Fledgling Finches and Family Life - Boyd K. Packer

This is such a powerful, moving and extremely important talk to listen to.... again, and again, and again....
Here is some fragments from the talk that ought draw your significant attention, and should be seriously looked over!

Download "Fledgling Finches and Family Life" By Boyd K. Packer 34:30 Total Talk Time

The Adversary’s Influence

There came into my mind the warnings spoken by the prophets. We will not always be safe from the adversary’s influence, even within our own homes. We need to protect our nestlings.
In order to do that, we must first acknowledge that Satan, the devil, lives; what his purposes are; what his intentions would be; and what our defenses should be.
He was lying in wait in the Sacred Grove when the boy Joseph entered. No doubt Satan was hoping to forestall the Restoration. He was an “actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as [the boy Joseph] had never before felt in any being” (JS-H 1:16).

A Dangerous World

We know that we are spirit children of heavenly parents here on earth to receive our mortal bodies and to be tested. We live in a very dangerous world that threatens those things which are spiritual. The family, the most fundamental organization of the Church, is under attack from forces seen and unseen. The adversary is about. His objective is to cause injury to the family. If he can weaken and destroy the family, he will have succeeded.
The scriptures tell us, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
We also know that the prophets have said that Satan cannot take one sparrow, or one finch, out of our nest unless we permit it. (3)

Perilous Times Have Come

Paul warned Timothy and warns us. (Notice how perfectly this warning describes what is going on around us now.)

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents [let me repeat that — “disobedient to parents,”], unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection [let me repeat that—“without natural affection”], trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. [2 Timothy 3:1–7]

These verses serve as a warning, showing us the patterns to avoid. We must be ever watchful and diligent.
But Paul also gave us the key to our protection. Speaking in the same chapter, he identified healing power in this small phrase: “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

In 2 Nephi we are warned:

Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! [2 Nephi 28:24–27]

Moroni spoke of the wickedness of the secret combinations and the wicked men to come among us. He warned us that they would be with us in our day and said:

When ye shall see these things come among you that ye [should] awake to a sense of your awful situation. . . .

Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. [Ether 8:24, 26]

A Pattern in All Things

Do we need any more evidence to understand that we are at war with the adversary? The revelations teach us how to win this spiritual war:

And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations —
Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances. [D&C 52:14–15]

God Is Our Father

From the accounts of the Council in Heaven we learn that God is our Father, and we are His children.5 We would do well to always remember Him as our Father. We are instructed to address Him as “our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).

Our Father delegates to His priesthood leaders a commanding authority to preach, to teach, to minister, and to bless.

Those with a Body Have Power over Those Without

Joseph Smith taught that “wicked spirits have their bounds.” Now listen carefully:

Wicked spirits have their bounds, limits, and laws by which they are governed or controlled. . . . It is very evident that they possess a power that none but those who have the Priesthood can control. (6)

Joseph Smith also taught a principle crucial in importance that everyone, particularly those holding the priesthood, should fully understand. He said:

We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man. . . .

All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not [let me say that again—“all beings who have bodies have power over those who have not”]. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. (7)

Satan cannot seduce us by his enticements unless we in our hearts consent and yield. Our organization is such that we can resist the devil; if we were not organized so, we would not be free agents. (8)

Moral Agency

The agency defined in the scriptures is a “moral agency,” which means that we can choose between good and evil.

That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. [D&C 101:78]

We feel free to choose our actions and our responses to life’s events and challenges, but we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions.

Tolerance Can Become a Vice

I must say something about tolerance. Tolerance is a virtue, but, like all virtues, when exaggerated it transforms itself into a vice. The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate acts of immorality does not reduce the serious spiritual consequences that result from the violation of God’s law of chastity.

Let me say that again: We who have bodies have the power and authority over those who do not. And we are free to choose what we will and to pick and choose our acts, but we are not free to choose the consequences. They come as they will come.

Alma taught that “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (Alma 45:16). In order to understand, we must separate the sin from the sinner.

While “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance,” He is not condemning everyone because of sin. For example, when they brought Him a woman taken in adultery, obviously guilty, He dismissed the case with five words, “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). That is the spirit and the letter of His ministry.

All Have the Light of Christ

We are born with the Light of Christ, a guiding influence which permits each person to recognize right from wrong.

For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. [Moroni 7:16–17]

Teach yourself and teach your families about the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. [1 Corinthians 3:16–17]

We, brethren, as holders of the Holy Priesthood Posses The Power to thwart the work of the adversary, if we but stand righteous to use it, and consistently keep the commandments. That is why our Temple Covenants, and certainly all other Covenants we make with our Heavenly Father are so important to keep. We have the greatest Assurance from The Lord, when he said to Joseph Smith [Also given to Church in the "General Council" in Jacksson County, Missouri, April 26, 1832]:

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise" (D & C Section 82:10)

Let us be righteous holders of the Priesthood, and we will ever be ready to Serve Our Lord!
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Plainview Texas Branch; Lubbock Stake Announcements;

October 3rd :Saturday General Conference; 11:00 & 3:00
October 3rd :Saturday Priesthood Telecast 7:00pm

October 4th :Sunday General Conference; 11:00 & 3:00

October 7th :Leadership Training @ Stake Center