Agency

"Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws."
(Elder L. Tom Perry, "Obedience to Law Is Liberty", April 2013 General Conference)

"Each choice you and I make is a test of our agency - whether we choose to be obedient or disobedient to the commandments of God is actually a choice between 'liberty and eternal life' and 'captivity and death.'"
(Elder L. Tom Perry, "Obedience to Law Is Liberty", April 2013 General Conference)

"Agency is a divine gift to you. You are free to choose what you will be and what you will do. And you are not without help. Counsel with your parents is a privilege at any age. Prayer provides communication with your Heavenly Father and invites the promptings of personal revelation. And in certain circumstances, consultation with professional advisers and with your local leaders in the Church may be highly advisable, especially when very difficult decisions must be made."
(Elder Russell M. Nelson, "Choices", October 1990 General Conference)

"Agency is defined in the scriptures as 'moral agency,' which means that we can choose between good and evil. The adversary seeks to tempt us to misuse our moral agency."
(President Boyd K. Packer, "These Things I Know", April 2013 Conference)

"We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency."
(Elder Richard G. Scott, "How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life", April 2012 General Conference)

"Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others. The very War in Heaven was waged over our moral agency and is essential to understanding the Savior's earthly ministry."
(Elder Quentin L. Cook, "Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness", April 2013 General Conference)

"The cost of the Atonement was borne by the Lord without compulsion, for agency is a sovereign principle. According to the plan, agency must be honored. It was so from the beginning, from Eden."
(President Boyd K. Packer, "Atonement, Agency, Accountability", April 1988 General Conference)

"Agency was manifested in the Council in Heaven as we chose to follow our Heavenly Father's plan and come to mortality for this probationary period. Agency allows us to be tested and tried to see whether or not we will endure to the end and return to our Heavenly Father with honor. Agency is the catalyst that leads us to express our inward spiritual desires in outward Christlike behavior. Agency permits us to make faithful, obedient choices that strengthen us so that we can lift and strengthen others. Agency used righteously allows light to dispel the darkness and enables us to live with joy and happiness in the present, look with faith to the future, even into the eternities, and not dwell on the things of the past. Our use of agency determines who we are and what we will be."
(Robert D. Hales, "To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency",  April 2006 General Conference)

"Agency is to act with accountability and responsibility for our actions. Our agency is essential to the plan of salvation. With it we 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.'"
(Elder Robert D. Hales, "Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life", October 2010 General Conference)

"We all participated in the councils of heaven that provided for moral agency, knowing that there would be mortal pain and even unspeakable tragedy because of the abuse of agency. We understood that this could leave us angry, bewildered, defenseless, and vulnerable. But we also knew that the Savior's Atonement would overcome and compensate for all of the unfairness of mortal life and bring us peace."
(Elder Quentin L. Cook, "Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness", April 2013 General Conference)

"We are agents blessed with moral agency and are defined by our divine heritage as children of God"
(Elder David A. Bednar, "We Believe in Being Chaste", April 2013 General Conference)

"As we press forward along the strait and narrow path, we build progressive spiritual strength--strength in using our agency to act for ourselves"
(Elder Robert D. Hales, "Stand Strong in Holy Places", April 2013 General Conference)

"Sometimes we confuse differences in personality with sin. We can even make the mistake of thinking that because someone is different from us, it must mean they are not pleasing to God. This line of thinking leads some to believe that the Church wants to create every member from a single mold - that each one should look, feel, think, and behave like every other. This would contradict the genius of God, who created every man different from his brother, every son different from his father. Even identical twins are not identical in their personalities and spiritual identities.
   "It also contradicts the intent and purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ, which acknowledges and protects the moral agency - with all its far-reaching consequences - of each and every one of God's children. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are united in our testimony of the restored gospel and our commitment to keep God's commandments. But we are diverse in our cultural, social, and political preferences."
(President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Four Titles", April 2013 General Conference)

"The old saying 'The Lord is voting for me, and Lucifer is voting against me, but it is my vote that counts' describes a doctrinal certainty that our agency is more powerful than the adversary's will. Agency is precious. We can foolishly, blindly give it away, but it cannot be forcibly taken from us."
(President Boyd K. Packer, "Cleansing the Inner Vessel", October 2010, General Conference)

"...use your agency to develop yourself personally. As you discover your gifts and talents, remember that parents and mentors may assist you, but you must let the Spirit guide you. Choose and act for yourself. Be motivated from within."
(Elder Robert D. Hales, "Stand Strong in Holy Places", April 2013 General Conference)

Position Statement

I know that agency is a key component of the Father's plan for us in this life and that without it the Father's plan would not work. We are on this life to be tested and without agency how would this be a test to see if we would obey Him. Sometimes it can be hard not try to force someone to make the right decision especially when you can see that they are heading down the path of self destruction, such as those who basically want to live there life on welfare (I know that not all who are on welfare want to stay on it, but some do). Though I do know that I learn a lot from my mistakes and I know that people tend to learn best when they are the one making the mistakes and that you learn patience as you deal with other peoples mistakes. I am glad that agency exist and I hope that in the end more people then not decide to do the things that are necessary to return to our Father's presence.

(Picture from freudsigmund.blogspot.com)