President Gordon B. Hinckley

President Gordon B. Hinckley

Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Today I attended the funeral of this great man via sattelite. Listening to the stories and hearing the fond memories the people who walked and talked with him daily made me want to know him even more then I do. What a legacy he left for all of us. I liked the way they stated it at his funeral, "That he left imprints on us all." He was a humble servent of the Lord, ready and willing to do his Father's will.

I loved his humor, especially since humor is a huge part of my life. He never missed a beat and always had something clever to say. It made me smile when his daughter said that many times he was laughing so hard at his own story or joke, that he had a hard time finishing it.


I loved listening to him speak. He was always so positive and spoke of the love that he had for each of us as well as the love Jesus Christ has for each of us. Repeatedly he would tell us to love and serve each other. He always urged us to live better lives, and to be bold and strong in our beliefs.

I had the opportunity to be in his presence a couple of times for conferences as well as firesides. On one occasion I had the honor to meet him and shake his hand. I was a couple of feet away when President Hinckley and his sweet wife walked by. The first thing I noticed is how short they both are. I felt like a giant!! The next was the feeling of the room: it had changed. I don't know if anyone could meet this man and not know that he was special and how close he is to God. When I shook his hand, he didn't let go of my hand for what seemed like a long time, especially for a handshake. I surley wasn't going to let go! I almost felt that he was scanning my soul. It was an awsome feeling to be so close to a prophet of God. His touch was gentle and his skin soft. His eyes were kind and loving. I was grinning from ear to ear, I could not have been happier.


He was a prophet of God but he was also a man, with a wife, and kids. The story I liked the most about President Hinckley is one that he tells........I was fixing the roof of our home when my wife came out and said, "You are 82 years old (I don't remember exactly how old he was, but it pretty close) you are going to fall and break your neck. Get down off of the roof!" He said "I did what any husband would have done. I ignored her." He was real and had nothing to hide.


It has been interesting watching my children digest the news of his passing and to witness their emotions and their sorrows. It has made me realize that we need to base our testimonies on the principle that we live in a time that God speaks to men through revelation and through his prophets and that I know that these men were prepared and called by God. I know this principle to be true and it doesn't matter who that man is, whether it be Joseph Smith or Gordon B. Hinckley, the Lord will always have a prophet to be His mouthpeice and do His will. I will miss President Hinckley but I am truly grateful to know that we will shortly have another prophet who will be chosen and called by God to lead and guide us through these troubling times.