I will never forget the lesson of the locksmith. One night my son was driving our car when we called him to pick us up after a family activity. He pulled the car near us to help load some things and he closed the door of our Suburban after locking it. He quickly realized that he had left the keys in the car.

My five boys and I had some tools and some wire and figured we could open the car if we worked at it for a short time. We spent the next 90 minutes attempting to open the locked car. We failed again and again. We prayed and we still failed. After 90 minutes we called the locksmith. The locksmith showed up within fifteen minutes. He looked at the car and pulled out a special tool and the car was unlocked within two minutes. It was impressive but also discouraging.

The locksmith was the expert. He had an intricate understanding of locks and cars and how the lock mechanism worked on most cars. He explained to us exactly how the mechanism worked. He also explained how his special tool worked to move the mechanism enough to unlock the car. We paid him and he was gone, but the expensive lesson was not soon forgotten.

With proper understanding, the locksmith made a very difficult job look easy. When we understand moral agency correctly, we follow commandments and principles with promises because we become more powerful, more effective, more directed, and more eternally successful. When we comprehend the power of moral agency we begin to understand how powerful the Atonement of Christ can be in our lives.

Lehi taught,

"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:26-27).