Editorial Note:
this blog piece introduces and comments on a few matters relating to a chapter
in my forthcoming book, I Know He Lives: How
13 Special Witnesses came to know Jesus Christ.
Some six
years ago, Elder David
A. Bednar gave an interview to a staff member in the office of the BYU
Religion Department’s Religious Educator
journal. It was all about the work and purpose of special witnesses of the name
of Jesus Christ in all the world; the work and testimony of the apostleship. In
this piece he mentioned the following conversation: “President Boyd K. Packer
and I were talking one day when he made a most helpful observation. He said the
longer one serves as a member of the Twelve, the weightier the mantle becomes
and the more overwhelmed you feel. I think this truth also applies to all
Church callings. The longer I serve, the more I see and understand the weight
of the calling. Consequently, the responsibility drives me to my knees and
requires me to rely upon heavenly help instead of the arm of flesh.”
President
Packer’s apostolic mantle found place upon his shoulders for over four decades,
and he bore it well. I recently listened to a talk by Elder Vaughn J.
Featherstone, now an emeritus member of the Seventy. He spoke of listening to a
very old man who had served in many local leadership capacities, and who had
known most of the General Authorities for many decades. This old man replied to
someone’s question about who among all those church leaders impressed him the most.
His answer was that they all impressed him, but that Elder Packer impressed him
as having a marvelously pure heart for one so young. He felt Elder Packer
evidenced a clean and pure mind and heart, with no guile.
