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Allan F. Packer

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Allan Forrest Packer
Born (1948-07-07) July 7, 1948 (age 76)
Brigham City, Utah
Occupation(s)religious leader, businessman, and missionary

Allan Forrest Packer (born 7 July 1948 in Brigham City)[1][2] is an American religious leader, entrepreneur, and missionary. He served as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2008–2018). A descendant of Mormon pioneers, he is the son of Boyd K. Packer, a former President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Biography

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Origins and family

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Boyd K. Packer, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was the father of Allan Forrest Packer

Allan Packer is a descendant of Mormon pioneers on both his paternal and maternal sides. His family's connections to Brigham City date back to the early colonization of Utah.[3] His paternal great-great-grandfather, Jonathan Taylor Packer, was part of the second group of migrants to arrive in the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and settled in Brigham City in 1860.[3] His paternal great-grandmother, Christina Sundby Packer, ran a cooperative city store in Brigham City. On his mother's side, his great-grandfather, Rasmus Julius Smith, was one of the Danish immigrants who reached the Salt Lake Valley in 1854 and contributed to the construction of the Logan Utah Temple.[3]

Allan was born in Brigham City, Utah, to Boyd Kenneth Packer and Donna Edith Smith Packer.[4] His father served for many years in the highest ranks of the LDS church hierarchy, which deeply connected Allan’s family to church structures. In September 1961, Boyd K. Packer was appointed as an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.[5] In April 1970, he was sustained as a member of the Quorum.[6] On 5 June 1994, he became the acting president of the Quorum, later becoming its permanent president on 3 February 2008.[7] He held this role until his death on 3 July 2015. Like other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Boyd K. Packer was regarded as a prophet, seer, and revelator.[8]

Allan grew up in a large family with nine siblings.[9]

Education, professional career, and social activity

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Allan Packer studied electrical engineering at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1973.[1] His business career included positions at companies such as Boeing, Eaton-Kenway, and Auto Soft. He also served on the boards of O.C. Tanner, MyFamily.com, and iLumin.[1]

He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, holding various positions in the Great Salt Lake Council. For his contributions, he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award.[10] He also chaired the Little Cottonwood Creek Community Council.[11]

Church service

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Allan Packer served in various callings within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He completed a mission in the Andes Mission, which at the time covered Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.[12] In May 1970, he became a member of a ward at Brigham Young University and was soon ordained a high priest.[12] Subsequently, he served as a high councilor, bishop,[13] counselor in a stake presidency,[14] and president of the LDS mission based in Málaga, Spain.[1] He was also a member of the General Board of the Young Men organization affiliated with the church[15] and worked in the church's missionary department as a field representative.[16]

Membership in the general authorities

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Mormon temple in Brigham City, Allan F. Packer's hometown

On 5 April 2008, Allan F. Packer was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As such, in accordance with verse 25 of section 107 of the Doctrine and Covenants, he was regarded as a "special witness".[17] His responsibilities, following verses 34 and 38 of the same section, included assisting the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in building up the church and regulating all its affairs.[17][18]

He served as a General Authority Seventy until 6 October 2018, at which point he was granted emeritus status.[19][20] During his tenure, he was part of the area presidency overseeing the southern portion of South America,[21] serving as First Counselor starting in 2016.[22] He was also the executive director of the Church's Family History Department,[14][23] after previously holding the role of assistant executive director in the same department.[24] His appointment as a General Authority Seventy sparked discussions of nepotism within church leadership.[25]

As a General Authority, Allan Packer spoke during General Conferences, including in April 2009 and October 2014, when his father also addressed the congregation.[26][27] Family participation in such events is a common occurrence in Latter-day Saint culture.[28]

Packer emphasized the importance of temple work and genealogical research, framing them as integral to personal religious practice. He highlighted that family history efforts are not merely about documenting ancestry but should be viewed as essential components of worship, akin to sacrament meetings, prayer, and scripture study.[29] Drawing on the Doctrine and Covenants, he urged members to actively seek out and submit the names of ancestors for temple ordinances, linking this effort directly to exaltation – the ultimate goal of Latter-day Saint religious life.[29]

In a 2013 address at an annual conference on genealogy and family history, he explored the benefits of genealogical work, discussing doctrinal, personal, and societal aspects.[30] Speaking to Brigham Young University students in 2016, he encouraged them to maximize their mortal experience by developing skills, wisdom, courage, and confidence, aligning this potential with the divine nature of humanity and God's literal fatherhood.[31]

Personal life

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On 1 June 1970, Allan F. Packer married Terri Anne Bennett in the Salt Lake Temple.[32] The couple had eight children and 19 grandchildren.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Elder Allan F. Packer". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  2. ^ "Biography". www.byui.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19.
  3. ^ a b c Avant, Gerry (31 August 2012). "Rooted in heritage of Brigham City's pioneers". Church News. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  4. ^ "New mission presidents". Church News. 10 March 2001. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  5. ^ Walch, Tad (4 July 2015). "Timeline: President Boyd K. Packer". Deseret News. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  6. ^ Flake, Lawrence R. (2001). Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 505–508. ISBN 978-1-57345-797-2.
  7. ^ Thorne, Abby (27 October 2014). "The Quorum of the Twelve Before They Were Called: Boyd K. Packer". Third Hour. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  8. ^ Ludlow, Daniel H., ed. (1992). Encyclopedia of Mormonism: the history, scripture, doctrine, and procedure of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. New York: Macmillan. p. 1170. ISBN 978-0-02-904040-9.
  9. ^ "President Boyd K. Packer: The Artistry of an Apostle". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  10. ^ "Élder Allan F. Packer". noticias.laiglesiadejesucristo.org (in Spanish). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  11. ^ "Élder Allan F. Packer". www.churchofjesuschrist.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  12. ^ a b "Blessings outweigh the sacrifice". Church News. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  13. ^ "Starszy Allan F. Packer" [Elder Allan F. Packer]. www.churchofjesuschrist.org (in Polish). 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  14. ^ a b c "Élder Allan F. Packer". noticias.laiglesiadejesucristo.org (in Spanish). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  15. ^ Inostroza, Yamil (6 October 2018). "Sostenimiento y relevos de autoridades generales, varios de ellos ligados a América Latina" [Support and Succession of General Authorities, Many Linked to Latin America]. Faro a las Naciones (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  16. ^ "Called to Seventy". Church News. 12 April 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  17. ^ a b Millet, Robert L.; Olson, Camille Fronk; Skinner, Andrew C.; Top, Brent L. (2011). "Seventy". LDS Beliefs: A Doctrinal Reference. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. pp. 4056–4057, 4062–4063. ISBN 978-1-60908-059-4.
  18. ^ "General Authority Seventies". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  19. ^ "New General Authority Leadership Chart Released". templehousegallery.com. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  20. ^ "Leadership Changes Announced in General Conference". LDS Living. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  21. ^ "Allan F. Packer". BYU Speeches. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  22. ^ "Cambios en la Presidencia del Área Sudamérica Sur" [Changes in the Presidency of the South America South Area]. noticias.laiglesiadejesucristo.org (in Spanish). 20 July 2016. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  23. ^ Toone, Trent (8 August 2017). "Historic Contributions Small Part of President Boyd K. Packer's Family History Legacy". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  24. ^ "Allan Packer". byu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  25. ^ Spector, Jeff (21 April 2009). "Nepotism in the Church: 2009 Update". Mormon Matters. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  26. ^ "Allen F. Packer". scriptures.byu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  27. ^ "Alguma vez no passado um pai e um filho discursaram na mesma conferência geral?" [Has There Ever Been a Time in the Past When a Father and Son Spoke at the Same General Conference?]. maisfe.org (in Spanish). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  28. ^ Walch, Tad (5 October 2020). "12 things I learned about the church that I didn't know before general conference". Deseret News. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  29. ^ a b "Elder Allan F. Packer: 'The book'". Church News. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  30. ^ Prescott, Marianne Holman (3 August 2013). "Elder Allan F. Packer: 'Everyone can do something'". Church News. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  31. ^ Gillespie, Elizabeth (12 January 2016). "Elder Allan F. Packer speaks on life's divine quest". BYU Daily Universe. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  32. ^ "Allan F. Packer biography". Church News. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
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