Agents unto Ourselves

 While I was looking up in the scriptures about agents, I found an interesting concept in some of the verses.

And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.

(Moses 6:56 - emphasis added)

Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father, whom I created.

Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual.

(D&C 29:34-35 - emphasis added)

For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

(D&C 58:26-28 - emphasis added)

For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.

(D&C 104:17 - emphasis added)


What is this about being agents unto ourselves? At first it seems simply that we have been given agency to make choices, and this is true enough, but perhaps that's incomplete. It's not just that we have choices, but to me there seems to be a sense that we have a work to do and, inasmuch as we do it, we will be blessed.

What that work is is for us to discover and pursue as agents unto ourselves, always within the guidelines and commandments of God. What our work is (within His commandments) may in fact be less important to Him than how we engage in it! Thus, we are free to choose, in all righteousness, that which we most enjoy, that which pleases us the most and provides us the most meaning! How great is that?!

Does that sound like being an agent unto oneself? To me it does. Being an agent unto oneself is to act in one's self interest, and the highest, most Godly form of that is to live in a self-servingly altruistic manner. This is how God lives, for His work and His glory is the supremely altruistic act of our immortality and eternal life, and yet our immortality and eternal life all contribute to His glory! Self-serving altruism is living in a way where you gain great meaning, enjoyment, and yes, even financial compensation as you bring to pass much righteousness.

But financial compensation? If we accept financial compensation now, then when we are judged, will we not be told we have already received our reward? (Matthew 6) I would respond similar to Alma and ask "Do ye suppose that ye cannot worship God save it be in your synagogues only?" (Alma 32:10) Or said another way do ye suppose that ye can do no noble, virtuous, or altruistic thing if it be compensated with money? Or yet another way, do ye suppose that providing for your family can only be brought to pass by ignominious means?

Altruism has been defined as "unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others." This feels very noble, but it can also include the insidious. How so? By being blind to one's true concern and devotion. Mistaking the measure of one's sacrifice as the measure of one's service is not at all service, but selfishness and the seeking of one's own vain glory. It leads not to a heart of satisfaction but to a heart of resentment. It is a counterfeit altruism that creates a martyr or victim of its agent. Altruism in its truest form is unavoidably self-serving as well; it can not help but lift up the heart of the man that acts in it.

It is worth noting that asking for financial compensation for a good or service can, in and of itself, be altruistic. In the words of Thomas Paine, "what we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." Requiring a financial sacrifice for a good or service can serve to bless the buyer. After all, even "heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods." (The American Crisis)

I am not here arguing that any and all services should be financially compensated. Heavens no! It is crucial for each of us to engage in service without any expectation of recompense, financial or otherwise! But we simply can not avoid recompense if we are acting out of true altruism. It is a divine principle that righteous action brings reward. (Mosiah 2:24)

And now, I have gone on a bit of a tangent. So coming back to the original question, what does it mean to be agents unto ourselves? While it indeed means that we are able to choose that which we think will be best for us, it is more. To magnify being agents unto ourselves suggests that we be obedient to God and engage diligently in causes or works that are meaningful to us! Some of these may provide financial compensation while others may not, but as we seek His glory through our own joy and fulfillment, we will be successful agents unto ourselves.

* It is also important that we allow others to serve us. It is important for the giver and the recipient, and I do not mean to diminish that in my comments, but to mention it inline above would have only distracted from the point at hand.




A couple other random things I found in some verses when looking up about agents follow, but they rather disjointed from the above. Still, I thought them interesting and worthy of sharing.


And let the bishop search diligently to obtain an agent, and let him be a man who has got riches in store—a man of God, and of strong faith—
(D&C 90:22)

God tells the bishop to find someone who is both rich and a man of God and of strong faith. These are not mutually exclusive! In fact, such men can be great tools in His hands to build His kingdom!


and my words are sure and shall not fail, that they shall obtain it. But all things must come to pass in their time.
(D&C 64:31-32)

The full context of the surrounding verses is good here, but this little snippet is what caught my attention this time. Do we set our minds on obtaining what God has to give us? Are we patient unto the gestational period required to manifest it "in its time?" From the surrounding verses, it seems that God is patient in this way about His own work and business. It seems fitting that we would be the same.