President Monson and General Authorities Remember President Packer’s Gift of Teaching

This morning family, general authorities and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated the life of President Boyd K. Packer at his funeral services in Salt Lake City.

At the age of 90, Packer passed away on Friday, July 3, 2015, surrounded by family at his Utah home.

President Henry B. Eyring conducted the services. The following general authorities had these remarks to make on President Packer’s life:

Elder Allan F. Packer (Son) – Quorum of the Seventy

• President Packer’s posterity includes 10 children, 60 grandchildren and 111 great grandchildren.
• President Packer wrote a poem, that he quoted during April 2013 General Conference. It read,

[quote_box_center]”I now can say with all certainty that I know and love the Lord. I can testify with them of old as I preach His holy word. I know what he felt in Gethsemane, too much to comprehend. I know He did it all for us, we have no greater friend. I know that He will come anew with power and in glory.  I know I will see Him once again at the end of my life’s story. I will kneel before His wounded feet, I will feel His Spirit glow. My whispering, quivering voice will say, ‘My Lord, My God, I know.’”[/quote_box_center]

Elder M. Russell Ballard – Quorum of the Twelve

• “President Packer was a master teacher, and I’ve always tried to be a good student.”
• “He taught that gospel truths are in the scriptures, we should study and live by them.”
• “He was a delight to be with at the Church office, at his home or traveling with him throughout the world teaching the gospel.”
• “Boyd K. Packer was a great defender of the Church and Kingdom of God and a teacher of the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ. He knew that men are not perfect and that occasionally mistakes are made. But he knew that this is the Lord’s Church. In his office, [President Packer] had a small statue of ‘Winged Victory’. He liked this work of art because even though it is less than perfect in appearance, it is still a masterpiece. President Packer could overlook faults and human frailties and could see the divine in the people and in this great Church.”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks – Quorum of the Twelve

• “President Packer will best be remembered as a teacher. He was always teaching. He taught by example, he taught by his talks and books, he taught by individual counsel and he taught in small groups.”
• “He always taught entire loyalty to the leadership and decisions of the President of the Church. President Monson, [Packer] taught us to love you and to follow you.”
• “He often challenged the Twelve… to prepare for the governance and leadership of a Church with many millions more members than we have now. He repeatedly reminded the Twelve of the importance of each individual member of the Church. He said, ‘We should always act as if they are here in our counsels.'”
• “Our faith has prepared us to know the truth of the teaching that love lives on and death is only a horizon that limits our vision of the glories that live beyond. The life that we treasure here in mortality is only temporary but the supremely important eternal life that we seek is infinite in duration and incomprehensibly glorious in quality and it is all made possible by our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

President Thomas S. Monson – Prophet

• “Boyd Kenneth Packer knew the Lord, and the Lord knew him. I have a firm testimony of this truth.”
• “He lived as he taught, after the pattern of the Savior, whom he served. Throughout his life he provided a model for others to follow.”
• “Donna, you and Boyd were true partners in every sense of the word. You were by his side through thick and thin. You have always been his beloved Donna. You and he will be partners throughout eternity.”
• “Boyd K Packer lives still, all that we know and love about him continues. His spirit has simply gone home to that God who gave him life. Well could he say, as did the Apostle Paul, ‘I have fought a good fight, I finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there’s laid up for me a crown of righteousness.’ And now we say goodbye to President Packer until we meet again.”

President Packer was ordained an apostle on April 9, 1970 and served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve for 21 years. A private service will take place at the Brigham City Cemetery.