The devil cheateth (cheetah) their souls

In this week's "Come, Follow Me" reading, Paul's talked about the Second Coming.  I had never noticed what Paul said about Satan:  That "the son of perdition" would "be revealed" before "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:1,3).  So it's interesting that Elder Bednar in general conference would so clearly teach us of the nature of Satan and his efforts to fight against Heavenly Father in these last days.

My wife pointed out with a smile the word play in Nephi's prophecy of the last days:  "the devil cheateth (cheetah) their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell."

Paul the Apostle prophesied:
Let no man deceive you by any means: … the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ … shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God….
2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3-4

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

A cheetah is a predator that naturally preys on other animals. All day, every day, a cheetah is a predator.

The Father’s plan of happiness is designed to provide direction for His children, to help them experience enduring joy, and to bring them safely home to Him with resurrected, exalted bodies.

The devil labors to make the sons and daughters of God confused and unhappy and to hinder their eternal progression. The adversary works relentlessly to attack the elements of the Father’s plan he hates the most.

October 2019 General Conference

Nephi the prophet taught:

The devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

2 Nephi 28:21

Love, Reverence, Honor, Nuture

Continuing to think this week about Paul's writings to the Ephesians for Come, Follow Me, I appreciated his counsel about parents loving and reverencing each other and nurturing their children with a family focus on Jesus Christ.  This is so applicable today.

I'm grateful for clarifying counsel by modern leaders in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it
Ephesians 5:25

Wife see that she reverence her husband.
Ephesians 5:33

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  Honour thy father and mother;
Ephesians 6:1-2

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4

It also reminds me of the counsel of King Benjamin in Mosiah 4:

14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

Why Apostles and Prophets...

Paul explains why the Lord calls prophets and apostles....  Clearly, they are so sorely needed today.

The apostle Paul to the Ephesians:
  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Ephesians 4:11-15