Commandments vs. Agency?

Lest I have worried some of you, let me put your minds at ease: I know that the commandments are not at all in opposition of agency. Yet, so much of the world seems to think that they are polar opposites. This has been something that I have been thinking about without really intending to think about it, but I have had thoughts on the subject pop into my head at random for weeks. You may ask, "what thoughts?" I will tell you, but I am going to leave you in suspense for a bit longer.

Before I tell you those thoughts there are a few things that you should know that may help to explain why this subject has been on the brain so much, whether or not I intended them to be. First is this: the gospel is ALL about families. We belong to the family of our Heavenly Parents, we are born into families here on earth, and eventually we create our own families so that we can return as families to our Heavenly parents. I have always known this, but lately it has struck me how important those families really are. I am so thankful for the family that I was born into, and I have been thinking that all of my decisions should be made based on how it may affect my own eternal family; I don't know if any other realization in my life has ever made so clear to me what my priorities should be. Second, all families have rules in place--earthly and heavenly. Third, as a student of education I have learned about setting rules in a classroom. Rules should support and help make possible what you want to accomplish in a classroom. For example, if my goal is to have a safe learning environment, I should set rules that are relevant to safety (physical and emotional) and to learning (what behaviors will help with this). Consequences are set in place to help children understand that these rules are important and for the protection of that safe learning environment.

Similarly, Heavenly Father gave us commandments (rules) to follow, following that same logic He must have been protecting His purpose. His purpose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children that choose that (He won't do it by force). By choosing to follow His plan in the premortal life, and through the resurrection of Jesus, we are now pretty much set on the immortality part; but we have to make choices every day that help us, or don't help us, achieve eternal life.

So what have my thoughts about commandments and rules been?

1. Parents (Earthly and Heavenly) set rules for protection.
2. There are natural consequences to every decision, and parents may put other consequences in place as well.
3. Keeping commandments protects our ability to keep making choices
4. Keeping commandments protects families, which in turn may be our greatest support in decision making.
5. When we choose to break the commandments we also choose to give up some of their protection. 
6. On a similar note, loss of that protection may feel like punishment, especially to those that do not understand thoughts 1-5.

As per my usual, this was probably way longer than it needed to be to get my thoughts across, so those of you who stuck it out get to be left with this: I know we are all a part of a Heavenly Family, with our Father in Heaven at its head. I know that our families on earth are so important to how we learn and grow in this life. I know that even though my own family is just myself and my husband that our family unit is important to Heavenly Father and being a member of this small family is my most important job on this earth. I know that Heavenly Father gave us commandments for our protection--I know that keeping these "rules" protect our ability to choose in the future and protect that all-important family unit. Because I know these things, I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us as much as a perfect Godly parent is capable of (which is way beyond my comprehension).

Finally, I will leave you with this bit of unrelated joy that I witnessed today--imagine an old man with a long white beard, he was wearing a reflective orange vest and riding a a tricycle around town. Now smile, because that image should leave no room for unhappiness!