[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11222]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING PRESIDENT
                             BOYD K. PACKER

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of 
President Boyd K. Packer--a man of integrity, kindness, courage, and 
candor whose commitment to Christ defined a lifetime of service. 
President Packer passed away peacefully in his home last week with his 
loving wife and children gathered at his bedside. Along with his 
family, I join millions of Christians worldwide in mourning the loss of 
a man who served faithfully for many years as the president of the 
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints. As an apostle, President Packer's teachings brought 
strength to the weary and hope to the hopeless. For those of us who 
mourn, we turn to these teachings to find peace amid the sadness of his 
passing.
  Even as we grieve the loss of a leader, we celebrate the life of a 
friend. President Packer was a man whose selfless nature often masked 
his greatness, but not even his humility could hide a lifetime of 
achievement. From humble beginnings in Brigham City, UT, President 
Packer developed as a teacher and later as a leader in the Church of 
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  President Packer's upbringing was modest to say the least---his 
father was a service station operator and his mother was a homemaker. 
Raised against the backdrop of the Great Depression, he learned from an 
early age never to take anything for granted, especially the freedoms 
we enjoy as Americans.
  President Packer would later defend those freedoms when he enlisted 
in the Army Air Corps during World War II. As a pilot serving in the 
Pacific Theater, President Packer flew dozens of dangerous missions and 
continued to serve after the war when he and his fellow soldiers worked 
to rebuild the shattered nation of Japan. Although President Packer 
dreamed of flying planes as a young boy, it was during his military 
service that he discovered his true life calling: to become a teacher.
  When he returned to the United States, President Packer pursued that 
goal through his studies, eventually earning a doctorate in education 
administration from Brigham Young University. He quickly distinguished 
himself as an LDS Seminary teacher and later became the chief 
supervisor over the Church's seminary programs and Institutes of 
Religion. When President Packer was just 45 years old, he became an 
apostle--a calling he would serve in and magnify until the day he died. 
Even as an apostle, President Packer still saw himself as a teacher, 
and he endeavored to expound truth in simple ways that all could 
understand. The candor and clarity of his teachings touched the hearts 
of millions, as did President Packer's genuine love for those he 
served.
  As a soldier and an educator, an administrator and an apostle, 
President Packer served in many different capacities throughout his 
life. But first and foremost, he served as a husband and a father. For 
President Packer, fatherhood was a sacred responsibility that took 
precedence over everything else. He was a father of 10, a grandfather 
of 60, and a great-grandfather of 103. Neither work nor church service 
could keep him from caring for those he loved most. President Packer 
always set aside time for his family, and at every opportunity, he 
sought to educate his children and instill in them the anchor of 
faith--the same enduring faith that inspired all who heard his 
teachings.
  President Packer's devotion to God was steady and unwavering, but 
just as sure and steadfast as his faith was his wife, Donna, his 
constant companion and able helpmeet who stood by his side for more 
than 67 years. In his final address to members of the LDS Church, 
President Packer expressed tender feelings for Donna:

       When it comes to my wife, the mother of our children, I am 
     without words. The feeling is so deep and the gratitude so 
     powerful that I am left almost without expression . . . I am 
     grateful for each moment I am with her side by side and for 
     the promise the Lord has given that there will be no end.

  I know Donna finds peace in that promise, and I pray that her family 
does too. May God's love might abide with them at this difficult time, 
and may His love be with all of us who mourn the passing of President 
Boyd K. Packer.

                          ____________________