In response to President Packer's address

I’d like to share a story about President Packer told to me by Lyle Shamo, former Managing Director of the Audiovisual Department of the Church, a man who had dealt personally with President Packer on several occasions. This story was told to me and several other institute students in a classroom setting. Because there is no official publication of the story, the reader must trust my version of it as it was told to me.

Brother Shamo, who was at the time he was a Managing Director was also a Stake President, was traveling with then Elder Packer to Provo. In the Church when somebody commits grievous sin, and they wish to repent, they are scheduled to meet with a disciplinary counsel, a meeting where Church leadership counsel with those who have committed serious sin in an effort to restore to that person complete healing through repentance, if they so desire.

Stake Presidents are part of this disciplinary counsel. While en route to Provo Elder Packer asked Brother Shamo if he had recently held any disciplinary counsels. Brother Shamo responded that in fact he had. The man with whom the counsel had recently met had committed such severe acts that he was, at the time, being held at the State Prison.

After speaking at length about the man, Elder Packer informed Brother Shamo that he had an assignment for him. Elder Packer wanted Brother Shamo to go to the prison, meet with the man, and give the message, “you can be clean again.”

Brother Shamo did go the prison as Elder Packer had instructed. Upon meeting with the man he informed him that he was on assignment from Elder Packer, and he had a message for him. He gave that message, “you can be clean again.” Brother Shamo recounts that he did not get the reaction that he had expected. The man at first seemed confused, even wroth. He replied, “Excuse me, what did you say?” Brother Shamo restated the message. The man sat silently until he put his hands in his face, and began to weep. This time he asked, “Please, say it again?” In time this man did repent, and his blessings were restored.

I think some people are upset because they suppose that President Packer condemned them as individuals. It is important to differentiate between condemning behavior, and condemning an individual. The scriptures provide ample illustration of the difference. To the woman taken in adultery the Savior said, “Neither do I condemn thee.” Certainly we cannot ascertain the Lord did not condemn the woman’s behavior, for said He, “Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery.” As the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament he wrote upon tablets of stone, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” The behavior is most definitely damning. And so if the woman did not repent, and change her behavior, she might at that great and judgment day be found unworthy before the Almighty. Yet, at that point she could still be clean again. Thus the Master sent her away with the admonition, “go, and sin no more.”

Who would deny that the Savior is a Being of perfect love? And yet, he did not tell the woman taken in adultery that he accepted her lifestyle choice. He loved her, as he loves us all. He wants us to come unto Him. “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” But to come unto him we must keep his commandments. He understood this, for from Him was it set fourth. His prophets from the beginning have understood this. And President Packer, a modern day prophet, understands this.

President Packer spoke plainly against sin. The words that he spoke, which so many have reviled against, were not intended to condemn, but to inspire repentance. Many would have preferred that he say “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.” Certainly it would have been easier for him to speak such flattering words. But he did not, he cannot. He is called of God to cry repentance. And that he did. He simply stated that life giving powers are to be “shared only and solely between man and woman, husband and wife, with that one who is our companion forever” He also states that the laws of God cannot be changed by battle, or by ballot, and that legalizing immorality will not make it not immoral. If one concurs that this is hate speech, they must also concur that words given on Mount Sinai are also such.

Some choose to be offended by President Packer’s words. That is not their purpose. They were not meant to inspire hate, persecution, bullying, high-mindedness, insult, or vilification. They were meant deprive any justification of sinful behavior, and convince any “confined in a prison of sin, guilt, or perversion” to come unto Christ, repent, be made whole, and be clean again. Hear the pleadings of a man of God when he asks during the same discourse, “Do you understand the consummate cleansing power of the Atonement made by the Son of God, our Savior, our Redeemer? He said, “I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.” This was the most important part of his message. Can the laws of God be altered to become congruent with the popular social ideas of the time?