Christ's infinite atonement frees us from the fall of Adam and allows us to exercise our agency in choosing right and wrong. The term, "free agency" is redundant. It is not found in the scriptures. Rather, the scriptures use the term, "agency of man" (Moses 4:3).
People only remain free as long as they exercise this agency wisely. Lehi makes it clear that if they choose the plan of Satan, they are choosing captivity and death (2 Nephi 2:27). Thus, the wicked voluntarily give up their freedom so that Satan can drag them down to his miserable level.
Joshua tried to help the children of Israel decide how to use their agency righteously, “choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
It is only through serving the Lord that we remain free, for we are able to avoid the bondage of sin and the captivity of the devil.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved. (2 Nephi 10:24)
The righteous exercise of agency requires that we reconcile ourselves to the will of God. One of the great ironies of the gospel is that true freedom comes only after submitting to the will of God, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:34-36)
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