The Gift of Agency and Christ's Atoning Grace

 

[Verse 1] We all possess the gift Of agency...to choose To draw nigh to or darkly drift From our Lord and His good news For our each and every action There's light to be responsible And we ever have an obligation To accept and be held accountable [Pre-Chorus] Through consistent practice Our standards can be set high Unto greatness, with Christ-like service Rejecting the self-absorbent life [Chorus] Always and ever we must exercise discipline (Exercise discipline) Repenting oft, believing in Christ's atoning grace (Christ's atoning grace) Always and ever we must exercise discipline (Exercise discipline) It is our to inspire others if they will listen (To find help) [Verse 2] Thus developing the character Of one morally disciplined Thereby following the exemplar As His ideals are envisioned Some turn from the laws of the Savior Creating their own God unto disorder There is naught to restrain their behavior But, external controls put in order [Pre-Chorus] Yet, can police and laws replace Customs, traditions, and values Can one civilize the human race When it has fallen unto abuse [Chorus] Always and ever we must exercise discipline (Exercise discipline) Repenting oft, believing in Christ's atoning grace (Christ's atoning grace) Always and ever we must exercise discipline (Exercise discipline) It is our to inspire others if they will listen (To find help) [Bridge] As the right hand steals from the left And puts forth more regulations There is but circumvention and debt As each judges the other's education... Such societies will struggle in vain Until sin is denounced as sin That moral discipline might rein As a pantheon of civic virtues are brought in [Final Chorus] Moral discipline is taught in the home (Moral discipline) Where our teachings come of our faith (Our faith) That the commandments of God might be known (They might be known) As a desire for truth becomes framed... Always and ever we must exercise discipline (Exercise discipline) Repenting oft, believing in Christ's atoning grace (Christ's atoning grace) Always and ever we must exercise discipline (Exercise discipline) It is our to inspire others if they will listen (To find help)

inspired from

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Moral Discipline
Ensign, November 2009, 105