TrendZion

Passages drawn from the sermons and published works that carry this theme forward.

1. 1857·Heber C. Kimball·Apostle
   Well, here is brother Brigham: he is the man of our own choice; he is our Governor, in the capacity of a Territory, and also as Saints of the Most High.
2. 1944·Stephen L Richards·Apostle
   It will not be necessary to have an election to determine who takes moral and spiritual leadership of our country. Our own living and righteous accomplishments will decide that matter. God has called us and set us apart for a purpose. We need never fear that when our solidarity, our virtue, our knowledge, and our goodness are sufficient that there will be provided the means and facilities to advertise our accomplishments and our principles to the world. That will bring leadership.
3. 1968·Marion G. Romney·Apostle
   Every choice one makes either expands or contracts the area in which he can make and implement future decisions. When one makes a choice, he irrevocably binds himself to accept the consequences of that choice.
4. 1978·N. Eldon Tanner·Apostle
   “God is … deploring now the inevitable result of the follies, the transgressions and the sins of His wayward children, but we cannot blame Him for these any more than we can blame a father who might say to his son, ‘There are two roads, my son, one leading to the right, one leading to the left. If you take the one to the left it will bring upon you misery and unhappiness and perhaps death. If you take the one to the right it will lead you to success and to happiness, but you choose which you will. You must choose; I will not force either upon you.’
5. 1981·LeGrand Richards·Apostle
   When I have discussed some of our beautiful philosophies with people of other churches, many of them have said, “We could accept your teachings, but we can’t believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet.” I have thought a lot about that. I suppose that it would be almost impossible to believe that God was naive enough to choose a fourteen-year-old boy to usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times, as Paul said, in which dispensation he would “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.” ( Eph. 1:10 .)
6. 1990·Russell M. Nelson·Apostle
   One of the most important reasons is to receive a mortal body. Another is to be tested—to experience mortality—to determine what you will do with life’s challenging opportunities. Those opportunities require you to make choices, and choices depend on agency. A major reason for your mortal existence, therefore, is to test how you will exercise your agency (see 2 Ne. 2:15, 25 ).