"Obedience to God can be the highest expression of independence. Just think of giving to him the one thing, the one gift, that he would never take. Think of giving him that one thing that he would never wrest from you . . . obedience - that which God will never take by force - he will accept when freely given. And he will then return to you freedom that you can hardly dream of - the freedom to feel and to know. The freedom to do, and the freedom to be, at least a thousandfold more than we offer him. Strangely enough, the key to freedom is obedience." ~ Boyd K. Packer
I glued this quote into my scriptures many, many years ago, and I reflect on it often.
All of our material wealth, our health, our talents, our life positions, etc, God owns. At any moment any of these things can be taken away from us. But our agency is the one thing, the only thing, we own.
It's the one main thing Men will try to take from us, our right to agency, to force obedience, but it is the one thing God will never take from us. He holds agency in such a high regard. And God's regard for agency explains so much. Even the most obedient suffer at the agency and choices of others, and yet agency is still protected. The righteous suffer at the hands of evil men, and though evil may seem to claim victory, we are protected eternally.
But because I know this great gift of agency is the only thing I own, it's the only gift I can offer God: using my agency to obey God's commandments.
I'm constantly messing up, and yet God loves me despite my imperfections.
And so I will always strive to be obedient to God.
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