Rolling Down the Hill

What's the difference between a rock and a person rolling down the hill? This may seem like a silly question, but go ahead, try to answer it. I'm not looking for an answer about physics or chemistry. I'm thinking about what happened before the rolling began. Once in motion, both the rock and the person tumble down until they reach the bottom and stop, but how did it start? Well, in most cases, the person decided to iniate the roll, whereas the rock was forced by something else to begin its descent. 

A prophet named Lehi understood this distinction. He said, God "hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:14). You see, we as living, thinking human beings have the capacity to act, but a rock is something that is acted upon. 

Like it or not, you are an agent--one who is by nature designated to make decisions. Certainly God helps guide us in our decisions, but He expects us to act without always being told what to do.  The Lord teaches us in the Doctrine and Covenants, "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). Next time you stand on the hill of decision, remember, you are the one that begins the forward progress. You are not a rock.