"Like a ship without a compass, society drifts from the family values which anchored us in the past," President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Council of the Twelve, told guests and diplomats at the 1995 BYU Management Society Dinner March 18.

Addressing a capacity crowd of 1,300 people - including ambassadors and members of the diplomatic community from 26 nations - who gathered in a hotel ballroom near the nation's capitol, President Packer said: "We are caught in a current of moral pollution so strong that unless we correct our course, civilization, as we know it, will surely be wrecked to pieces. The standards of the world are constantly adjusted to what is. The standards of the Church are fixed on what ought to be."In speaking of areas of commonality with the diplomats, President Packer noted: "I must confess to you that I belong to a family of ambassadors. Seven sons, three sons-in-law, and four grandsons have or are now serving missions as ambassadors to the world."

He explained that at family gatherings the blessing on the food is in "missionary language." He said, "The prayer might begin, `Nuestro Padre Celestial' from one of our Spanish speakers; or, `Ten no Otosama' from our son who served in Japan; or perhaps, `Unser Vater im Himmel' from our grandson who served in Dresden."

Prior to the dinner, the ambassadors and their spouses met with President Packer and his wife, Donna, and others at a reception.

Beverly Campbell, Director of International Affairs for the Church in Washington, D.C., and host of the Diplomatic Reception, explained: "We invite the emissaries of nations to this dinner so that they may have the opportunity to hear the words and feel the spirit of an apostle of the Lord. This also allows them to see and come to know numerous members of the LDS community. These diplomats are then better able to respond positively when assisting with challenges the Church might face in their respective countries."

Ralph Hardy, chairman of the Washington D.C. Chapter of the BYU Management Society, explained the purpose of the society: "It is set up to assist its members in developing closer associations for greater professional, government, business and community contributions. We do this by hosting seminars, carrying out service activities, and by increasing business and community leadership in the Washington, D.C., area."

President Packer joined members of the BYU Management Society at a reception held in his honor before meeting with the ambassadors.

Management society members expressed their joy in hearing an apostle of the Lord. One member remarked: "President Packer was very straightforward and strong in his statements. I feel proud to be a member of this Church. It was good to hear of the contributions of our Church `communities' around the world."