Boyd K. Packer, a Mormon leader who was president of the faith’s highest governing body, died July 3 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 90.
Church spokesman Eric Hawkins announced the death in a statement. The cause was not disclosed.
Mr. Packer was next in line to become president of the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was known for being a staunch advocate for a conservative form of Mormonism, making him an idol for like-minded, devout Latter-day Saints but also a target of frequent criticism from gay rights groups and more liberal Mormons.
He had been a member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since 1970, a group that serves under the church president, Thomas S. Monson, and his two counselors.
Mr. Packer was the second member of the quorum to die in recent months, after the death of L. Tom Perry in May.
Replacements for Mr. Packer and Perry will be chosen in the coming months by Monson, considered the religion's prophet.
Mr. Packer was born Sept. 10, 1924, in Brigham City, Utah, and was a bomber pilot during World War II. He earned an undergraduate degree from Utah State University and a master's in educational administration from Brigham Young University.
Mr. Packer spent most of his adult life working for the church and earned a reputation of being a tenacious advocate for his orthodox views on Mormonism, said Patrick Mason, chairman of the religion department and professor of Mormon studies at Claremont Graduate University in California.
He was known for having a major influence within the church hierarchy and bureaucracy, having mentored many church leaders and officials, Mason said.
Mr. Packer is remembered for giving a speech during 1993 in which he warned that the religion faced the greatest threat from three groups: feminists, homosexuals and intellectuals.
In 2010, he denounced homosexuality as unnatural and immoral, making him a target of gay-rights advocates.
The church credits Mr. Packer with being a key driver of the religion’s growth into a worldwide religion that counts 15 million members around the globe.