To Act for Ourselves

I came across 2 Nephi 2:16 in my scripture study and the phrase, "to act for himself," stuck out to me. We are enticed that we might act for ourselves and choose the one or the other. The cross reference to this was Alma 12:31. It speaks of them breaking the temporal command and therefore, "becoming as gods, ​​​knowing​ good from evil, placing themselves in a state to ​​​act​, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good..." We can choose between good and evil. If it's not a decision of choosing between good and evil then it reads that "to act according to their wills and pleasures..." I thought that was an interesting commentary. We choose according to our "wills" and "pleasures." If we don't feel God directing us one way or the other then our will is probably aligned with Him and He is letting go of our hands (like a father and mother letting go of the hand of a toddler learning to walk) and letting us use our agency to act and do what we want. If our wants line up with God then we are becoming more godly. He is involved in the details of our lives but a huge detail, the biggest detail is helping us arrive at an exalted life, like His. Certainly this would involve less and less of His "holding our hands" as we learn to become as He is. Sometimes we want to give our agency to someone else, to make the decision for us so we can absolve ourselves of the responsibility of our actions. This is Satan's plan. Liberty and independence is God's plan. He gives laws to help us but the more righteous we are, the less laws are needed to keep us in the right way. The converse is true too, the more wicked we are, the more laws we need. 

We can see how this gift of agency, the ability to act for ourselves, leads us to the absolute necessity of a Savior, one who would pay the price of justice that mercy might be extended to us as we act for ourselves. This happens because as we act for ourselves we make mistakes and sin. When we repent we can draw upon the atonement of Jesus Christ to pay the price of justice.