Boyd K. Packer
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Image:Boyd k packer.jpg Boyd Kenneth Packer (born September 10, 1924 in Brigham City, Utah) has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1970.
When Howard W. Hunter, who had been President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, succeeded to the presidency of the church in 1994, he retained as his counselors in the First Presidency both Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson, the only two Apostles senior to Elder Packer, and accordingly Packer was named Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve. When President Hunter died in 1995 and was succeeded by Hinckley, Monson was again retained in the First Presidency and Packer again sustained Acting President of the Twelve. Conforming to the usual seniority-based succession pattern, the death of either President Hinckley or First Counselor Monson would make Packer the president of the Quorum of the Twelve, while if he should survive them both he would become president of the church.
A General Authority of the church since 1961, Packer is known for his powerful sermons. He stresses the divine inspiration of the organization of the church. He has been a frequent advocate of streamlining the scheduling imposed by church-related activities in order to permit members more time with their families. His addresses often emphasize living the gospel in its simplicity. Packer's conservative interpretation of Latter-day Saint doctrine, his emphasis on absolute loyalty to the church, and his alleged role in several high-profile excommunications (see September Six) have made him a figure who is much criticized, but nevertheless highly respected by a majority of membership in the church.
Packer's LDS General Conference address from October 1976 became one of the most well-known and distributed talks in the history of the church. Published as a pamphlet by the church for over 20 years, his counsel on morality affected a generation of young men in the church.