Video Tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley

This is a touching tribute to our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinkley.


I miss president Hinkley. My seminary students miss him. Every day since his passing they have wanted to talk about him, how they love him and what a fine example he has been for them. For my Seminary kids, he is the only prophet they have ever known. He is like family.

Thank You President Hinkly.

Gordon B. Hinkley, A Legacy of Love and Service

At around 7:00 this evening our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinkley died at the age of 97. Now President Thomas S. Monson will be set apart as our new prophet and president of the church.

We have lost a giant. President Hinkley's impact on the world is, I believe, beyond our comprehension. He has brought the church into the age of technology. He oversaw the building of our beautiful conference center. He is responsible for more temples being built around the world than any other leader in church history. He started the Perpetual Education Fund so that members from around the world could get a college education. He brought Rick's College from an LDS community college to a new BYU campus.

Membership has gone from 9 million to 13 million since President Hinkley has been the prophet. He brought the missionaries to Russia and other former USSR countries. He gave us The Proclamation to the World, and increased size and beautification of Temple grounds in Salt Lake City. And most important of all, he unceasingly gave us his unconditional love. He sanctioned the creation of Latter-day Saint Charities to distribute surplus goods worldwide to people in need. One crowning achievement was the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple in 1999.

A refreshing sense of humor is one of President Hinkley's most ingratiating talents. His quick, intelligent wit is as much a part of him as is his charismatic ability to make everyone he met feel special. Upon addressing a group of missionaries at the Mission Training Center in Provo Utah he said "You all look alike. I look at you in your white shirts and ties and think of your age and say to myself 'well your not much to look at but you're all the Lord's got.'"

Once when asked if he had aspired to become the president of the church he said "No I never expected to become the president of the church, but those who preceded me, those with more authority, all died."

President Hinkley never failed to express his deep love for the members of the church when he spoke at conference. It was not uncommon for tears to come to his eyes as he did so. He was like the warm, loving grandfather I never had. He reminded us that "the gospel is an anchor in a world of shifting values." He comforted us by reminding us that regardless of how intolerable the world becomes, we will always find refuge in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God be with you 'til we meet again.

President Hinkley on Education

Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘With All Thy Getting Get Understanding’,” Ensign, Aug 1988, 2–5

"I desire to share some thoughts having to do with education—specifically the education of our minds and hearts, for those are the instruments by which we obtain knowledge. Said the Lord to Oliver Cowdery, “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart.” (D&C 8:2.)

I remember a day some years ago when I strolled about the campus of a great university. I was impressed with the splendor of the buildings, the immaculate laboratories, the teaching theaters, the magnificent library, the dormitories, the gymnasiums. But I was more impressed with the students. There were thousands of them—handsome young men and beautiful young women, seemingly serious and intent and earnest.

I am awed by the great forces of knowledge represented in our time. Never before have so many been educated in the learning of the world. What a powerful thing it is—the intensive schooling of a large percentage of the youth of the world, who meet daily at the feet of instructors to garner knowledge from all the ages of man.

The extent of that knowledge is staggering. It encompasses the stars of the universe, the geology of the earth, the history of nations, the culture and language of peoples, the operation of governments, the laws of commerce, the behavior of the atom, the functions of the body, and the wonders of the mind.

With so much knowledge available, one would think that the world might well be near a state of perfection. Yet we are constantly made aware of the other side of the coin—of the sickness of society, of the contentions and troubles that bring misery into the lives of millions.

Each day we are made increasingly aware of the fact that life is more than science and mathematics, more than history and literature. There is need for another education, without which the substance of secular learning may lead only to destruction. I refer to the education of the heart, of the conscience, of the character, of the spirit—these indefinable aspects of our personalities which determine so certainly what we are and what we do in our relationships one with another.

Over fifty years ago while serving in England as a missionary, I went to the London Central YMCA. I suppose that old building has long since gone, but I can never forget the words that faced visitors in the foyer each time they entered. They were the words of Solomon: “With all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7.)

Understanding of what? Understanding of ourselves, of the purposes of life, of our relationship to God who is our Father, of the great divinely given principles that for centuries have provided the sinew of man’s real progress!"

Mitt Romney and the Future of the United States

Well, as of today Mitt Romney holds more delegates than any of his republican colleagues in the race for the republican presidential nomination.

What is really interesting to me is how the media is trying to pretend that he isn't even in the running. I don't know what is going on where you live but here in California and on the CNN news channels they talk about all the other candidates at length - good or bad - but when it comes to Mitt Romney they don't seem to realize that he is running.

Obviously they feel threatened by a member of the church actually finding favor with the American public and they believe that any press will cause more to vote for him. He isn't their candidate - and in spite of their anti-Mormon propaganda he is earning his votes.

Now, I don't know if he will eventually win the presidential election or if he will even win the republican nomination but I do believe that he is serving a very important role in modern prophesy.

Ever since I became a member of the church in 1972 I have heard of the modern day prophesy talking about how one day the United States/constitution will be hanging by a thread, in near ruin. And in those days, as long as we haven't forgotten God, the Lord will raise up an Elder of the church to "save" the country from falling completely into ruin. (see quotes below)

In 1997, during Bill Clinton's last term as president I was not too surprised to hear President Hinkley tell us that we were in fact in the last days and that our government was now "hanging by a thread."

Now Mitt Romney is running for president. He has more business experience than all the other candidates put together. And he has been well trained in the aspects of government that is needed to bring this country back into some form of sanity. But he still may not be the "Elder" whom the Lord has in mind for this country. Even so, he has been laying a foundation for another member of the church to run for president and win.

Romney has single handedly brought "Mormonism" into the political spotlight. Sure there are many other LDS politicians but they have not brought on the media blitz that Romney has. He has opened up discussions, taken the flack and been the impetus for people of all faiths to entertain the idea of an LDS president.

So as far as I see it, even if Romney isn't our next president, he has allowed the bigoted members of society to release their venom, making their venom less toxic for the next LDS nominee. And that is a win-win situation for us all.

References:

The Words of Joseph Smith, 19 July 1840:
"The time would come when the Constitution and Government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands but this people the Latter day Saints will step forth and save it."

Elder L. Tom Perry, February 24, 1976, at BYU -
“‘The time will come when the destiny of this nation will hang upon a single thread."

Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, October 1952, p.18. "Joseph Smith who has been quoted as having said that the time would come when the Constitution would hang as by a thread and at that time when it was thus in jeopardy, the elders of this Church would step forth and save it from destruction."