Good Bye

President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through twelve years of global expansion, has died at the age of 97.


President Hinckley was the 15th president in the 177-year history of the Church and had served as its president since 12 March 1995.


The Church president died at his apartment in downtown Salt Lake City at 7:00 p.m. Sunday night from causes incident to age. Members of his family were at his bedside.



At his age, you expect him to pass away at any time, although it did come as a bit of a shock to me and I am saddened by his passing.

Some of the things that President Hinckley did during the time that he was prophet and president of the church are:

• Most traveled president in the church's history, visiting more than 60 countries.


• Initiated the Perpetual Education Fund


• Announced the construction of the Conference Center, the largest religious and theater auditorium in the world seating 21,000 people and is a hub for the church's general conference, broadcast in 91 languages.


• Committed the church to a massive temple-building program, asking that 100 temples be in operation before the year 2000.

I read President Hinckley's biography when I was a Sophomore in college. I couldn't help but be inspired by his optimism, hard work, faith, and wit. Despite his age, he was full of spunk. Members all over the church will morn his passing.

A new prophet will not be called and sustained until after President Hinckley's funeral. Sometime after the funeral, the remaining 12 apostles will meet together to pray and vote for a new prophet. By tradition, it has always been the most senior apostle, and that is President Thomas S. Monson.