In Honor of Boyd K. Packer
Yesterday afternoon, President Packer passed away. Though not surprising since his health has been declining for many years, it is sad for those who love him and have been taught by him for so long. President Packer never backed down from the truth. He always lived what he taught! He was such a wonderful example of dedication and commitment to his family, his God and his country. What a great day to honor him!
The following quotes from President Packer speak to his profound character:
"There is a position of truth — strong, powerful, steady. Somebody has to stand, face the storm, declare the truth, let the winds blow, and be serene, composed, and steady in the doing of it. ... Who are we anyway? Are we the ones who were born to be immune from persecution or from the penalties in connection with living and preaching the gospel?"
He said the church could not change because some wished or wanted it, because the Lord's words are "not to be adjusted by experiments or theories of men."
"What has happened since 1830 did not come about because we followed the wisdom of men. It came because we followed the light described in the scriptures."
"We may one day stand alone, but we will not change or lower our standards or change our course."
“A number of years ago I chose several basic objectives in life—things that I wanted to be and do. First, I wanted to be a good father. … Livelihood, hobbies, even social opportunities had to be weighed against whether or not they related to that ideal. I soon learned that the perfect plan for fatherhood was the gospel. … Home is the center of the gospel—and of my life. …
The second goal that I had was that I … wanted to be good—good for something. Mostly I wanted to be a good son, to both my earthly father and my Heavenly Father. I have never thought that I deserved to have good children unless I could be one myself. I’ve had an idea that we contribute to the glory of our Father in heaven when we add in our own person one more worthy individual. I’ve felt that I wasn’t worthy to get what I wasn’t willing to give.”
“Of all the places in the world — and I’ve seen some interesting and enticing ones — I’d rather be home than anywhere else.”
What a great world we would live in if we all lived like Boyd K. Packer!
Here is the link to small insight into President Packer's life. This link to lds.org is a longer biography. This link is to today's Deseret News article where some of the quotes above came from. The quote below comes from his most recent general conference talk. Here is the link to that talk.
