[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 7, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S4680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING ELDER BOYD K. PACKER

  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Elder Boyd K. 
Packer, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of 
Latter-day Saints, who passed away on July 3, 2015, at the age of 90.
  Boyd K. Packer was both a man of principle and a man who knew the 
power of principles. He taught that talking about principles and 
doctrines changes behavior far better than talking about behavior 
changes behavior. He boldly stood as a ``watchman on the tower,'' 
proclaiming the principles that lead to faithful families, strong 
communities, and ultimately better nations.
  Trained as an educator, Elder Packer was truly a teacher first, last, 
and always. Whether interacting with an individual, speaking in front 
of thousands, writing one of his many insightful books, or simply 
spending time with one of his beloved children, he was forever 
teaching. And to be clear, he wasn't preaching; he was teaching--
teaching principles that would instruct, inspire, and improve all who 
came within the sound of his distinct and powerful voice.
  Boyd K. Packer understood the important influence of simple stories 
in teaching. He masterfully wove priceless principles into powerful 
modern-day parables, keen observations from everyday living, and 
spiritual lessons that were meaningful and memorable. Experiences such 
as tuning an old radio, getting his boys to stop wrestling in the 
living room, visiting a small church in Denmark, carving and painting 
birds, learning about crocodiles in Africa, or observing the pleadings 
for help from an orphan boy while serving as a serviceman in Japan, all 
emerged as foundational stories from which to teach life-changing 
principles.
  Faith and family were always at the center of Elder Packer's 
teaching, and he often illustrated that the intersection of faith and 
family is where critical lessons are taught. He illustrated that this 
intersection between faith and family is precisely where critical 
lessons are taught and learned and where children are prepared to live 
nobly and serve selflessly.
  In describing how to prepare children for the challenges of life, he 
thought that children should be provided with a shield of faith and 
that forming that shield of faith was of necessity a cottage industry. 
In his own words:

       We can teach about the materials from which a shield of 
     faith is made: reverence, courage, repentance, forgiveness, 
     compassion. . . . We can learn how to assemble and fit them 
     together in many places. But the actual making of and fitting 
     on of the shield of faith belongs in the family circle. 
     Otherwise it may loosen and come off in a crisis.

  As a ``watchman on the tower,'' Boyd K. Packer was perpetually ahead 
of his time. He could see around difficult societal corners and had a 
clear view of the blessings and benefits that flow from principled 
living. What some may have interpreted as a stern and serious speaking 
style was simply Elder Packer teaching out of both love and urgency 
because he could see and he could sense what was on the horizon.
  It has been said that the ability to see ahead is both a blessing and 
a tremendous burden. It is a blessing because you can prepare, and it 
is a burden because often the people you are trying to help can't see 
what you can see. Elder Packer's ability to see ahead was unrivaled, 
occasionally underestimated, but always an unmatched lesson for those 
who chose to follow the visionary principles he taught.
  Elder Packer was indeed a master teacher because he followed, he 
studied, and he came to know the Master Teacher.
  I am confident that the principles Boyd K. Packer shared with the 
world will continue to impact and improve behavior for generations to 
come.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Daines). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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