About a month ago our beloved leader, President David O. McKay, delivered an inspiring prayer at the dedication of the London Temple.

As an introduction to what I trust the Lord will be pleased to have me say today, I quote a short paragraph from that memorable prayer:

“Next to life, we express gratitude for the gift of free agency. When thou didst create man, thou placed within him part of thine Omnipotence and bade him choose for himself. Liberty and conscience thus became a sacred part of human nature. Freedom not only to think, but to speak and act, is a God-given privilege.”

Our heritage of freedom is as precious as life itself. It is truly a God-given gift to man. Since the time of the council in heaven, the fight of liberty-loving people for freedom has continued.

Free agency is an eternal principle vouchsafed to us in the perfect law of liberty—the gospel of Jesus Christ. Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than any earthly possession. It is guaranteed in our heaven-inspired Constitution. Yes, freedom is an inherited, inalienable, divine gift to men.
When the Savior of mankind wished to impress on his hearers the fruits of his teaching, he used these words: “. . . the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

We are moral agents with freedom to choose between right and wrong.