Boyd K. Packer

And today many say, “How silly! How could accepting Christ save me? They will not turn their heads to look nor incline their ears to hear. They ignore the great witness that comes from these conferences. We ought to, indeed we must, heed the counsel of these men, for the Lord said, “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  Conference Report, Oct. 1968

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“When are you old enough? Maturity may vary from individual to individual, but we are convinced that dating should not even begin until you are 16. And then, ideal dating is on a group basis. Stay in group activities; don’t pair off. Avoid steady dating. Steady dating is courtship, and surely the beginning of courtship ought to be delayed until you have emerged from your teens.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  “You’re in the Driver’s Seat,” New Era, June 2004, 8.

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“The reason we have not yet produced a greater heritage in art and literature and music and drama is not … because we have not had talented people. … Some have reached great heights in their chosen fields. But few have captured the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the restoration of it in music, in art, in literature. They have not, therefore, even though they were gifted, made a lasting contribution to the onrolling of the Church and kingdom of God in the dispensation of the fulness of times. … They have missed being what they might have become.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  “The Arts and the Spirit of the Lord,” Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Aug. 1976, 61.

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The work of the Lord has been moved by the members in the wards and stakes and branches who have been blessed with special gifts and who use them unselfishly. Because of what they do, we are able to feel and learn very quickly through music, through art, through poetry some spiritual things that we would otherwise learn very slowly. All of us are indebted to them for their generous service. I am humbly grateful to those who render such service in the Church.

Boyd K. Packer  |  “The Arts and the Spirit of the Lord,” Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Aug. 1976, 61.

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“I mentioned earlier that the greatest hymns and anthems have not been composed, nor have the greatest illustrations been set down, nor the poems written, nor the paintings finished. When they are produced, who will produce them? Will it be the most talented and the most highly trained among us? I rather think it will not. They will be produced by those who are the most inspired among us. Inspiration can come to those whose talents are barely adequate, and their contribution will be felt for generations; and the Church and kingdom of God will move forward just a little more easily because they have been here.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  “The Arts and the Spirit of the Lord,” That All May Be Edified (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982), 285.

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“LDS artists must earn inspiration, just as other artists have. . . . It doesn’t come just because artists are members of the LDS church, they still must work for it.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  “Art Is Uplifting,” 4

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“Once we accept the truth of the doctrine that we are the children of God, that realization changes us. Thereafter we cannot willingly injure another of transgress against him. That simple, profound doctrine has a very practical value. It brings a feeling of self-worth, of dignity, of self-respect. Then self-pity and depression fade away. When then can yield to self-discipline and to the discipline of a loving Father and accept even the very hard lessons of life. The gospel is good medicine.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  “Hope for Troubled Hearts”

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“The extension of mercy will not be automatic. It will be through covenant with Him. It will be on His terms, His generous terms.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  “The Mediator,” Ensign, May 1977, 56.

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“If you understand the great plan of happiness and follow it, what goes on in the world will not determine your happiness.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  "The Father and the Family," Ensign, May 1994

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“The earth did not come by chance nor by accident. It is the result of a creation that is based on purpose, on agency, on choice. It accords with laws which were in force long before the plan was every laid down. All of it has order; all of it was planned for us. The beauty and precision of the universe, the endless variety of plant and animal life­—all testify of a plan and a creator.”

Boyd K. Packer  |  The Earth Shall Teach Thee, 12.

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