Allan F. Packer

Last updated
Allan Forrest Packer
Born (1948-07-07) July 7, 1948 (age 76)
Brigham City, Utah
Occupation(s)Religious leader, businessman

Allan Forrest Packer (born 7 July 1948) [1] [2] is an American religious leader and entrepreneur. He is a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A descendant of Mormon pioneers, he is the son of Boyd K. Packer, a former president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Contents

Biography

Origins and family

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 settlement 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] Allan grew up in a large family with nine siblings. [5] His father served for many years in the highest ranks of the LDS Church, which deeply connected Allan’s family to church structures.

Education, professional career, and social activity

Allan Packer studied electrical engineering at Brigham Young University (BYU), 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. [6] He also chaired the Little Cottonwood Creek Community Council. [7]

LDS Church service

Allan Packer served in various callings within the LDS Church. He served as a missionary in the Andes Mission, which at the time covered Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. [8] He served as a high councilor, bishop, [9] counselor in a stake presidency, [10] and as president of the church's Spain Málaga Mission. [1] He was also a member of the Young Men General Board, [11] and worked in the church's missionary department as a field representative. [12]

General Authority

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

On 5 April 2008, Packer was sustained as an LDS Church general authority. His calling as a general authority created discussions of nepotism within church leadership. [13] During his tenure, he was part of the presidency of the church's South America South Area, [14] serving as first counselor starting in 2016. [15] He was also the both an assistant executive director and then executive director of the church's Family History Department. [10] [16] [17]

Packer spoke during twice during general conferences, April 2009 and October 2014. [18] [19] He 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. [20] 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. [20]

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. [21] Speaking to BYU 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. [22]

Personal life

On 1 June 1970, Allan F. Packer married Terri Anne Bennett in the Salt Lake Temple. [23] They are the parents of eight children. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallin H. Oaks</span> Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Dallin Harris Oaks is an American religious leader and former jurist and academic who since 2018 has been the first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called as a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984. Currently, he is the second most senior apostle by years of service and is the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boyd K. Packer</span> American religious leader (1924–2015)

Boyd Kenneth Packer was an American religious leader and educator who served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2008 until his death. He also served as the quorum's acting president from 1994 to 2008 and was an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1970 until his death. He served as a general authority of the church from 1961 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey R. Holland</span> American educator and religious leader (born 1940)

Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth president of Brigham Young University (BYU) and is the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the third most senior apostle in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell M. Nelson</span> President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (born 1924)

Russell Marion Nelson Sr. is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson was a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly 34 years, and was the quorum president from 2015 to 2018. As church president, Nelson is recognized by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. George Utah Temple</span> Latter-day Saint Temple in St. George, Utah

The St. George Utah Temple, formerly known as the St. George Temple, is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in St. George, Utah. Completed in 1877, it was the third temple constructed by the church and the first in Utah, following the westward migration of Mormon pioneers from Nauvoo, Illinois, after the death of church founder Joseph Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span>

The basic beliefs and traditions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a cultural impact that distinguishes church members, practices and activities. The culture is geographically concentrated in the Mormon Corridor in the United States, and is present to a lesser extent in many places of the world where Latter-day Saints live.

Below is a chronological list of temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In the LDS Church, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time, and then each is dedicated as a "House of the Lord," after which only members with a current temple recommend are permitted to enter. Thus, they are not churches or meetinghouses, but rather specialized places of worship. The LDS Church has 367 temples in various phases, which includes 202 dedicated temples, 3 scheduled for dedication, 51 under construction, 2 scheduled for groundbreaking, and 112 others announced. Within temples, members of the LDS Church make covenants, receive instructions, and perform rituals and ordinances. Additionally, members consider the temple a place to commune with God, seek God's aid, understand God's will, and receive personal revelation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church Historian and Recorder</span> Priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Church Historian and Recorder is a priesthood calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities. His office gathers history sources and preserves records, ordinances, minutes, revelations, procedures, and other documents. The Church Historian and Recorder also chairs the Historic Sites Committee and Records Management Committee, and may act as an authoritative voice of the church in historical matters.

Jay Edwin Jensen has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1992. He served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from 2008 to 2012. Jensen was designated an emeritus general authority in the October 2012 general conference.

Richard Olsen Cowan is a historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a former professor in the Church History Department of Brigham Young University (BYU). He was one of the longest-serving BYU faculty and the longest-serving member of the Church History Department ever.

Daniel Hansen Ludlow was a professor of religion at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. He was also the chief editor of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992 by Macmillan.

Noel Beldon Reynolds is an American political scientist and an emeritus professor of political science at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he has also served as an associate academic vice president and as director for the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS). He was a member of the BYU faculty from 1971 to 2011. He has also written widely on the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which he is a member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Utah. Utah has more church members than any other U.S. state or country. The LDS Church is also the largest denomination in Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C.</span>

In 2001, there were 1,073 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C. It has since grown to 3,168 members in 4 congregations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerrit W. Gong</span> Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent

Gerrit Walter Gong is an American academic administrator and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been a general authority since 2010 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as assistant to the president of Brigham Young University (BYU) for planning and assessment. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Gong is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the thirteenth most senior apostle in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Russia</span> Presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Russia

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a presence in Russia before the rise of the USSR, with the first baptisms occurring in 1895. Preliminary missionary efforts began before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the Russian government officially recognized the church in 1991. Membership increased in the 1990s and early 2000s. Missionary efforts were impacted by the 2016 Yarovaya law, which prohibited proselytizing outside of official church property. Current membership statistics are not available for Russia, but the church reported 19,946 members in 2009. As of February 2023, there were three stakes and three missions in Russia. In 2018, Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple would be constructed in a major city in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual orientation change efforts and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span>

Because of its ban against same-sex sexual activity and same-sex marriage the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a long history of teaching that its adherents who are attracted to the same sex can and should attempt to alter their feelings through righteous striving and sexual orientation change efforts. Reparative therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual, or their gender identity from transgender to cisgender using psychological, physical, or spiritual interventions. There is no reliable evidence that such practices can alter sexual orientation or gender identity, and many medical institutions warn that conversion therapy is ineffective and potentially harmful.

This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 1980s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although the historical record is often scarce, evidence points to queer individuals having existed in the Mormon community since its beginnings. However, top LDS leaders only started regularly addressing queer topics in public in the late 1950s. Since 1970, the LDS Church has had at least one official publication or speech from a high-ranking leader referencing LGBT topics every year, and a greater number of LGBT Mormon and former Mormon individuals have received media coverage.

This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 1990s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although the historical record is often scarce, evidence points to queer individuals having existed in the Mormon community since its beginnings. However, top LDS leaders only started regularly addressing queer topics in public in the late 1950s. Since 1970, the LDS Church has had at least one official publication or speech from a high-ranking leader referencing LGBT topics every year, and a greater number of LGBT Mormon and former Mormon individuals have received media coverage.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "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. 1 2 3 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. ↑ "President Boyd K. Packer: The Artistry of an Apostle". newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  6. ↑ "Élder Allan F. Packer". noticias.laiglesiadejesucristo.org (in Spanish). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  7. ↑ "Élder Allan F. Packer". www.churchofjesuschrist.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  8. ↑ "Blessings outweigh the sacrifice". Church News. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  9. ↑ "Starszy Allan F. Packer" [Elder Allan F. Packer]. www.churchofjesuschrist.org (in Polish). 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  10. 1 2 3 "Élder Allan F. Packer". noticias.laiglesiadejesucristo.org (in Spanish). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "Called to Seventy". Church News. 12 April 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  13. ↑ Spector, Jeff (21 April 2009). "Nepotism in the Church: 2009 Update". Mormon Matters. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  14. ↑ "Allan F. Packer". BYU Speeches. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  15. ↑ "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.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ "Allan Packer". byu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  18. ↑ "Allen F. Packer". scriptures.byu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. 1 2 "Elder Allan F. Packer: 'The book'". Church News. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  21. ↑ Prescott, Marianne Holman (3 August 2013). "Elder Allan F. Packer: 'Everyone can do something'". Church News. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  22. ↑ Gillespie, Elizabeth (12 January 2016). "Elder Allan F. Packer speaks on life's divine quest". BYU Daily Universe. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  23. ↑ "Allan F. Packer biography". Church News. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.