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Truths Most Worth Knowing

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An Apostle's Witness is a rare and precious gift in today's world. And the testimony of President Boyd K. Packer, developed over the course of more than fifty years as a General Authority, is filled with wisdom and understanding.

"All knowledge is not necessarily of equal value," President Packer reminds us. In this timely book, he speaks of truths that "can be crucial to happiness as well as to exaltation." These are truths "most worth knowing," and they are essential to our progress in mortality and throughout eternity.

"The most important truth," writes President Packer, "is, of course, my witness of Jesus Christ." The stories, experiences, and principles he shares in this volume bear powerful witness of that greatest truth of all.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2015

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About the author

Boyd K. Packer

48 books45 followers
President Boyd K. Packer, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was set apart to this position on February 3, 2008. Previously, he was Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles beginning June 5, 1994. Prior to becoming Acting President, he served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, having been ordained an Apostle on April 9, 1970. He earlier served for almost nine years as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

An educator by profession, his career includes service as supervisor of seminaries and institutes of religion for the Church and as a member of the Administrative Council of Brigham Young University.

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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Heather.
1,229 reviews7 followers
October 24, 2015
What a wonderful book and compilation of final testimonies from President Boyd K. Packer! I loved this book. It is so sweet and focused and clear, helping point the way to truths that are most important. This is a collection of talks, but they are all very focused truly on vital principles, particularly the Atonement of Jesus Christ, as were all of President Packer’s talk, but this book seems to encapsulate so well the fundamentals. I am grateful for his witness and love for the Savior and felt closer to Him as I read, with a greater desire to learn and know for myself. Truly this is the truth most worth knowing!

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

“All knowledge is not necessarily of equal value….Some knowledge is beyond just being valuable. These truths can be crucial to happiness as well as to exaltation. Acting on these principles and truths is the only way to qualify for exaltation. An individual’s testimony and knowledge of the existence of Jesus Christ and His Atonement and great plan of happiness are of the greatest value to mankind (p. vii).”

“Like most things of great worth, knowledge that is of eternal value comes only through personal prayer and pondering. These, joined with fasting and scripture study, will invite impressions and revelations and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. This provides us with instruction from on high as we learn precept upon precept (p. 4).”

“I bear my witness that the Savior lives. I know the Lord. I am His witness. I know of His great sacrifice and eternal love for all of Heavenly Father’s children. I bear my special witness in all humility but with absolute certainty (p. 10).”

“‘The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it (Joseph Smith, p. 13).’”

“I cannot with composure tell you how I feel about the Atonement. It touches the deepest emotions of gratitude and obligation. My soul reaches after Him who wrought it—this Christ, our Savior, of whom I am a witness. I testify of Him. He is our Lord, our Redeemer, our Advocate with the Father. He ransomed us with His blood. Humbly I lay claim upon the Atonement of Christ. I find no shame in kneeling down in worship of our Father and His Son. For agency is mine, and this I choose to do (p. 23)!”

“A Mediator, a Redeemer, was chosen, one who would live His life perfectly, commit no sin, and offer ‘himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered’ (2 Nephi 2:7). (p. 30)”

“‘For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do’ (2 Nephi 32:5) (p. 54).”

“Pure intelligence can be spoken into the mind. The Holy Ghost communicates with our spirits through the mind more than through the physical senses (p. 65).”

“‘He must learn that we do not get everything we pray for just that easily.’ There was a lesson to be learned, but it was I who learned it, not my son. When I returned Sunday night, Bossy had ‘got to be all right.’ This process is not reserved for the prophets alone. The gift of the Holy Ghost operates equally with men, women, and even little children. It is within this wondrous gift and power that the spiritual remedy to any problem can be found (p. 66).”

“Do not expect to be free entirely from trouble and disappointment and pain and discouragement, for these are the things that we are sent to earth to endure. Someone wrote: ‘With thoughtless and impatient hands We tangle up the plans The Lord hath wrought. And when we cry in pain He saith, ‘Be quiet, man, while I untie the knot (p. 69).’”

“We do not ask that everyone in the Church be a scriptorian, but all of us should have a constant and continuous knowledge of the scriptures and the revelations. It should be ever growing (p. 73).”

“Darkness cannot persist in the presence of light. I do not know, and I do not know anybody who does know, how to put darkness into a room and make light vanish (p. 79).”

“The marvelous thing is that this light, this gift, operates with everyone one of us in our lives. The Lord has not required that all of us choose the same occupation or be the same size, weight, age, or anything else. Whosoever will come with a contrite spirit and a broken heart will receive the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 9:20) (p. 81).”

“The message that is most repeated in all of the revelations is said in many ways but always expressed simply, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive (p. 82).’”

“Go forward without fear. Do not fear the future. Do not fear whatever is ahead of you. Take hold of the supernal gift of the Holy Ghost. Learn to be taught by it. Learn to call upon it. Learn to live by it. And the Spirit of the Lord will attend you, and you will be blessed as it was intended that we should all be blessed by this gift (p. 85).”

“Our lives are really not our own. They are governed—and if we live as we should live, then we will be taken care of (p. 90).”

“‘You could warm your hands by the fire of his faith (p. 93).’”

“Make sure you learn the things that you are not taught overtly. If all you know is what you read or what you can hear, you will not know very much. Moments of reverence are so precious when you think and feel. That is why temples are so important. You can go to the temple and be out of the world (p. 94).”

”We know why we are here and where we are going (p. 103).”

“Nothing could deter them. They had then, as we have now, individual testimonies, witnesses of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ (p. 108).”

“If we are to be safe individually and as families, and secure as a church, it will be through ‘obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel’ (Articles of Faith 1:3) (p. 110).”

“It may seem puzzling, incredible almost beyond belief, that for the theme of this first celebration they chose patriotism and loyalty to that same government which had rejected and failed to assist them. What could they have been thinking of? If you can understand why, you will understand the power of the teachings of Christ (p. 113).”

“If you can understand a people so long-suffering, so tolerant, so forgiving, so Christian after what they had suffered, you will have unlocked the key to what a Latter-day Saint is. Rather than being consumed with revenge, they were anchored to revelation. Their course was set by the teachings still found today in the Old and the New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price (p. 116).”

“We will stay on course. We will anchor ourselves as families and as a Church to these principles and ordinances. ‘The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.’ Whatever tests lie ahead, and they will be many, we must remain faithful and true (p. 119).”

“When I was a young member of the Quorum of the Twelve, we walked from our weekly temple meetings back to our offices. I would linger behind and walk with Elder LeGrand Richards. He had been somewhat crippled in an accident in his youth and walked more slowly than the others. The other Brethren would say, ‘You are so kind to take care of Elder Richards,’ and I would answer, ‘You don’t know why I do it!’ As we walked, I listened. He could remember President Wilford Woodruff. He was twelve years old the last time he hear President Woodruff speak. Elder Richards was a link to that generation. I absorbed every work he spoke (p. 121).”

“The debtor had a friend. He came to help. He knew the debtor well. He knew him to be shortsighted. He thought him foolish to have gotten himself into such a predicament. Neverthless, he wanted to help because he loved him. He stepped between them as a mediator and made this offer to the creditor: ‘I will pay the debt if you will free the debtor from his contract so that he may keep his possessions and not go to prison (p. 125).’”

“Overcoming discouragement is part of the test. Do not give up (p. 127).”

“Through Him mercy can be fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law of justice. The extension of mercy will not be automatic. It will come through covenant with Him. It will be on His terms—His generous terms. To activate His mercy, we must repent (p. 128).”

“I learned the difference between saying prayers and praying, earnestly praying for health and strength and wisdom (p. 136).”

“‘The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power (Joseph Smith, p. 138).’”

“There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix. You have to decide. If you have made mistakes and you think you are broken and cannot be put together, you do not know the doctrine of the Church. You do not know what the Atonement was about and who the Lord is and what a power He is in your life (p. 150).”

“All the things that you need to know are in the Book of Mormon, which can be your iron rod as it has always been mine. Read it, and make it a part of your life. Then the criticism or mocking of the world, the mocking of those in the Church, will be of no concern to you as it is of no concern to us as Church leaders (see 1 Nephi 8:33). We just move forward doing the things that we are called to do and know that the Lord is guiding us (p. 162).”

“Learning is a basic purpose of life (p. 164).”

“Discovering how the Holy Ghost operates in your life is the quest of a lifetime. Once you have made that discovery for yourself, you can live in enemy territory and not be deceived or destroyed. No member of the Church—and that means each of you—will ever make a serious mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Holy Ghost (p. 167).”

“Do not allow the adversary to convince you that no one is listening on the other end. Your prayers are always heard. You are never alone (p. 170)!”

“‘Tell them to read the scriptures.’
‘Which scriptures?’
‘It really doesn’t matter. Tell them to open up the Book of Mormon, for instance, and begin to read. Soon the feeling of peace and inspiration will come, and a solution will present itself (p. 184).’”

“Stay on course and keep your covenants. Continue forward until the time when the Lord’s blessings will come to you and the Holy Ghost will be revealed as a moving force in your life (p. 187).”

“As Latter-day Saints, ‘We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.’ (2 Nephi 25:26) (p. 191).”

“The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world (p. 203).”

“A testimony does not burst upon us suddenly. Rather it grows, as Alma said, from a seed of faith (p. 213).”

“ ‘The problem with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ Then [Elder Harold B. Lee] quoted this verse from the Book of Mormon, ‘Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith’ (Ether 12:6). He added, ‘You must learn to walk a few steps ahead into the darkness, and then the light will turn on and go before you.’ This was a life-changing experience from one verse in the Book of Mormon (p. 214).”
Profile Image for Lewis Van Osdel.
145 reviews3 followers
July 7, 2016
This book covers a wide range of gospel topics, that President Packer has given as either conference talks, devotionals, firesides, or etc. Packer does a good job quoting scriptures throughout the book to illustrate his points plus quoting other church leaders as a second witness.

Personally I never found anything in the book to be earth shattering, but I think the book does a good job in reminding the reader about President Packer's views on specific gospel topics.

I did learn a few things about President Packer's life from reading this book, and it did a good job in helping me see for example the Word of Wisdom in a different light. President Packer used his health struggles with childhood polio as example that the Word of Wisdom was given to be a protection to him and other people with weak physical bodies.

My only real criticism of the book was the lack of any real humor or use of humorous anecdotes. Personally I was surprise about this was fact that President Packer mentioned the importance of using humor when you are teaching in Teach Ye Diligently plus President Packer routinely using some humorous stories in many general conference addresses over the years.
Profile Image for Regan.
117 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2016
This was a compilation of talks primarily from general conference but a few from other settings - BYU, firesides, etc. That is to say there were no surprises in the content. He has a particular style that no one else seems to come close to. He often seems to drop stories into talks without necessarily setting them up or pulling out a particular point. In his writings it becomes clear that he has great respect for the diligent, reliable Latter-day Saint and trusts in a consistent discipleship over dramatic acts. In a few different spots he preaches on the power of the scriptures - how just opening them on a regular basis can be a profound blessing in life (even if the link to the benefit isn't always clear).
5 reviews
September 12, 2015
Boyd K. Packer served in the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for over 50 years. He died earlier this year, leaving behind a tremendous body of work, in both the written and spoken word. I always appreciated his direct and plainspoken style. His love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, were worthy of emulation.

Here in Truths Most Worth Knowing is a collection of Packer's sermons delivered in the later years of his life. They are a great source of comfort and inspiration.

Check out my book reviews and blog at blog at www.ricksreads.com.


Profile Image for Regan Steed.
2 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2016
It's hard to say too much more about this than it's pretty straight-forward Boyd K. Packer. All the chapters are either general conference addresses or BYU / CES type talks. He has a very particular style with which he writes and the stories he shares. He achieved a clarity in his understanding of righteousness that is exemplary. If I were to say one thought that came up a few times in various chapters was his belief in the scriptures - such that simply regularly exposing ourselves to them will be a blessing in our lives.
Profile Image for Shauna.
975 reviews23 followers
October 13, 2015
What a precious gift we have in this book--especially in light of President Packer's recent passing.

So much inspiration and light from a disciple who knew.

Beautiful memes throughout make this a wonderful book not only to read, but to look at, and ponder.

Messages of hope and encouragement fill this book in hopes of filling your heart.

Hear his voice and feel of his love each time you pick up this book.
Within these pages his testimony will live on--
Profile Image for Rachel.
611 reviews15 followers
December 2, 2015
This is a book of talks that President Boyd K. Packer has written over the years. I gobbled this book up in about a week, taking notes on post it notes, and filling my mind/thoughts with many things to ponder and think about.

I borrowed the book from my Dad. It is one I'll be buying and putting in my home library because it is one I'll want to reference again and one I'd like my family to read.
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