Week 3

I really enjoyed learning about The Fall of Adam and Eve this week. It has helped me understand more about agency and the love God has for us. In Moses 3:17 we read about God's command to Adam and Eve not to eat "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee." He makes it clear that they have their agency.

Eve chose to partake of the fruit. I appreciated what my professor pointed out about this choice Eve made. She had the opportunity to live in a beautiful garden without any strife, but chose a different path. Eve gave up the ease of Eden to be a mother. She chose to suffer so that life could be on earth.  

Thanks to Eve, we are now here on the earth. Eve made a choice that blessed all of mankind and gave us the opportunity to exercise our own agency. Yes, we are fallen, but God has given us a Savior so that we may become clean and return home to live with Him again. If we choose to follow Him, we can overcome our fallen state.

Week 2

I enjoyed reading this week in 2 Nephi 2 about God's plan and agency. Verse 26 really caught my attention this week. It says, "And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon..." 

This verse talks about how we can use our agency. God has given us the ability to choose for ourselves. Because we do not have to suffer in our fallen state, thanks to our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can make correct decisions that will bless our lives. However, we can also use this agency "to be acted upon." We have to choose how we will act in different situations. If we have chosen to follow Christ, then we will be able to make the better decision. 

Sometimes I have a struggle with agency. I just want to be told what the best decision is so I can make sure I am on the right path. Unfortunately, this can hinder my ability to exercise my agency to the fullest; to act for myself. Even though I still fight it sometimes, I am learning that faith also comes into using agency. If I can have faith as I make decisions that I am not completely sure about, then I can rely on God to help me know if I am making a wrong decision. This is still hard for me. I want to do what God wants me to do, but a lot of the time I don't know what that is for sure. I just know that He is aware of my circumstances and desires and that He will help me make the better decision. 

Week 1

In Moses 1:12-22, Moses tells of his experience with Satan. In these verses, Satan tries to convince Moses to worship him instead of God and Satan denounces the divine nature of Moses by calling him a "son of man" in verse 12. Moses recognized Satan and told him to depart. The first two times Moses tried to do this by himself and Satan grew furious and did not leave. Moses began to feel fearful and called upon God for help twice, before Satan finally departed. 

I learned a few different things from this passage of scripture. One is the importance of recognizing our divine nature. Because Moses knew who he was, a son of God, he was able to withstand Satan's temptations. Another thing I learned is that God is there to help us. Moses tried to get rid of Satan on his own, but could not. He cried for God to help him and when he did, Satan departed. Something interesting to note here is that Satan did not depart until the second time Moses had called upon God for help. 

This has taught me that I need to remember who I am, a daughter of God. I know that if I remember this eternal truth when I am tempted, I will be able to stand with God and not fall. I also learned I need God's help. Some things, actually most things, are too big for me to handle on my own. When I call upon God for help, I know He will hear me. I am grateful to know that He is always there.