Prior to Elder Hales talk, I understood freedom of choice as a requisite step to obtain the power to act righteously. In this way, choice and agency are connected. The freedom comes from God, however, when government removes the freedom of choice, the ability to act righteously is also at risk.
Since Elder Hales has chosen to insert freedom of choice into the definition, it seems logical to separate the two as follows:
- Agency as a basic tenet of our mortal probation
- Agency as an exalting power
