Salt Lake City, Utah - The man 13 million Mormons consider to be a prophet of God and who served them as president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has passed away.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led the Church for nearly 14 years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97, surrounded by his family members. He was the15th president in the 177-year history of the Church. He served as the president of the Church since 12 March 1995.
A press release from the Church said President Hinckley died on Sunday at 7 p.m. of causes incident to age. A successor is not expected to be formally chosen by the Church´s Quorum of Twelve Apostles until after the funeral.
President Hinckley was born June 23 1910, in Salt Lake City, the son of Bryant Stringham 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.
President Hinckley, even at the age of 97, always put in a full day at the office and traveled extensively around the world to meet Church members, now numbering 13 million in 171 nations.
He had two counselors, and together they were known as the First Presidency of the Church, the governing body of the Church. Upon the death of President Hinckley, the First Presidency was dissolved and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles became the governing body. President Hinckley's counselors, Presidents Thomas S. Monson and Henry B. Eyring, returned to their places within that quorum, now temporarily numbering 14.
It is expected that soon after President Hinckley's funeral, the members of the Quorum of the Twelve will sustain a new church president. The order of succession is that the senior member of that quorum, President Monson, will succeed President Hinckley.
He amazed everyone he came in contact with by his health and stamina, even at the age of 97. He maintained a full-time work schedule and traveled more extensively than any Church president before him. His final public appearance was on Jan. 4 when he rededicated the Utah State Capital, which had just received extensive renovations.
There were only four temples when President Hinckley was born was born in 1910, and there were not quite 400,000 members of the Church at that time. Today there are approximately 13 million members in 171 countries.
During his term of office he began a massive temple building program that resulted in 124 temples now in use and another 9 planned or under construction. Temples are sacred to members of the Church. Temples are not used for Sunday services, but instead are used for sacred ordinances, such as "marriage for time and all eternity." There are over 17,000 chapels where more than 27,000 congregations meet on Sundays around the world.
In September 1995, President Hinckley announced "The Family: A Proclamation to the World, which defined the belief in the sanctity of marriage, the eternal significance of traditional family, and the importance of fidelity and chastity.
President Hinckley was the most traveled president in the Church´s history. His duties have taken him around the world many times to meet with Latter-day Saints in more than 60 countries.
He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on "60 Minutes" with Mike Wallace and on CNN´s "Larry King Live," as well as in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years. In March 2000 President Hinckley addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He also has addressed the Religion Newswriters Association.
"We never speak negatively of other churches. We say to people, you bring all the good that you have and let us see if we can add to it," he said on the "Larry King Live" program in 1999.
During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City thousands of journalists and broadcasters visited with Church officials and reported positively about the Church. Many learned about Mormon values and beliefs for the first time.
President Hinckley wrote the New York Times best-selling book, "Standing for Something," aimed at a general audience. In it he champions the virtues of love, honesty, morality, civility, learning, forgiveness, mercy, thrift and industry, gratitude, optimism and faith. He also testifies of what he calls the "guardians of virtue," namely traditional marriage and family.
In April of 2001 President Hinckley initiated the Perpetual Education Fund, which has enabled young members of the Church to receive higher education and work-related training in developing nations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was one of the first organizations to sponsor Boy Scouts in 1911, just one year after it was founded in the United States. Today the Church sponsors more Scout units than any other sponsoring organization. President Hinckley was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America for his dedicated service.
In 2004 on his 94th birthday, President George W. Bush awarded President Hinckley the nation´s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House.
President Hinckley married Majorie Pay in the Salt Lake Temple in 1937. They are the parents of five children. His wife preceded him in death on April 6, 2004.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led the Church for nearly 14 years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97, surrounded by his family members. He was the15th president in the 177-year history of the Church. He served as the president of the Church since 12 March 1995.
A press release from the Church said President Hinckley died on Sunday at 7 p.m. of causes incident to age. A successor is not expected to be formally chosen by the Church´s Quorum of Twelve Apostles until after the funeral.
President Hinckley was born June 23 1910, in Salt Lake City, the son of Bryant Stringham 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.
President Hinckley, even at the age of 97, always put in a full day at the office and traveled extensively around the world to meet Church members, now numbering 13 million in 171 nations.
He had two counselors, and together they were known as the First Presidency of the Church, the governing body of the Church. Upon the death of President Hinckley, the First Presidency was dissolved and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles became the governing body. President Hinckley's counselors, Presidents Thomas S. Monson and Henry B. Eyring, returned to their places within that quorum, now temporarily numbering 14.
It is expected that soon after President Hinckley's funeral, the members of the Quorum of the Twelve will sustain a new church president. The order of succession is that the senior member of that quorum, President Monson, will succeed President Hinckley.
He amazed everyone he came in contact with by his health and stamina, even at the age of 97. He maintained a full-time work schedule and traveled more extensively than any Church president before him. His final public appearance was on Jan. 4 when he rededicated the Utah State Capital, which had just received extensive renovations.
There were only four temples when President Hinckley was born was born in 1910, and there were not quite 400,000 members of the Church at that time. Today there are approximately 13 million members in 171 countries.
During his term of office he began a massive temple building program that resulted in 124 temples now in use and another 9 planned or under construction. Temples are sacred to members of the Church. Temples are not used for Sunday services, but instead are used for sacred ordinances, such as "marriage for time and all eternity." There are over 17,000 chapels where more than 27,000 congregations meet on Sundays around the world.
In September 1995, President Hinckley announced "The Family: A Proclamation to the World, which defined the belief in the sanctity of marriage, the eternal significance of traditional family, and the importance of fidelity and chastity.
President Hinckley was the most traveled president in the Church´s history. His duties have taken him around the world many times to meet with Latter-day Saints in more than 60 countries.
He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on "60 Minutes" with Mike Wallace and on CNN´s "Larry King Live," as well as in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years. In March 2000 President Hinckley addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He also has addressed the Religion Newswriters Association.
"We never speak negatively of other churches. We say to people, you bring all the good that you have and let us see if we can add to it," he said on the "Larry King Live" program in 1999.
During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City thousands of journalists and broadcasters visited with Church officials and reported positively about the Church. Many learned about Mormon values and beliefs for the first time.
President Hinckley wrote the New York Times best-selling book, "Standing for Something," aimed at a general audience. In it he champions the virtues of love, honesty, morality, civility, learning, forgiveness, mercy, thrift and industry, gratitude, optimism and faith. He also testifies of what he calls the "guardians of virtue," namely traditional marriage and family.
In April of 2001 President Hinckley initiated the Perpetual Education Fund, which has enabled young members of the Church to receive higher education and work-related training in developing nations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was one of the first organizations to sponsor Boy Scouts in 1911, just one year after it was founded in the United States. Today the Church sponsors more Scout units than any other sponsoring organization. President Hinckley was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America for his dedicated service.
In 2004 on his 94th birthday, President George W. Bush awarded President Hinckley the nation´s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House.
President Hinckley married Majorie Pay in the Salt Lake Temple in 1937. They are the parents of five children. His wife preceded him in death on April 6, 2004.
