President Packer looks forward on 85th birthday

Upon being congratulated on his 85th birthday, President Boyd K. Packer gave a quick response typical of his sense of humor: "I had nothing to do with it. You just wait, and it happens."President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he spent his milestone birthday in his office. Later, he and his wife, Donna Packer, spent what he described as "a pleasant evening" with members of their family, which includes 10 children, 60 grandchildren and 63 great-grandchildren.

"We need every one of them," he said of their offspring. "They're very precious to us. We've had four marriages this summer. So it goes on and on."

President Packer said a friend told him, "If you keep having birthdays, it's going to make you old."

In an interview with the Church News, the Mormon apostle said: "I don't feel old. I know my body is old, but I don't feel mentally old. I can feel a few things are wearing out a bit, but basically, my memory is sharp."

He pointed out that he was the 10th of 11 children in his family, and now with a large family of his own, he has "always lived in constant association with people."

Asked if he had ever envisioned reaching the age of 85, especially as he faced serious childhood illness and a bout with polio, he said: "No, I've been preoccupied with what is, what I was trying to do. I did as fine as I could with the work before me. In the course of it, I learned to work hard. I love to work, outside and in. I can't do much now, which I regret."

Much of the work he has enjoyed over the years has been on his home and property. President and Sister Packer have lived in the same home for about 50 years. He described the property as something no one seemed to have wanted back when they purchased it. Today, visitors can't help but admire their home and its surrounding grounds. President Packer pointed out, however, that the look of today came about through half a century of work, bit by bit.

See the full story on ldschurchnews.com.

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This story is provided by the LDS Church News, an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is produced weekly by the Deseret News.