Your Choice to Choose

     I don't know what the deal is but whenever I am in the bathroom I seem to get the greatest moments of revelation. Maybe it is because it is the warm water coming out of the shower head or maybe it is the only time as a missionary I have to myself... I don't know but what I do know is that I seem to understand life situations a little bit better.
     As a missionary you are placed in a companionship which is just made of two elders or two sisters. Two to six companions who are close geographically are called a district. Two or more districts are considered to be in a zone and in our mission there are six zones. In my zone we are really pushing the ability to choose, or agency. As a missionary we have the choice whether or not to wake up at 6:30am. We have the choice to study for an hour or not. We can choose to study together as a companionship or not. We have a lot of choices to make and all of those choices have a consequence.
     If we don't wake up on time the spirit is not there. If we do not study we don't have the spirit. If we don't leave the apartment by time we do not have the spirit. For us, having "the Spirit is the single most important ingredient in this work"-nothing will get done without it. So as I was taking a shower this morning I was thinking about what agency is and this is what I got.

     Our Father in Heaven loves us enough to let us use our agency, wisely or unwisely. Whether we choose good or bad it is up to your own conscious. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy so he has given us guidelines or ways to know if we are doing well. But just like any wise father would, He does not force us to do what is right. He lets that decision fall on you, everyone being an agent unto themselves. He will tell us what His stand is but after that it is up to us.
     It is like two college students both going to the same college. One is a hard worker who tries his best and for the most part he succeeds. He has made mistakes that have caused some ‘suffering’ on his part. He has not always been able to stay up all night playing Modern Warfare but he has learned to work hard and not to give up. Then the other student goes to the class but has someone else do his homework, someone else takes his test for him, and someone else there to take the blame. He has never failed.
     Both of these students will graduate one day. The one student will keep the memories of his failures and the ways in which he over came those challenges and he will continue to keep learning on how to improve and become better. The other student will go into his new life with no experience in the real world. Have nothing but a piece of paper that says he spent a lot of money for.
     When I was in 8th grade my science teacher had on his wall this banner. It said, "Every choice has its consequences. It is your choice. Which consequence do you choose?" I echo that same question, "Which choice do you choose?"