Boyd K. Packer

“You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it. However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are a child of God!”

“To Young Women and Men,” Ensign, May 1989, 54.

— Boyd K. Packer

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

“The Mediator,” Ensign, May 1977, 56.

— Boyd K. Packer

“Put difficult questions in the back of your minds and go about your lives. Ponder and pray quietly and persistently about them. The answer may not come as a lightning bolt. It may come as a little inspiration here and a little there, “line upon line, precept upon precept” (D&C 98:12). Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration. The promptings will be clear and unmistakable.”

“Prayers and Answers,” Ensign, November 1979, p. 21

— Boyd K. Packer

“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.”

“Art Is Uplifting,” 4

— Boyd K. Packer

“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.”

“Hope for Troubled Hearts”

— Boyd K. Packer

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

"The Father and the Family," Ensign, May 1994

— Boyd K. Packer

“The Devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine showing that he would prefer a swine’s body to having none.” – Joseph Smith, Words of Joseph Smith, 60. “The adversary is jealous toward all who have the power to beget life. He cannot beget life; he is impotent. He and those who followed him were cast out and forfeited the right to a mortal body.”

“Our Mortal Environment,” Ensign, May 1992, 66

— Boyd K. Packer

“People write asking what is the position of the Church on the Word of Wisdom, for instance, on soft drinks or something. And we think, “Why do they have to ask?” It is a principle, and you have the freedom to do as you will. You do not have to be commanded in all things. Without having to have the Church deliver a statement on it, you should know what the Lord’s position is on abortion or cloning or same-gender marriage or birth control. All of those things are built in as a part of what we know and what we are. “We are about the only ones left in the world who hold to these standards. When we look around, we cannot find any organization that is holding to the standards. We do not like to talk about the other churches, but we are going to stand alone. If so, there we will stand.”

“The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” CES Fireside for Young Adults, February 2, 2003, p. 7

— Boyd K. Packer

“The old saying ‘The Lord is voting for me, and Lucifer is voting against me, but it is my vote that counts’ describes a doctrinal certainty that our agency is more powerful than the adversary’s will. Agency is precious. We can foolishly, blindly give it away, but it cannot be forcibly taken from us. “There is also an age-old excuse: ‘The devil made me do it.’ Not so! He can deceive you and mislead you, but he does not have the power to force you or anyone else to transgress or to keep you in transgression.”

“Cleansing the Inner Vessel”

— Boyd K. Packer

“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.”

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

— Boyd K. Packer

“Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit. Reverence invites revelation.”

— Boyd K. Packer

There is a recurring theme in the revelations having to do with learning. And, from the beginning, Church leaders have counseled us to get all of the education we can as a preparation for and as an improvement of our careers. For example: “Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118)

The Gospel—The Foundation for Our Career

— Boyd K. Packer

“There are few things more powerful than the faithful prayers of a righteous mother.”

These Things I Know

— Boyd K. Packer

“The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times, ‘Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth’ (1 Sam. 3:10.)”

“The Candle of the Lord,” Tambuli, July 1983, 30-31; Ensign, Jan. 1983, 53)

— Boyd K. Packer

“We owe an immense debt to the protesters and the reformers who preserved the scriptures and translated them. They knew something had been lost. They kept the flame alive as best they could. Many of them were martyrs.”

Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, April 2000,

— Boyd K. Packer

“Forgiveness is powerful spiritual medicine. To extend forgiveness, that soothing balm, to those who have offended you is to heal. And, more difficult yet, when the need is there, forgive yourself!”

— Boyd K. Packer

“There is one thought that must come at the very beginning of a discussion on occupations and careers in order to establish it as preeminent, and it is this: Do not ever belittle anyone, including yourself, nor count them, or you, a failure, if your livelihood has been modest. Do not ever look down on those who labor in occupations of lower income. There is great dignity and worth in any honest occupation. Do not use the word menial for any labor that improves the world or the people who live in it.”

The Gospel—The Foundation for Our Career

— Boyd K. Packer

While we cannot build schools for everyone, there is a most important contribution the Church can make to our careers, one that is central to the mission of the Church. And that is to teach moral and spiritual values. There are ordinary virtues which influence our careers even more than technical training; among them are these: Integrity. Dependability. Courtesy. Respect for others. Respect for property.

The Gospel—The Foundation for Our Career

— 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.”

Conference Report, Oct. 1968

— Boyd K. Packer

“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.”

The Earth Shall Teach Thee, 12.

— Boyd K. Packer

“Genealogical work has, I fear, sometimes been made to appear too difficult, too involved, and too time-consuming to really be inviting to the average high priest.”

— Boyd K. Packer

“I have come to know that faith is a real power, not just an expression of belief.”

These Things I Know, April 2013 General Conference

— Boyd K. Packer

“Do not ever disturb prelude music for others, for reverence is essential to revelation”

Ensign, November 1994, page 61.

— Boyd K. Packer

“Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness”

“Faith.” Improvement Era (Nov 1968) 71:60–63.

— Boyd K. Packer