"As a Hen Gathereth Her Chickens"

As we were reading 3 Nephi 10 for family scripture study, Mom pointed out to my brother and I that Christ said that He would gather the house of Israel "as a hen gathereth her chickens." She asked, "How does a hen gather her chickens?" Then she answered, "She calls and they come." If chicks don't come when their mother hen calls them, there's not much the hen can do to protect them. Similarly, God and Christ would like to offer us some protection from the fallen world we live in, and more especially from ourselves, but unless we answer their calls by repenting and keeping the commandments, there's not much they can do to protect us, especially from our own sins. We have the agency to choose right or wrong. God has taught us the difference, and given us consciences so we can feel the difference, and encourages us to choose the right. After that, it's up to us. We can choose to follow Christ, or we can choose not to. Our choice is the only factor that determines whether we end up under the protective wing of a mother hen or under the deadly talons of a diabolical hawk.