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.
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