the "gift" of agency

[RedHeadGal]

Our RS lesson last week was derived from an article titled "Moral Agency" by Elder Christofferson on the June 09 Ensign.

He states that there are three elements to moral agency:
1) there must be aleternatives
2) you must know what the alternatives are
3) you must be free to choose among the alternatives

It's the third one that has given me pause because it was explained in a way I don't understand:

This freedom to act for ourselves in choosing among alternatives is often referred to in the scriptures as agency itself. For this freedom we are indebted to God. It is His gift to us.

It's the "gift" part that perplexes me, especially because it was discussed in the lesson as being a gift given to us in mortality. The scriptural reference in the Christofferson talk is Moses 4:3.

Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

Does it make sense to think of free agency as a gift God created for eartly exitsence? It seems to me more of an inherent, eternal concept.