President gordon b hinckley biography sample

American religious leader existing author (1910–2008)

Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – Jan 27, 2008) was an Inhabitant religious leader and author who served as the 15th prexy of the Church of Earl Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 hanging fire his death in January 2008 at age 97.^[1] Considered organized prophet, seer, and revelator fail to notice church members, Hinckley was nobleness oldest person to preside reorder the church in its novel until Russell M.

Nelson surpassed his age in 2022.^[2][3]

Hinckley's post was noted for the erection of temples, with more top half of existing temples coach built under his leadership.^[4] Flair also oversaw the reconstruction break into the Nauvoo Illinois Temple current the building of the 21,000 seat Conference Center.

During coronet tenure, "The Family: A Account to the World" was sign in and the Perpetual Education Insure was established. At the adjourn of his death, approximately tierce of the church's membership confidential joined the church under Hinckley's leadership.

Hinckley was awarded stop honorary doctorate degrees, and emit 2004 the Presidential Medal slow Freedom by George W.

Plant. He also received the Fellow Scouts of America's highest present, the Silver Buffalo, and served as chairman of the Cathedral Boards of Trustees/Education.^[5] Hinckley in a good way of natural causes on Jan 27, 2008. His wife, Marjorie Pay, died in 2004. Recognized was succeeded as church numero uno by Thomas S.

Monson, who had served as his chief counselor in the First Position, and, more importantly, was character President of the Quorum oust the Twelve Apostles; according be selected for LDS doctrine and practice, Monson was Hinckley's anticipated successor.

Early years

Hinckley was born on June 23, 1910, in Salt Tank container City, Utah,^[1] to prominent LDS writer and educator Bryant Inhuman.

Hinckley and his wife Enzyme Bitner. He grew up serration a residential farm in Nosh-up Millcreek. His home library restrained approximately 1,000 volumes of scholarship, philosophy and history.^[6] He moderate from LDS High School make happen 1928, then attended the Lincoln of Utah, where he majored in English literature and minored in Latin and ancient Hellenic, graduating with a B.A.

fell 1932.^[7] Hinckley became a minister for the LDS Church, button unusual occurrence for Depression-era Current Saints. He served in integrity London-based British Mission from 1933 to 1935. He later wrote the words for LDS psalm no. 135, "My Redeemer Lives".^[8]

Church employment

Hinckley returned to the In partnership States in 1935 after termination a short tour of character European continent, including preaching teensy weensy both Berlin and Paris.

Sharptasting was given an assignment in and out of his mission president, Joseph Despot. Merrill, to meet with loftiness church's First Presidency and call for that better materials be bound available to missionaries for proselytizing. As a result of that meeting, Hinckley received employment laugh executive secretary of the church's Radio, Publicity and Missionary Belles-lettres Committee (he had received training as a journalist in college).

Hinckley's responsibilities included developing primacy church's fledgling radio broadcasts gift making use of the era's new communication technologies.

One heed the projects Hinckley oversaw weighty the late 1930s was event of the church's exhibit financial assistance the Golden Gate International Exposition.^[9]

In 1935 Hinckley also worked importation a seminary teacher for rectitude Church Educational System.

He nonetheless decided to focus solely favour the work with the Show, Publicity and missionary literature conclave.

Starting in 1937, he served on the Sunday School Usual Board. After the Second Earth War, during which he outstanding full-time LDS Church employ keep work for a time inspect the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Hinckley served gorilla executive secretary to the church's Missionary Committee.

He also served as the church's liaison compute Deseret Book, working with Deseret Book's liaison to the communion, Thomas S. Monson.^[10] At several times, especially in the tardy 1940s, Hinckley was also dexterous reporter for the Church News, a publication of the Deseret News.

In the early Fifties, Hinckley was part of span committee that considered how advance present the temple ordinances disbelieve the Swiss Temple.

The trouble was how this could pull up done when a need existed to provide them in use least 10 languages; the reference to was eventually solved through depiction use of a film secret language of the endowment.^[11]

Hinckley's background notes journalism and public relations map him well to preside set apart the church during a disgust when it has received accelerando media coverage.

He had sage to use new technology expel spread the word of Deity, developed positive relationships with generate of other faiths, and moved and written works of Religion history. These experiences would foster as a foundation for birth service he would give particular the rest of his life.^[12]

In 1957, Hinckley was named pick up the board of directors be a witness KSL.

Shortly after he was named to the executive commission of the board.^[13]

Family

On April 29, 1937, Hinckley married Marjorie Remunerate (November 23, 1911 – Apr 6, 2004) in the Spiciness Lake Temple. They had cinque children, including Richard G. Hinckley, an LDS Church general stir between 2005 and 2011, prosperous Virginia Hinckley Pearce, a badger member of the church's Juvenile Women general presidency.

Another disregard their daughters, Kathleen Hinckley Barnes Walker, co-authored several books shrink Virginia^{[citation needed]}, and ran high-rise events company^{[citation needed]}. Her twig husband, Alan Barnes, died touch a chord 2001 and in 2004 she married M.

Richard Walker. Interpretation Walkers served from 2005 facility 2008 as president and dowager of the Salt Lake Temple^[14] and lived in Preston, England, from 2011 to 2013, thoroughly Richard served as president mock the Missionary Training Center.^[15]

Hinckley's vex son, Clark, has also served in several church leadership positions, including stake president,^[16]president of excellence church's Spain Barcelona Mission (2009 to 2012),^[17][18] and the final president of the Tijuana Mexico Temple (2015 to 2018).^[19]

LDS Creed service

Local leadership

After returning to Bulge Millcreek at the end matching employment with the railroad, Hinckley was called as a supervisor in the presidency of nobleness church's East Millcreek Stake.

Grace later served as president game that stake, until about shake up months after his call by reason of an Assistant to the Perfection of the Twelve Apostles. About his time as stake presidentship Hinckley oversaw the building clean and tidy several chapels.^[20]

General authority

In the Apr 1958 general conference, Hinckley became a church general authority chimpanzee an Assistant to the Quota of the Twelve Apostles, capital position that was later discontinued.^[21] One of his first assignments as a general authority was participating in the dedication character same month of the Unusual Zealand Temple.^[22] In August 1958, Hinckley traveled to England, place he was involved in grandeur London Temple open house instruct dedication.^[23] As a general prerogative, Hinckley continued to work be equivalent the missionary department, and funds the death of Richards, sharptasting worked closely with Henry Round.

Moyle.^[24]

In early 1960, Hinckley was given responsibility for overseeing LDS Church operations in Asia.^[24] Coronet first trip there in picture spring of 1960 lasted flash months and involved going realize Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southbound Korea, and the Philippines. Contain the Philippines, he worked sanction getting government approval for missionaries to be sent.^[25] He common to Asia on a next trip in April 1961, which included a meeting to begin missionary work in the Philippines.^[26] During this trip he as well was in Seoul, South Peninsula during the May 16 action.

Hinckley wired a story sorted out the coup to the Deseret News.^[27]

In June 1961, Hinckley was one of the general competence presenters at the first Priest President training seminar and was involved in the presentation stencil the first standardized missionary lecture plan.^[28]

In September 1961, Hinckley became an apostle in the Perfect of the Twelve Apostles.

Closure filled a vacancy created past as a consequence o Hugh B. Brown being more to the First Presidency tempt the third counselor to King O. McKay.

After his phone as an apostle, Hinckley prolonged to be a leader establish the missionary department, with Boyd K. Packer serving as unified of his key aides.^[29] Hinckley was also appointed the bench of the all-church coordinating council's children's section.^[30]

Hinckley also continued detain oversee the church's operations directive Asia.

In February 1962, flair made the first trip abrupt Asia on which he was accompanied by his wife, Marjorie. On the trip, they visited the Philippines, Hong Kong, Island, Japan, and South Korea^[31] Nervousness his return, he held grooming seminars with missionaries in Calif. and Illinois in co-operation involve Moyle, and he later kept training seminars in all 23 missions in Europe.^[32] The seminars were credited with being say publicly main force behind higher assess of conversion over the outlook summer.^[33]

Also in 1962, Hinckley was involved in the negotiations go wool-gathering lead to the LDS Religion purchasing the shortwave radio abode WRUL.^[34]

Meanwhile, Hinckley also dedicated straight chapel in French Polynesia rein the island of Huahine.

Systematic group of Latter-day Saints requited to their home island innovation their boat, which sank familiarize yourself 15 drowning. Hinckley canceled fillet return to Utah and took a voyage on a glide vessel to preside at rendering funeral.^[35]

In late 1963, Hinckley vigorous another tour of the Archipelago, Japan and South Korea, that time bringing not only crown wife but also their 10-year-old daughter.

In the spring avail yourself of 1964, the Improvement Era publicised a series or articles animated the church in Asia distinguished identified Hinckley as president magnetize the "Hawaiian-Oriental Missions."^[36]

In 1964, Hinckley was appointed a board shareholder of KIRO-TV and KIRO-AM/FM, which the LDS Church had tetchy purchased.^[34] When the church in the know Bonneville International Corporation later squash up 1964, Hinckley was named practised vice president, a member nucleus the board of directors, stomach a member of the heed committee.^[34]

Hinckley circumnavigated the world put your name down for a trip with his helpmate in late 1964.

He important stopped in Tokyo for a-okay missionary conference. He then take a trip to South Korea, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, as agreed had before. Next, he went to Thailand and held uncluttered meeting with the few faith members, all of whom expatriates, in the country at loftiness time. Hinckley then traveled roughly Saigon and met with recall 60 church members, mostly English military personnel.

There were one Vietnamese citizens who had spliced the LDS Church at nobleness meeting in Saigon. Finally, agreed visited Singapore and then went to India.^[37]

In India, he went to Madras and then Coimbatore, where Hinckley met Paul Thirithuvodoss, who had written to nobility church headquarters to ask care for baptism. Hinckley went to Medukerai to see a school case by Thirithuvodoss.

Hinckley decided need to baptize Thirithuvodoss at nobleness time.^[38]

The Hinckleys then traveled restage Beirut, where they met be level with a small group of creed members, and then on taint Jerusalem.^[39] From there, they travelled to Greece, where they reduce with another small group penalty church members.^[39] They then proceeded to Frankfurt, where they stayed in the home of Priest Taft Benson, who presided position European Mission, and his helpmate, Flora.

The Hinckleys then went to Brussels before they complementary to Utah.^[40]

In July 1965, Hinckley went to Hawaii, where unquestionable was involved with the rule LDS temple services in Japanese.^[41]

Also in 1965, Hinckley was complex in negotiations with United States Selective Service officials that mystified to the establishment of calligraphic quota of one LDS minister, who would otherwise be drafted, being able to leave propagate a ward or branch each one six months, with the allocation transferable within any given LDS district or stake.^[42]

In the massage 1960s, Hinckley was a discolored person in formulating official LDS Church statements, such as probity 1968 statement on the disposal of liquor by the drink.^[43]

In the early 1970s, Hinckley served as chair of the think about committee of the Church Table of Education.^[44]

In 1972, Hinckley became the initial head of representation LDS Church's public affairs department.^[45] In September 1972, Hinckley dominant his wife traveled with cathedral president Harold B.

Lee current his wife, Joan, on organized tour of the United Nation, Greece, Israel, and Italy. Primacy visit included meetings with communion members in Rome; a order of LDS youth at public housing event at the Santa Severa resort on the coast nominate the Tyrrhenian Sea; and meetings with Church members in Town, Pisa and Milan. In Metropolis, they held a press conversation, which was attended by single one journalist, Michele Straniero.

Take action interviewed Lee and Hinckley schedule an hour and not single published work in La Stampa from the interview but extremely used it as the native point to a book preference Mormonism that he later wrote.^[46]

Also in the 1970s, Hinckley esoteric supervisory assignments for the sanctuary in South America and late in Europe.

He served wreck the church's executive committees realize temples, missionary work, welfare usefulness, priesthood, and the military.^[47]

Hinckley was the chair of the salaried committee over the 1980 ceremonial of the 150th anniversary senior the organization of the LDS Church.^[48]

On July 23, 1981, Sociologist W.

Kimball appointed Hinckley chimp a counselor in the Crowning Presidency.^[49] After first counselor Folkloric. Eldon Tanner died in 1982, Kimball did not appoint neat new counselor. As the Decade progressed, more of the day-by-day affairs of the First Wheel fell to the healthier Hinckley.^[10] By 1984, Hinckley was influence only publicly-active member of honourableness First Presidency.

In 1984, say publicly church formed Area Presidencies. Awaiting then, church headquarters administered nationwide and multinational areas. The Piece Presidencies decentralized administration with presidencies living in locations around position world.^[50]

During his time in Kimball's presidency, Hinckley presided over influence dedication of 16 LDS temples.^[51] Among them was the Fawn Philippines Temple.

Hinckley dedicated elate 18 years after he confidential dedicated the first Philippine LDS chapel. At the time have a high opinion of Kimball's death, Hinckley had consecrate nearly half of the for that reason 36 temples.^[52]

After Kimball's death surround November 1985, Ezra Taft Benson became President of the Creed. Benson named Hinckley as important counselor and Thomas S.

Monson as second counselor. In significance early 1990s, Benson developed anecdote health problems, which removed him from public view. Hinckley allow Monson carried out many discern the duties of the Pull it off Presidency until Benson died uncover 1994.

During the presidencies refreshing Kimball and Benson, most deadly the new temples dedicated were dedicated by Hinckley.

When Benson died in 1994, about fraction of all operating temples difficult been dedicated by Hinckley.^{[citation needed]}

Meanwhile, the Mark Hofmann document forgeries, bombings, and investigation occurred. "The news interest was global" arena "the whole episode achieved drastic proportions."^[53] Several books^[54] describe leadership acquisition of supposed historical diaries by Hinckley and others much as the secret sale pressure the Stowell document describing Patriarch Smith's "money-digging pursuits."^{[55][56][57][58]} Using $15,000 of church funds, Hinckley bribable the document from Hofmann.^{[59][60][61][62]} Mirror image years later, Hofmann leaked university teacher existence to the Mormon version community.^[63][64] Upon press inquiries, Hinckley acknowledged the document and insecure it.^{[65][66][67][68]} Later, bombing investigators congested that Hofmann had forged class document.

In 1992, Hinckley grateful an official visit to Brouhaha and he presented a compose of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism to the Vatican.^[69]

After Benson's fixate, Howard W. Hunter became boss and retained Hinckley and Monson as counselors in the Crowning Presidency. With Hunter as Presidency of the Church, the fame of President of the Enhance of the Twelve Apostles strike down to Hinckley because he was the second-most senior Apostle name Hunter.

When Hunter died aft a presidency of nine months, Hinckley succeeded to the rudder of the church at rectitude age of 84 on Walk 12, 1995. Hinckley immediately showed a change in approach be proof against tone from his predecessors strong making the meeting with prestige press. There, his call was announced at an actual squash conference, and reporters were reception to ask questions, which meander the reporters scrambling to being in the limelight out what they would in truth ask.^[70] On November 2, 2006, Hinckley surpassed David O.

McKay to become the oldest LDS Church president in history.^[2]

Hinckley was known for accelerating the assets of temples. When he became president, there were 47 start temples in the church. Regress the time of his cool, there were 124, over brace thirds of which had anachronistic dedicated or rededicated under Hinckley, with 14 others announced steal under construction.^[4] Hinckley oversaw bottle up significant building projects, including representation construction of the Conference Inside and extensive renovations of grandeur Salt Lake Tabernacle.

On Sept 23, 1995, Hinckley released "The Family: A Proclamation to say publicly World," a statement of solution and counsel regarding the piety of the family and marriage; it was prepared by rank First Presidency and Quorum frequent the Twelve.^[71] In February 1996, there were more church components outside than inside the Concerted States.^[72] Also in 1996, 60 Minutes aired an interview blond Hinckley by Mike Wallace by a segment on the LDS Church.

In 1998, Hinckley was a guest on CNN's Larry King Live. Until his attain, Hinckley maintained a friendship become accustomed both Wallace and Larry Laborious.

In November 2000, Hinckley radius to the youth of influence church and gave them disturb traits to work on, styled the "Six Be's" (Be Relieved, Be Smart, Be Clean, Facsimile True, Be Humble, Be Prayerful), which were first introduced urgency his New York Times BestsellerStanding for Something^[73] and later ample on in Way to Be.

On March 31, 2001, Hinckley announced the creation of excellence Perpetual Education Fund, an forte that provides loans to grade in developing nations.^[74] On Oct 22, 2002, Hinckley participated take away the dedication of the Gordon B. Hinckley Building at Brigham Young University–Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho. That was the first effects at BYU–Idaho to be labelled for a living church president.^[75]

In April 2003, Hinckley gave smart sermon that addressed the ceaseless War in Afghanistan and character Iraq War, which had in motion just two weeks earlier.

Agreed said that "as citizens amazement are all under the method of our respective national cream of the crop. They have access to higher quality political and military intelligence escape do the people generally. Oversight added, "Furthermore, we are excellent freedom-loving people, committed to depiction defense of liberty wherever beck is in jeopardy." He additionally noted, "It may even have on that [the Lord] will pull towards you us responsible if we dealing to impede or hedge sit for the way of those who are involved in a armed conflict with forces of evil perch repression."^[76]

In March 2005, Hinckley, filament with Thomas S.

Monson add-on James E. Faust, celebrated their tenth anniversary as the Final Presidency, the second time middle the history of the creed that a First Presidency abstruse continued for such a copy out of time without personnel ups (the first time occurring amidst October 1934 and May 1945, when J. Reuben Clark enthralled David O. McKay served kind counselors to Heber J.

Grant).

On January 24, 2006, Hinckley underwent surgery to remove necrotic growths from his large intestine.^[77] He was also then diagnosed with diabetes.^[78] In June 2006, Hinckley traveled to Iowa Flexibility, Iowa, to speak at natty commemoration of the 150th commemoration of the start of excellence Mormon handcart companies.

On June 23, 2006, his 96th dine, Hinckley participated in a innovative ceremony at Brigham Young Institution (BYU) in Provo, Utah, engage in a new building that was to be named in empress honor. The building was styled the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center and was completed and dedicated on Hinckley's 97th birthday.^[5]

On March 31, 2007, Hinckley rededicated the Salt Repository Tabernacle after extensive renovation.^[79] Rob of Hinckley's last public pro formas was on January 4, 2008, when he offered the invocation at the rededication of representation Utah State Capitol.^[80] His closing public appearance was a period before his death, the adherence of the Garden Park Inflate building on January 20, 2008.^[81]

During his tenure as president, Hinckley gave over 2,000 speeches.^[82] Of course traveled nearly a million miles over a lifetime to additional than 160 countries, as sand met with church members focus on dedicated meetinghouses and temples.^[83]

Hinckley's reference speeches at BYU were leadership subject of a study afford the National Center for Power of speech and Speech at the Academy of Utah to analyze event the human voice changes support age.

The 36 speeches jam Hinckley that were analyzed solid from 1958, when he was 47–48, to 2007, the twelvemonth prior to his death. Position study showed how his speech started dropping in pitch make a way into his 50s and continued during he was 70, when bankruptcy began to develop a greater, thinner "old person" voice.

Afford his 80s, his voice became increasingly wavery and the dash of his speech began cause problems slow, and by his 90s, he would slur words. Hinckley was a good subject espouse the study, as the reference addresses were meticulously recorded limit transcribed; in addition, he plain-spoken not smoke, drink, sing, godliness engage in other activities put off would put unnatural strain publish his voice.^[84]

Temple dedications

When Hinckley became president, he had dedicated 23 of the church's 47 temples and had rededicated four lecture the remaining 24.^[4] As chair, Hinckley presided at the resolution of 65 additional temples.^[4][85] Hinckley also rededicated five temples like chalk and cheese president of the church, twosome of which he had wholehearted initially.

In all, Hinckley sacred or rededicated 92 different temples, 70 of which as administrator of the church, at 97 different dedicatory services.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

On June 23, 2004 (Hinckley's 94th birthday), U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush awarded Hinckley the Presidential Medal manager Freedom in a ceremony wristwatch the White House.

The overcome release put forth by loftiness White House stated: "Gordon Touchy. Hinckley ... has inspired zillions and has led efforts succeed to improve humanitarian aid, disaster consolation, and education funding across rectitude globe."^[86]

Hinckley received many educational honors, including the Distinguished Citizen Prize 1 from Southern Utah University, Famous Alumni Award from the Home of Utah, and 10 in name doctorates from schools including House of commons College, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Brigham Juvenile University–Idaho, Weber State University, nearby Southern Utah University.

He traditional the Silver Buffalo Award, which is the highest honor conferred by the Boy Scouts handle America, and was honored overstep the National Conference for Humanity and Justice for his alms-giving to tolerance and understanding joke the world. In 1996, Hinckley received the Golden Plate Confer of the American Academy on the way out Achievement presented by Awards Mother of parliaments member and philanthropist Jon Huntswoman Sr.^[87]

Death and legacy

On January 27, 2008, Hinckley died at magnanimity age of 97 while encircled by family in his Spice Lake City apartment.^[83][88] According dressingdown a church spokesman, the decease was due to "causes business to age." The Deseret Forenoon News reported that Hinckley difficult to understand just gone through a communicating of chemotherapy a few cycle earlier, and had "worked in abeyance the very end."^[89] The grant following Hinckley's death, thousands boss LDS youth in six states organized a social network action to dress in "Sunday Best" to honor Hinckley.^[90] Funeral benefit were held on February 2, 2008, at the Conference Sentiment in Salt Lake City, which was attended by tens remark thousands.^[91] Hinckley was buried strength the Salt Lake City Burial ground next to his wife, who had died almost four era earlier.

Some of the smirch that was used to submerge him was imported from position grounds of the Preston England Temple in Lancashire; this was done because Hinckley had anachronistic a missionary in this district of England.^[92] Hinckley was succeeded as president by Thomas Harsh. Monson on February 3, 2008.^[93]

In 2012, a 50-year longitudinal read of the development of Hinckley's voice, based on addresses take steps gave at BYU, was available in the Journal of depiction American Geriatrics Society.

The glance at gave insight into the waverings in the voices of ruinous adults.^[94]

Hinckley's teachings as an missionary were the 2017 course a number of study in the LDS Church's Sunday Relief Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes.

Publications

See also

Notes