President Hinckley, Remembered

Our Dear Prophet, President Gordon Bitner Hinckley passed away two Sundays ago on January 27th, 2008. I have such a great love for him that the news, although it was expected, was still very difficult for me. I understand how the leadership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints works, and that the Lord has promised that we will always have a living prophet on the earth to lead, guide and direct us, so I didn't feel lost and confused as to who would be our new prophet. But I did feel great loss because I have felt so much love and admiration for this wonderful man. He was the Prophet who signed my mission call to serve in the New York Rochester Mission. As a missionary, I sat and listened to him as he spoke at our All-Mission Conference in Palmyra, New York and heard him testify that a young farm boy walked into a nearby grove of trees early in the spring of 1820 and actually saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only Prophet my children have ever known. He did so much to make Christ's church known throughout the world and I LOVE that he had so many temples built!

One of my favorite stories of President Hinckley is from his mission in England. He had been sick, he was feeling discouraged and frustrated and he wrote home to his father and told him that he should just come home because he was wasting his time and his father's money. Shortly thereafter, Elder Hinckley received a letter from his dad. It said, "Dear Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: Forget yourself and go to work." And he did. He made a pledge that day to the Lord that he would try to forget himself and lose himself in the work and service of the Lord. It is a pledge that he kept until the very end. (Click here to read the article from the New Era.)

I am so grateful for his example of service, charity and love. He was so full of life! One of my favorite quotes from him is on my wall where I can see it everyday:
Another is in Caden's room, so that he has a constant reminder of how to "be."

I am so grateful for President Hinckley's example and that I was allowed to live here on earth while he was our Prophet! I am so glad that he is now with his wonderfully sweet wife, Marjorie, whom he has missed these past (nearly) four years.

With all of that said, I am excited to have President Thomas S. Monson as our new Prophet, Seer and Revelator and I know for myself that he is called of God. I look forward to having him lead and guide us.

President Thomas S. Monson - Prophet

President Henry B. Eyring - 1st Counselor

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - 2nd Counselor