Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 2:18, 27

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 2:18, 27
"And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
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."

I pondered on the agency of man. How God has given us this great privilege, the ability to choose and act for ourselves. This mortal life would not be a true test if we were forced in any way. Our hearts must be free to choose to follow Him. The battle over the agency of man continues here on earth. Lucifer, the devil, was cast out of heaven due to his desire to take away the agency of man. He and his followers, comprising one-third of the host of heaven, desires nothing more than the misery of man. One of the ways he does this is to lie to bring them into bondage by a variety of sins. He allows man to dig a pit for their neighbor and then rejoices when they fall into it themselves. It is a great deception that Satan will bless his followers, he may for a season, and when he is done with them he spits them out.

I can understand by witnessing the tactics of man right now why the prophet said, "In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." (Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives", April 2018 General Conference)

How do you answer the question, do I side with those that are for man's agency to choose, which includes legalizing sin? or do I side with those that want to take away man's agency under the guise of politicized religious zeal? It's entirely possible someone that thinks they are being religious may be more wicked then those openly sinning, when you consider God's esteem for the agency of man. Even if sin is legalized it doesn't mean you have to participate. Under the crux of politicized religious zeal I fear we are about to loose our religious freedoms.

Day 3373