President Gordon B. Hinckley Dead at 97

Yesterday on January 27th, 2008 at approximately 7pm, President Gordon B. Hinckley, spiritual leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, died of age related causes at his apartment in Salt Lake City, Utah surrounded by family.

News of his death spread quickly, so quickly in fact that within an hour every website of a Utah based newspaper and magazine either crashed or temporarily shut down from a flood of users seeking information. Radio stations couldn't keep up with the influx of calls, and it even contributed to hotmail experiencing difficulties due to high demand/usage. News stations in Salt Lake estimated that with in that hour, news of his death had circled the globe almost 3000 times.

President Hinckley was born June 23, 1910, in Salt Lake City, Utah, a son of Bryant Strigham and Ada Bitner Hinckley. One of his forebears, Stephen Hopkins, came to America on the Mayflower. Another, Thomas Hinckley, served as governor of the Plymouth Colony from 1680 to 1692.

His first job was as a newspaper carrier for the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City daily. After attending public schools in Salt Lake City, the future Church leader earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Utah and then accepted a call from the Church to spend two years as a full-time missionary in Great Britain. He served with distinction and ultimately was called to be an assistant to the Church Apostle who presided over all the European missions.

Upon being released from missionary service in the mid-1930s, he was called by then Church President Heber J. Grant to organize what has become the Church's public affairs program.

President Hinckley's major assignments during two decades of service as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles included the supervision of Church units in Asia, Europe, and South America. His Church committee assignments as a general officer have been in such areas as temples, missionary work, welfare services, priesthood, and members in the military service. He also served as chairman of the executive committee for the observance of the Church's 150th anniversary in 1980.

In addition to his Church duties, President Hinckley has been active in community and business affairs, serving as chairman and board member of a number of business corporations. In 2004, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civil award, by President George W. Bush. He has been the recipient of a number of educational honors including: the Distinguished Citizen Award, from Southern Utah University; Distinguished Alumni Award, from the University of Utah; and honorary doctorates from Westminster College, Utah State University, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and Southern Utah University. He has received the Silver Buffalo Award of the Boy Scouts of America and has been honored by the National Conference (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews) for his contributions to tolerance and understanding in the world.

He has served as chairman of the executive committees of the Board of Trustees of Brigham Young University and of the Church Board of Education. The Church Educational System includes not only Brigham Young University's Utah and Hawaii campuses, but Brigham Young University - Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho, LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, elementary and secondary schools in developing countries, and hundreds of seminaries and institutes of religion serving several hundred thousand high school- and college-age youth.

The Church leader is known for his writing and speaking skills, which he began developing as a young boy growing up in the Church. He honed those talents as a missionary preaching regularly from a portable stand in London's Hyde Park and further refined them as a Church authority. He has written and edited several books and numerous manuals, pamphlets, and scripts.

President Hinckley married Marjorie Pay in the Salt Lake Temple in 1937. They have five children. Sister Hinckley passed away 6 April 2004.

He was a spiritual leader of almost 14 million people in over 160 different countries, the world as truly lost a great man, and he will be dearly missed.

i dont know whoyour talking about since im not a
relgios person but he sounds like one heck of a go getter
and he will be missed from what he did , i bet was one of
the few people left that still had respect from everyone
even if they didnt belive like he did.

my condolences to the famly and may he resgt in peice
there want be anhone else like him around any more
there loosing more than just a leader if you ask me.

97 is a nice age to go. Archbishop Christodoulos of the Greek Orthodox church died today. Looks like more than one religion lost one of their leaders this week.

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Originally Posted by Hassun

97 is a nice age to go. Archbishop Christodoulos of the Greek Orthodox church died today. Looks like more than one religion lost one of their leaders this week.

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I noticed that last night when I stumbled on the announcement of President Hinckley's death. The news had the two deaths posted together.

President Hinckley will be missed. He did a great deal to help so many people. Now though he will be able to be with his wife. I will admit to being shocked when I first found out, 97 or not he just seemed like he would never quit. They kept asking him to slow down and he just never would.

At the same time it is kind of exciting to wonder who Elder Monson will choose as his councilors and who the new Apostle will be when they call him in April.