I learned in church today

[Scorcho]

in Priesthood Meeting last week one of the new Elders told a story about Elder Packard.

Apparently Elder Packard was about to speak to a congregation in Bountiful, UT. Typically, a few of the rows right up front were vacant. Elder Packard asked if people would move forward. A couple of people moved forward, but apparently not enough. Because only a few people moved, Elder Packard looked around, shut his scriptures, told the congregation they weren't prepared to hear his message and left the building.

Sounds a little fishy to me.

[Donuthole]

in Priesthood Meeting last week one of the new Elders told a story about Elder Packard.

Apparently Elder Packard was about to speak to a congregation in Bountiful, UT. Typically, a few of the rows right up front were vacant. Elder Packard asked if people would move forward. A couple of people moved forward, but apparently not enough. Because only a few people moved, Elder Packard looked around, shut his scriptures, told the congregation they weren't prepared to hear his message and left the building.

Sounds a little fishy to me.

I agree, it does sound fishy. Was Elder Packard some righteously-indignant missionary serving in the stake?

[snowcat]

I agree, it does sound fishy. Was Elder Packard some righteously-indignant missionary serving in the stake?

There must be more to the story. I bet he saw something like this:

[Scorcho]

I agree, it does sound fishy. Was Elder Packard some righteously-indignant missionary serving in the stake?

1) I would think that any message delivered by Elder Packard in Bountiful would be a completetly full house and there wouldn't be any empty seats.

2) Based on this new Elders introduction in opening exercises, I sensed he was trying to instantly build some LDS Street Cred, and may have imbellished this story a little or a lot.

3) No time frame was given to this story, so it's possible that this happened when Elder Packard was 24 and serving as the Bountiful 4th Ward Ward Magazine Subscription guy.

This just seems like one of those word of mouth fables to further the scary ornery image of Elder Packard, while simultanouesly guilting people to sit up front.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Who is this Elder Packard? Sounds like a real hardliner.

[Donuthole]

Who is this Elder Packard? Sounds like a real hardliner.

Exactly.

[byu71]

This just seems like one of those word of mouth fables to further the scary ornery image of Elder Packard, while simultanouesly guilting people to sit up front.

When it comes to Elder Packard it could be some guy exhagerating to show how unyielding and compassionate Elder P. is or it could be some guy in awe of the brethern, like Elder P., who don't give a crap about the members and their feelings and need to be taught correct priniciples.

[Scorcho]

dumbasses, he's next in line should Thomas S. Monsoon get called home.


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PACKER!

[byu71]

dumbasses, he's next in line should Thomas S. Monsoon get called home.


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PACKER!

Listen dumbass. Everyone knows who I meant, but no one can go to my Bishop and say I was belittling the brethern.

[Scorcho]

don't mess with my knowledge of The Brethren, I can easily name 8 out of 15 without looking.

[HBCoug]

Technically ... ... he's President Packer because he's the acting President of the Qo12

[Joe Public]

Technically ... ... he's President Packer because he's the acting President of the Qo12

FIFY

[Sullyute]

Technically ... ... he's President Packer because he's the acting President of the Qo12

Not to burst your bubble, but Packer is the President of the Q12, not the acting president.

Edit: Joe Public beat me to it.

[Joe Public]

in Priesthood Meeting last week one of the new Elders told a story about Elder Packard.

Apparently Elder Packard was about to speak to a congregation in Bountiful, UT. Typically, a few of the rows right up front were vacant. Elder Packard asked if people would move forward. A couple of people moved forward, but apparently not enough. Because only a few people moved, Elder Packard looked around, shut his scriptures, told the congregation they weren't prepared to hear his message and left the building.

Sounds a little fishy to me.

During one of my sojourns in Utah, a counselor in my stake presidency was a former AP to President Packer when President Packer was a mission president. They maintained their relationship afterwards, and that counselor frequently related things he heard from President Packer.

One such story was similar to the one you heard. President Packer first mentioned a stake conference he attended in Latin America. He talked about people walking for hours without shoes to attend the meeting. They all arrived 30 minutes early, sang hymns, then sat reverently and waited for the meeting to begin. According to this counselor, President Packer said he was able to start the meeting ten minutes early because everyone was in their seats and quiet. He said President Packer told him he was going to teach them at "this level" (he held his hand at shoulder height), but he was able to teach them at "this level" (hand at top-of-head height) because they were "prepared" (he used that exact word).

President Packer then mentioned attending a meeting in Utah. Ten minutes before the meeting started, hardly anyone was seated, it was noisy from conversation, and people finally sat and were quiet after the person conducting the meeting stood at the pulpit. People trickled into seats for the next ten to fifteen minutes. President Packer told the counselor that he had planned to teach at "this level" (hand at shoulder height), but, because the members were not "prepared" (again, the exact word used by the counselor), he adjusted his message to teach them at "this level" (hand at waist height).

I wonder if the story you heard is a derivation of that story.

1) I would think that any message delivered by Elder Packard in Bountiful would be a completetly full house and there wouldn't be any empty seats.

Sometimes those visits aren't announced. During that same time in Utah, Elder Oaks visited our ward unannounced one morning. He said the apostles, when not out of town, basically randomly pick a place between Ogden and Payson and attend different wards to see how things are at the ground level, so to speak.

[Sullyute]

Sometimes those visits aren't announced. During that same time in Utah, Elder Oaks visited our ward unannounced one morning. He said the apostles, when not out of town, basically randomly pick a place between Ogden and Payson and attend different wards to see how things are at the ground level, so to speak.

Sounds a little fishy to me.