Know this, that every soul is free!

Each of us has been given the gift of agency from our loving Heavenly Father. Agency is our ability to choose between right and wrong and is an essential part of God's plan. 

"All of our choices have consequences, some of which have 

little or nothing to do with our eternal salvation and others of 

which have everything to do with it." Thomas S. Monson

The way we use our agency determines our happiness in this life and in the life to come. There is only one way back to our Heavenly Father and that is through keeping His commandments and by following the example of His son Jesus Christ. 

"When we don’t keep the commandments or follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, our opportunities are reduced; our abilities to act and progress are diminished. In my youth I learned an important lesson about how our actions may limit our freedom. One day my father assigned me to varnish a wooden floor. I made the choice to begin at the door and work my way into the room. When I was almost finished, I realized I had left myself no way to get out. There was no window or door on the other side. I had literally painted myself into a corner. I had no place to go. I was stuck.

Whenever we disobey, we spiritually paint ourselves into a corner and are captive to our choices. Though we are spiritually stuck, there is always a way back. Like repentance, turning around and walking across a newly varnished floor means more work—a lot of resanding and refinishing! Returning to the Lord isn't easy, but it is worth it." 

(Elder Robert D Hales)

I testify that as we use our God given agency to keep the commandments and follow the Savior we will find that we are truly free.

"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life."

2 Nephi 10:23