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Chapter Twenty-Six a Watchman on the Tower

In the introduction and throughout this biography of President Boyd K. Packer we have seen him as one of the Lord's watchmen on the tower, working and bearing witness with his brethren in the ministry. This concluding chapter will focus on those traits and attitudes which, though partially shared by the others, are more uniquely his own.

The Lord's watchmen on the tower have consistently counseled Church members to read the scriptures daily so that they might know the word of the Lord for themselves; and not only to read them, but to "liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning" (1 Ne. 19:23).

From young manhood Boyd K. Packer has followed this counsel and has mined the scriptures for their hidden treasures until they are an integral part of him. In the process he has taken on attributes of certain of the prophets whose lives are recorded therein. But most particularly, through his intensive study of the life, teachings, and teaching methods of the Savior, Brother Packer's own teaching has come to reflect his personal knowledge and spiritual comprehension of the Lord Jesus Christ. This has been the desire of his life, of which he said:

I determined that among all the gifts that might make one useful to the Lord the gift to teach by the Spirit would be supreme. I came to find that if one desired it, asked for it, prayed for it, studied, pondered, and earned it, and believed with sufficient faith that he could possess it, the gift would not be withheld from him.

Accordingly I turned to the New Testament to "associate" with and learn from the Lord, who as a teacher is the ideal.… It was a most enlightening experience to "walk" with Jesus and "observe" Him teach. Thereafter, I began with all diligence to pattern my teaching efforts after Him. Through this association I came to know Him-Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father-and that He lives.1

With this personal knowledge of the Master Teacher, Brother Packer has been a student of the Lord's teaching techniques, attempting never to teach except as guided by the Spirit. In doing so, he gives full credit to those other watchmen from whom he has learned, saying, "Most of what I know about the ministry that is really worth knowing, I learned by reading about the Brethren of the past and watching the Brethren I have known since I came as a very young man into the circle of General Authorities over thirty years ago."

Continuing, he adds: "Now, there is a certain loneliness that comes with the realization that most of them are gone. There is no longer the security of talking something over with President Joseph Fielding Smith, whose father was the son of Hyrum, brother of the Prophet Joseph; or with LeGrand Richards, who could remember Wilford Woodruff; or with Joseph Anderson, who came to this building as a replacement for Brother Gibbs who was hired by Brigham Young."