President Hinckley

In 1995 President Hinckley was called as prophet. It was my freshman year in college and I had the opportunity to be in his presence on several occasions while at BYU. I will always remember that undeniable feeling of being in the same room as the prophet. His influence was far reaching and he has had a tremendous impact on my personal life. My love and respect for who he represented, what he accomplished, and how he went about it, has grown over the past twelve years. I am a better person for following our prophet...he knew the way to a happier and more fufilling life which leads us back to our Father in Heaven. I can honor him by recommitting myself to following the Savior and His teachings. "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet".

President Hinckley and his wife Marjorie Pay Hinckley




I will miss seeing him at General Conference and hearing his voice but I know that death has no sting and the grave has no victory. He lives with his cherished companion Marjorie Pay who passed away in 2004. What a joyous reunion!

A few things that have impacted my life over the past twelve years:

1. The Family: A Proclamation to the World (1995)

In "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," an official declaration released in 1995, Church leaders proclaimed that "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

2. The six B's (President Gordon B. Hinckley’s fireside address given on 12 November 2000)

Be grateful
Be smart
Be clean
Be true
Be humble
Be prayerful

3. Standing For Something. Ten Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts And Homes (2001)

Of Standing for Something, President Hinckley said, “I hope to accomplish some good in reaching out to people who may not be interested in our theology but would be interested in our position and stance on some of these values that are of everlasting benefit to this nation and people across the world.”

The Ten Virtues

Love: The Lodestar of Life
"Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people or bridge the chasms of bitterness."
Where There Is Honesty, Other Virtues Will Follow
"In our day, those found in dishonesty aren't put to death, but something within them dies. Conscience chokes, character withers, self-respect vanishes, integrity dies. How cheaply some men and women sell their good names!"
Making a Case for Morality
"Both experience and divine wisdom dictate that moral virtue and cleanliness pave the way that leads to strength of character, peace of mind and heart, and happiness in life."
Our Fading Civility
"Civility carries with it the essence of courtesy, politeness, and consideration of others. All of the education and accomplishments in the world will not count for much unless they are accompanied by marks of gentility, of respect for others, of going the extra mile."
Learning: "With All Thy Getting Get Understanding"
"No matter how old we become, we can acquire knowledge and use it. We can gather wisdom and profit from it. We can grow and progress and improve-and, in the process, strengthen the lives of those within our circle of influence."
The Twin Virtues of Forgiveness and Mercy
"Hatred always fails and bitterness always destroys. Are there virtues more in need of application in our day, a time marked by litigious proceedings and heated exchanges, than those of forgiving, forgetting, and extending mercy to those who may have wronged us or let us down?"
Thrift and Industry: Getting Our Houses in Order
"I commend to all the virtues of industry and thrift, which I believe go hand in hand. The labor and thrift of the people make a nation, a community, or a family strong. Work and thrift make the family independent."
Gratitude: A Sign of Maturity
"Gratitude is the beginning of civility, of decency and goodness, of a recognition that we cannot afford to be arrogant. We should walk with the knowledge that we will need help every step of the way."
Optimism in the Face of Cynicism
"My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort."
Faith: Our Only Hope
"Great buildings were never constructed on uncertain foundations. Great causes were never brought to success by vacillating leaders. Faith has always been, and always must be, at the root of any meaningful practice and endeavor."

4. The Book of Mormon Challenge (2005)

President Hinckley said this about the Book of Mormon:
“Its appeal is as timeless as truth, as universal as mankind. It is the only book that contains within its covers a promise that by divine power the reader may know with certainty of its truth.

“Its origin is miraculous; when the story of that origin is first told to one unfamiliar with it, it is almost unbelievable. But the book is here to be felt and handled and read. No one can dispute its presence. …

“No other written testament so clearly illustrates the fact that when men [and women] and nations walk in the fear of God and in obedience to His commandments, they prosper and grow, but when they disregard Him and His word, there comes a decay that, unless arrested by righteousness, leads to impotence and death” (“A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Liahona and Ensign, Aug. 2005, 4–5).

In his article in the Ensign and Liahona, President Hinckley issued “a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon.” Then he offered us a plan to accomplish the challenge: “If you will read a bit more than one and one-half chapters a day, you will be able to finish the book before the end of this year” (Liahona and Ensign, Aug. 2005, 6).

I took the challenge and the promised blessing was evident in my life. He said, “Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God” (Liahona and Ensign, Aug. 2005, 6).