Agency - A Gift!

 Lehi’s counsel in 2 Nephi 2 is filled with profound truths about agency, repentance, and the purpose of our time on earth.

One phrase that stood out to me was when Lehi told Jacob that his afflictions would be “for thy gain.” That is comforting. The wilderness was hard, but Jacob had eyes to see God’s hand even in suffering. What a gift.

Another truth quietly tucked into this chapter is that “the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” God’s purposes do not change with the times. The world changes constantly. Truth does not.

Then comes one of the great doctrinal pillars of the gospel: there must be “opposition in all things.” Why? Because agency matters that much.

Our Father in Heaven wanted us to choose. That gift of choice was so essential that He gave His Only Begotten Son to redeem us when we choose wrongly. Agency, repentance, and forgiveness and the opportunity to keep trying until we get it right, are all tied together. Without agency, there would be no purpose in mortality.

That thought led me to verse 21. After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, their days were “prolonged” so they could repent while in the flesh. Time itself became a gift.

I found myself thinking about Matthew 24:22: “For the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Ancient people often lived for centuries. Their days were prolonged in mercy. Today, life feels very different. The years move quickly. Maybe part of that shortening is mercy too — protection from the increasing wickedness of the world around us.

Either way, the purpose of time remains the same: repentance, growth, and choosing God.

Then comes one of the most quoted verses in scripture: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”

Not just survival. Not merely endurance. Joy.

That doesn’t mean life is easy. Some people enter mortality carrying tremendous burdens from the very first breath. But joy is still possible because of Jesus Christ. Sometimes joy is not found in the abundance. Sometimes it is simply waking up to another day of opportunity and grace.

I’ve come to believe that joy in life is deeply connected to our focus in life. When Jesus Christ becomes the focus of our lives, the world feels different. Brighter. More hopeful. More purposeful.

And once again, agency is at the center of it all.

Lehi shared these truths as he approached the end of his life. That alone teaches me something. Near the end of his days, he spoke about choices, redemption, repentance, and joy. Those are the things that mattered most. Maybe they should matter most to me too.