Recent conversations with a friend reminded me of a principle we've all known, but sometimes forget. This was made popular, in the LDS community at least, by Stephen R. Covey. When faced with a stimulus, a reaction occurs. The time that passes in between the stimulus and the response is where our agency takes place. We are and will be faced with many stimuli, but the reaction that occurs can be turned into a voluntary reaction. I've noticed about temptation that the adversary attempts to shorten the time between the stimulus and response so that we can't think about it (at least with temptations of the flesh) and the natural man response takes over. The more that we are able to lengthen this space and interject not only time between the stimulus and response but also decision making, we are able to become "agents unto ourselves." We know that there are things in this world "both things to act and things to be acted upon" (2 Ne 2:14). When we allow the natural reaction to occur to the tempting stimulus, then we are things to be acted upon and we are being acted upon by the chemical reactions within our body. When we take time out between stimulus and response, we separate ourselves emotionally from the situation and become things to act. Going back into the situation can, of course, bring us back to a level of things to be acted upon. We can change states. "And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves..." (Moses 6:56). "For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves" (D&C 58:28). We sometimes yield our agency and give up our right to act. We are creatures to act and not be acted upon, but whether or not we take advantage of that is determined in the stimulus - response cycle. That is why I've been told and I've told others, when tempted with something, always have an action you can perform that will separate yourself from the situation long enough for reason to set in. If you're trying to no longer eat chocolate ice cream (for example) then when you walk into the kitchen, open the freezer and suddenly have an overwhelming desire to eat the ice cream, rather than pulling it out of the freezer, take a moment, go outside, get some fresh air and take a quick walk. That walk determines whether or not you are an agent unto yourself and a thing to act and not be acted upon.