I was stunned and saddened when I heard that Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had passed away this evening at the age of 97.We knew he wouldn't live forever, but we were sure hoping. Every time we saw him on TV for General Conference, Church broadcasts, or even interviews with the media, we couldn't help but feel the love he had for everyone.
I remember sitting as a teenager in one of the rooms of the Cardston temple for the rededication after it had been remodeled back in 1991. Presidents Hinckley and Monson came through our room on their way to the Celestial room for the dedicatory prayer.
Shortly after my mission, I was lucky enough to go to Salt Lake for April conference in 1995. We sat in the tabernacle waiting for conference to start. There was the usual pre-meeting buzz as everyone was talking quietly. Then a reverent silence spread through the tabernacle as President Hinckley came into the room as the prophet. We could feel his presence and the spirit he carried with him before we could see him. I have never doubted that he was a prophet of God.
As is the case when we lose anyone dear, we know he is in a wonderful place, reunited at last with his beloved wife. But we still can't help being a little selfish in wishing he were still here with us.
The beauty of the Church - well, one of them anyway - is that we are not left without guidance and leadership. The Lord has a system in place whereby prophetic succession is done without rallying for office or aspiring to position (click here for more details). Soon, the announcement of the new president of the Church will be made.
President Hinckley will be dearly missed, and at the same time we look forward to following the new prophet and pledge to him the same love and devotion we had for President Hinckley. We revere and love the prophet because he is called of God and speaks for Him.
LDS.org article
“I want to bear you my testimony. I know that God our Eternal Father lives. I know that. I know that He watches over us, His children. He is the great God of the universe. He is the Governor of the universe. And yet He listens to each of us, His children, and how thankful we ought to be. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world, He who wrought a great Atonement in behalf of each of us. I do not care what you remember from this meeting, but I hope that you will remember this, that you heard Gordon B. Hinckley say that he knows that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world... That is my testimony and it is as real and as true as the sunrise in the morning.” (Panama City Panama Fireside, January 20, 1997.)
Some other good links:
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
The 6 B's, a classic talk from 2000
The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles
