President Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth President of the Church, described agency as the “basic gospel law” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 38). So important is this law that Heavenly Father has always protected it. Before we came to this earth he cast Satan out because Satan sought to destroy our agency. Heavenly Father allows us to use our agency in this life even though he knows many of us will use it unwisely. President David O. McKay, ninth President of the Church, said, “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man” (Gospel Ideals [1953], 299). Help class members understand the importance of this great gift.
Note that although the term “free agency” is often used, the correct, scriptural term is simply “agency” (see D&C 29:36; see also page 11 of this lesson).
Suggested Lesson Development
Agency Is the Power to Choose Good or Evil
Activity
Give class members pens or pencils and paper. Ask them to think of the choices they have made so far today and list as many as they can in one minute. At the end of a minute, invite them to share some of the choices on their lists. Then ask:
• Which of your choices today do you think was the most important?
Have class members circle this item on their list. Invite a few volunteers to tell which choice they circled and why they feel it was most important.
• Where did you get your ability to choose?
Have a class member read aloud Moses 7:32. Suggest that those who are using their own scriptures mark this verse (class members should not mark in library copies or borrowed copies of the scriptures).
Explain that Heavenly Father has given us agency—the power to choose between good and evil. But agency is more than just the ability to do what we want; agency is one of the most basic and important of all gospel laws.
Quotation
Have a class member read the following statement from Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“Your agency, the right to make choices, is not given so that you can get what you want. This divine gift is provided so that you will choose what your Father in Heaven wants for you. That way He can lead you to become all that He intends you to be. That path leads to glorious joy and happiness”

(in Conference Report, Apr. 1996, 33; or Ensign, May 1996, 25).
Jenny Hatch

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