Families under attack, President Packer warns

The family is under attack, but parents can protect their children and their homes by keeping God's commandments, said President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve.

Speaking at the Tuesday Campus Education Week devotional in the BYU Marriott Center, President Packer told the conference participants to put the lessons of the week to good use.

"I know that you have something to do with the knowledge you will gain in this great education week, for yourself, for your family and for the church," he said.

The devotional is the only general session for Campus Education Week, which offers more than 1,000 classes on a variety of topics. Classes will continue through Friday.

President Packer told the audience that those who would protect their families must first acknowledge that evil exists.

"We live in a very dangerous world. The threats are spiritual. The family, the most fundamental organization of the church, is under attack," he said. "We need to protect our nest. In order to do that we must first acknowledge that the devil lives and what his purposes are."

President Packer said changes in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the last 39 years, since he was ordained an apostle, have been geared at protecting the family.

"For several decades, I have watched the changes in the church to clarify the focus on the family," he said.

Those changes include "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" and an emphasis on family home evening, a program where parents and children meet on Monday night for religious instruction and other family-oriented activities.

"Family home evening is not just another program," he said.

President Packer said it is important to acknowledge Satan's power but to understand that power has limits.

"We can control Satan," he said. "The prophets have said Satan cannot take one sparrow out of the nest unless we permit it. ... Our homes are vulnerable. The priesthood will protect them."

"An ordinary member of the church can be extraordinary," President Packer said, "but we must be obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. That way we can find safety for our children."

e-mail: mhaddock@desnews.com