Boyd Kenneth Packer (1924-2015)

Biography
Boyd Kenneth Packer is one of the General Authorities of the LDS Church.

Early Life
President Packer was born September 10, 1924, in Brigham City, Utah. He served as a bomber pilot during World War II in the Pacific Theater with the United States Army Air Forces from 1942-1946.

An educator by profession, his career includes service as supervisor of seminaries and institutes of religion for the Church and as a member of the Administrative Council of Brigham Young University.

He studied at Weber College and subsequently received his bachelor of science and master of science degrees from Utah State University. He received a doctorate in educational administration from Brigham Young University.

President Packer was encouraged as a young boy to read, to study the world around him. His Danish mother spread newsprint on the floor where he would sprawl and draw. He considered becoming a professional artist. He eventually created beautiful paintings, both in oils or acrylics, and illustrated several books. He became an expert carver of wood, creating life-like birds perched on leaves and blossoms he sculpted from copper.

At age 21, when he was a bomber pilot during World War II stationed on an Okinawan island in 1945, he strolled a lonely beach, pondering his future. He decided to become a teacher. After the military, he enrolled at Weber College, now Weber State University, in Ogden, Utah. He next attended Utah State University in Logan, from which he graduated a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the national honorary scholastic society.

He married in 1947 to Donna Smith. She is an avid genealogist.

Service in LDS Church
President Boyd K. Packer, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was set apart to this position on February 3, 2008. Previously, he was Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles beginning June 5, 1994. Prior to becoming Acting President, he served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, having been ordained an Apostle on April 9, 1970. He earlier served for almost nine years as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

He served in the Pacific Theater of World War II with the United States Army Air Forces from 1942-1946.

An educator by profession, his career includes service as supervisor of seminaries and institutes of religion for the Church and as a member of the Administrative Council of Brigham Young University.

He studied at Weber College and subsequently received his bachelor of science and master of science degrees from Utah State University. He received a doctorate in educational administration from Brigham Young University.

President Packer was born September 10, 1924, in Brigham City, Utah. He served as a bomber pilot during World War II in the Pacific Theater.

President Packer served as president of the New England Mission. He is the author of a number of books and other published works. He is an artist, particularly of birds. He is married to the former Donna Smith. They are the parents of ten children.

Timeline

 * 1924-Sep-10 : Birth at Brigham City, UT
 * 1942-46 : World War II Service
 * 1947- : Married Donna Smith
 * 1961-Sep-30 : Called as Assistant to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles
 * 1962 : Doctorate in Educational Administration from BYU
 * 1965-68 : President of the New England States Mission.
 * 1970-Apr-09 : Called to Quorum of Twelve Apostles
 * 1994-Jun-05 : Called as Acting President of Quorum of Twelve Apostles
 * 2008-Feb-03 : Called as President of Quorum of Twelve Apostles