Defense of Boyd K. Packer
This is in defense of an honorable man of integrity, honesty, virtue, and devotion. Independent of your beliefs, a man to whom one could look for wisdom and example, President Boyd K. Packer, Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As is the pattern, it seems, the good is misrepresented and attacked on grounds of misinterpretation, so too on Wednesday, October 27 an article was submitted into the Statesman slanderously attacking President Packer. In it was mentioned Packer’s statement involving diversity. What does it mean to be diverse? Well, what does it mean to be different? “I am already diverse, and I intend to stay diverse,” suggested Packer. President Packer’s point in this statement was to say that we, as a church body, add to the world’s diversity and so we do not need to change in order to be diverse, already we are contributors to diversity. These were words of encouragement to the faithful followers who may find themselves morally alone. His declaration only approaches one’s moral standards, thus encompassing the “intellectual diversity of [the church’s] makeup.” Independent of where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints may find itself, it teaches the same doctrine, encourages the same principles, and promotes the same decency. Its believers then consider anyone who may renounce these positions of doctrine, to be apostatized. Of course, one who believes one’s own doctrine must ultimately admit any adversary to that belief must be wrong. No two truths can co-exist in direct contradiction, one with the other, just as light and darkness cannot simultaneously occupy the same space. Either one is true or the other. However, as President Packer made clear, “[other churches] have their form of godliness and their goodness and values.” His was a plain pronouncement of respect for other religions. Do not wrest the words of such a man. Jason Lloyd ID#519178201435-753-3415