Decide that your life belongs to Him

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Morning Session of the April 2006 Conference.

You can't be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without knowing that we value agency. But Elder Hales' talk on Agency in this General Conference gave me several new things to think about regarding agency. I love this doctrine that we are free to act for ourselves, to choose what we truly desire most. Elder Hales says:

We have been given agency, we have been given the blessings of the priesthood, and we have been given the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost for a reason. That reason is our growth and happiness in this world and eternal life in the world to come. Today I ask, have we received that Spirit? Are we following on the strait and narrow path that leads to God and eternal life? Are we holding onto the iron rod, or are we going another way? I testify that how we choose to feel and think and act every day is the way we get on the path, and stay on it, until we reach our eternal destination.

I think a lot of people might say we don't choose how to feel! It certainly seems like feelings just "take over" sometimes and you can't control them. But Elder Hales says we can 

avoid being acted upon by acting for ourselves to avoid evil. The Holy Ghost will prompt us.…The promptings that come to us to flee evil reflect our Heavenly Father’s understanding of our particular strengths and weaknesses and His awareness of the unforeseen circumstances of our lives.…By heeding its gentle promptings, we will be protected from the destructive consequences of sin. 

I think this means we can choose our feelings enough to realize when we should change them. The Holy Ghost can help us see when our first instincts or first feelings are unrighteous or will lead to unhappiness, and he can then help us see how to find ways to feel differently. Elder Hales acknowledges that we will make mistakes, but I love his focus on what we can choose, how we can "reclaim agency" even once we've chosen wrongly:

Choose to accept—truly accept—that you are a child of God, that He loves you, and that He has the power to help you.

Choose to put everything—literally everything—on the altar before Him. Believing that you are His child, decide that your life belongs to Him and that you will use your agency to do His will. You may do this multiple times in your life, but never, never give up.

Choose to put yourself in a position to have experiences with the Spirit of God through prayer, in scripture study, at Church meetings, in your home, and through wholesome interactions with others. When you feel the influence of the Spirit, you are beginning to be cleansed and strengthened. The light is being turned on, and where that light shines, the darkness of evil cannot remain.

I especially love "decide that your life belongs to Him and that you will use your agency to do His will." He's right that there's no way to just do this once in your life and be done with it, because God is always requiring more of us, stretching us, and helping us progress. We might think we have submitted to God's will and then suddenly find ourselves struggling to submit again (this has happened to me more than once). But, I was trying to share with my children at home church a few weeks ago just the tangible peace and light that this simple decision can bring. Of course I still have trials, and moments where I don't understand what God is asking or why. But there is such overwhelming relief once I decide that I want what God wants for me. It takes away the burden of always worrying about if I look good to others, fretting about if I'm being appreciated enough, chafing under responsibilities I don't want. Choosing His will frees me to try to find hope and joy in whatever situation I'm in—because I know He can turn it to my good. Choosing His will helps me let go of that constant feeling that I deserve better somehow (or that I deserve worse!) because I know that my circumstances are in His hands and He will steer me elsewhere if I need to be elsewhere. Choosing His will brings peace to my mind and rest to my soul.

I also loved this:

Choose to reject feelings of shame for sins you have already repented of, refuse to be discouraged about the past, and rejoice in hope for the future. Remember, it is Satan who desires that we be “miserable like unto himself.” Let your desires be stronger than his. Be happy and confident about your life and about the opportunities and blessings that await you here and throughout eternity.

Again, Elder Hales emphasizes that we can choose how to feel—by desiring, and then seeking the Holy Ghost for added strength. We can choose to fight off discouragement and fight for hope.