I was caught totally off guard this evening when I found out that President Hinckley died tonight at about 7:00 MST. Right now news sources are swamped and no news page will connect...they all time out. It is such a shock! I didn't expect President Hinckley to live forever in this mortal life but I devoutly wish'd he could have.
I loved President Hinckley, and I'm not ashamed to say it proudly. I know that he was a Prophet of God here upon the earth, and I sustain him. He did so many great things! He built over half the temples now existing upon the earth. At general conference sometimes my family would get a bit lax and a bit too relaxed, and maybe even sleep. However, at the end of every session when he would speak, at some unspoken feeling/prompt, we would all sit up and listen attentively to the words that our beloved prophet had to say. He was so powerful in the Spirit. You could just feel that what he said was true. I will always have a significant attachment to this great man, who in my opinion was as close to perfect as anybody could ever wish to be in this life.
I cannot convey my lachrymose thoughts. I can only hope to tell I have much sadness, and doubtless as this tremendous event sinks in more I will have even more. However, I have faith that the church will go on, and the next President (presumably President Monson), will be inspired as well. I trust that the Lord is doing what is best for his church on the earth right now in these trying times. I trust that the Lord is directing this church, and I know that everything will be alright, and that I will be able to meet President Hinckley after I die. I never got to fulfill that great dream of mine to shake his hand or even see him in person just once, but I know I can later.
Perhaps my favorite addresses of his came in the general Priesthood sessions. I particularly enjoyed his enjoining the church to read the Book of Mormon in the year of '06. It was from this reading that I gained the strongest testimony of the Book of Mormon, and in turn, the church, that I have ever had. I know that book is the word of God.
Here is the original news article, quoted from the Deseret News at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695247765,00.html
President Gordon B. Hinckley dies at age 97
Published: Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 8:08 p.m. MST
President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through explosive growth during his more than 12 years as president, died at 7 p.m. today of causes incident to age, surrounded by family. He was 97.
He traveled the world during his tenure, which was marked by a number of significant milestones, including the "Proclamation to the World on the Family," construction of dozens of small temples and the creation of several new quorums of the Seventy. He called for increased fellowshipping of new converts and reaching out to other faiths. Church membership has grown from 9 million to more than 13 million members during his administration.
His ministry was characterized by a strong desire to be out among the people. He traveled more than half a million miles and spoke to hundreds of thousands of members in more than 60 nations, employing his mastery of electronic media to bring unprecedented press attention to the church.
Under his leadership, the 21,000-seat Conference Center, north of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, was built and dedicated, and the portion of Main Street between Temple Square and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building was turned into a plaza. Online computer access to church information as well as online and CD access to family history resources grew exponentially.
A young man of 25 and just home from his mission when he went to work for the church in 1935, he remained an employee, administrator and general authority for almost seven decades, an eyewitness — and key contributor — to what he called, with the approach of the 21st century, "a great season in the history of the world and a great season in the history of the church."
His proposal to build small temples launched what some have termed the most ambitious temple-building program in world history. Some 122 temples are now in use and nine more have been announced, or are under construction. His goal of having at least 100 temples in use, authorized or under construction by Jan. 1, 2000, was accomplished with the dedication of the church's 100th temple in Boston on Oct. 1, 2000.
Three of the temples were at major sites in church history. The Nauvoo Temple was rebuilt to 21st-century standards, a temple was dedicated at Palmyra, N.Y., and another was dedicated at Winter Quarters, Neb.
Area Authority Seventies, essentially replacing regional representatives, were called in the late 1990s to help handle the church's growing leadership burden at the local level. The First and Second Quorums of the Seventy also grew.
At the 171st Annual General Conference in the spring of 2001, he announced creation of the Perpetual Education Fund, a loan program to help young Latter-day Saints in Third World countries.
President Hinckley, who spent nearly 14 years as a counselor in the First Presidency, was set apart as 15th church president on March 12, 1995, three months before his 85th birthday. He was sustained in solemn assembly at the 165th Annual General Conference that April 1.
He then set out to visit as many church members as possible in their homelands. He continued an ambitious travel schedule throughout his stewardship, urged the members to get their houses in order and warned against pornography and maltreatment of spouses and children. The "Proclamation to the World on the Family," that he announced in September 1995 gave Latter-day Saints a ready reference for their beliefs on family life, and has been used as a model by international organizations seeking to preserve the traditional family.
With the death of President Hinckley, the First Presidency was dissolved and the Quorum of the Twelve became the governing body of the church. President Hinckley's counselors, Presidents Thomas S. Monson and Henry B. Eyring, took their places — first and 11th — within the 14-member quorum. Until his death in August 2007, President James E. Faust served as President Hinckley's second counselor for 12 years.
Sometime soon, following President Hinckley's funeral, quorum members will sustain a new church president. If historical precedent holds, the quorum's senior apostle and president, President Monson, will succeed President Hinckley.
President Hinckley's initial call to the First Presidency came July 23, 1981, as a counselor to President Spencer W. Kimball. He was set apart as second counselor to President Kimball on Dec. 2, 1982, following the death of President N. Eldon Tanner. In November 1985, following the death of President Kimball, he was called as first counselor in the First Presidency, serving with President Ezra Taft Benson and President Monson, the second counselor. Presidents Hinckley and Monson continued in those positions under President Howard W. Hunter.
1 comment:
President Hinkley was an amazing, incredible person. He did so much for the church. The membership numbers went up a ton during his presidency. We'll all miss him so much.
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