Accountability

Does God care whether or not you are accountable for your choices? Of course He does! God knows each of us personally and wants all of His children to return to live with Him one day. One important part of this life on earth is making choices. Each choice we make has a consequence, which can be good or bad. We all desire happiness, and true happiness comes from being accountable for our choices, actions, and resulting consequences.

Additionally, we need to let others be accountable for their choices in this life. We are all held accountable for mistakes we have made, but this doesn’t mean there isn’t any hope for us. Because of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our mistakes. We will continue to hold accountability for our actions, but God will forgive our sins if we sincerely repent. Agency is a gift we all received from God. We show our responsibility for that gift by being honestly accountable for all our actions. Living an honest life is essential to returning to live with God again.

In one devotional dealing with accountability, Benjamin M. Ogles, the dean of the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, stated, “Agency is inextricably bound to accountability: for every decision and action, we remain answerable to God. Without Jesus Christ’s role in the plan of salvation, this accountability would mean a dead end for us in our progression. Because of the power of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we can find peace, cleansing from sin, and ultimately eternal life in God’s presence” (Agency, Accountability, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ: Application to Sexual Assault, 2018). Read more talks here to understand the principle of accountability more fully and know how you can apply these teachings to your own life and your choices.