Agency and the Voice of the Lord

Today in our priesthood quorum meeting we talked about the legal definition of agency.  Without going into the "legalese" I will just say that in a legal sense, an agent is someone who has been designated to perform fiduciary responsibilities on behalf of the principal.  In other words, an agent (or servant) does what a principal (or master) would do if they were there.  We see this when someone has "power of attorney" for someone else.

This topic grew out of a discussion of John 5:22-30.  Here are some excerpts:

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
...
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgmentalso, because he is the Son of man. 

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 5:22, 27-30 

In this case Christ was acting as an agent of his Father.  What Christ did was exactly what the Father would do and in fact, it was exactly what the Father told him to do.  Christ was, of course, a perfect conduit for the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and when the Father spoke to him through the Holy Ghost, he always listened and obeyed.

Christ was a perfect agent of the father.

When we join the Church of Jesus Christ through baptism, we take upon us his name and become his agents on the earth:

7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. 

8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.

9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ. 

Mosiah 5:7-9

When we are baptized, it is more than a covenant to be obedient to him until the end of our lives.  We are literally given the responsibility to be agents of Christ because we are called by his name.  As agents, we must do exactly as he tells us and what he would himself do.  Otherwise, we are not true agents, our baptism is void, and we can't receive the same reward as true agents of Christ.

10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God. 

Mosiah 5:10

This name and responsibility are what we sometimes refer to as our calling. We are "called" by the name of Christ and become his agents.

33 For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. 

34 They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God. 

Then we are given this reminder about what it means to be an agent of the Lord:

35 And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; 

36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; 

37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; 

38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him. 

39 And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood. 

Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-39

The oath and covenant of the priesthood is literally a charge to become faithful agents of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Principle of Agency

How does being an agent of the Lord relate to the principle of agency?

Until today I did not realize that it is the same principle.  Most of us (correctly) think of agency as the ability or freedom to make choices.  It seems it is a little more specific, though.  We don't get to choose everything.  We often summarize this idea by saying we can make choices, but we don't get to choose the consequences.  I believe that is completely true, also.  But it may be even more specific than that.  We can really only make one choice in terms of agency.

We get to choose whose agent we are.

If we choose to be faithful agents of the Lord we are promised "all that my Father hath shall be given unto [us]."

If we choose anyone else as our master, our shepherd, our father, or our god, we will receive "wages of him."  In other words, we receive no reward from Christ or our Heavenly Father, but from another master.

If, for example, we faithfully worship money ("ye cannot serve God and mammon..."), then we will receive money on earth as our reward.  We forfeit our treasure in heaven.

If we faithfully worship ourselves, putting our own will above the will of God, at most we will achieve only what a mortal can achieve, a full life that ends in death.

If we worship, or become agents, of any master other than God, we are really becoming agents of the devil.  In forfeiting our divine namesake, our calling, and our heavenly family, we use our agency to serve the devil and his work.  The wages of the devil are death, both spiritual and physical.

38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd. 

39 And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil. 

40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil. 

41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him. 

42 And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works. 

Alma 5:38-42

The Voice of the Lord

The most interesting thing that stood out to me today was from verse 30 where Jesus says, "as I hear, I judge."  Christ was the perfect example of hearkening unto the voice of the Lord.

As agents of Christ, we must have a way to receive instructions from him.  I can identify several ways an agent or servant would receive instructions from the master:

1. From his written word - The master can write or have others write his words and commandments.  These words can be confirmed by a messenger or by other servants that they are in fact from the master.
2. From other servants - Servants of the master must bear the name and image of the master.  If they do not have his image and authority in their countenance, they are imposters.  Their works must be his works; their words his words.  We have a responsibility to receive all servants of the master if we, too, desire to serve him, but also have the right to a second witness that any servant is from God.
3. From a messenger - We can always receive instructions from the master through his own personal trustworthy messenger.  For the Lord, this messenger is the Holy Ghost.  He can teach us and remind us of the words of Christ.
4. From the master's own voice - Occasionally the master will call to us with his own voice.  We can recognize his voice if we are familiar with his words that have come to us through his written word, his servants, and his messenger.
   
   "29 And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name." (JST Genesis 14:29)
   
5. From the master's own mouth (face to face) - When we have proven that we are worthy servants, that we will hearken to the voice of the master through all hazards, and that we can be trusted with his word, we may get to see the master face to face and receive blessings and instructions directly from him.  This communion will be according to the master's timetable, not the servant's.  However, all faithful servants are promised this opportunity.

Acting as agents of the master could not be simpler.  We must do just as Jesus showed us.  Like him, as we hear, we judge.  Or, in other words, as soon as we hear him, we obey him.  No other instruction and commandment is necessary.

Our only other task is to become better listeners.  But that is a topic for another day...