Merciful Agency

2 Nephi 1:3

And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.

An example of God's mercy was His warning to Lehi to flee. His mercies are always just enough to have a positive effect without violating agency. He did not forcibly change the hearts of the Jews to accept Lehi's preaching. He did not force Lehi to leave his home. He merely gave Lehi a warning that his life was in danger. He left it up to Lehi to decide to heed the warning, decide what to pack, and when to leave. Lehi retained his agency to obey, just as the Jews retained their agency to rebel. God's mercy was giving Lehi the opportunity to escape and save himself and his family.

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