President Gordon B. Hinckley

I guess this wouldn’t be a journal if I didn’t write down my thoughts about a man who has just passed who has had such a profound impact on my life. President Gordon B. Hinckley (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) passed away around 7pm on Sunday, January 27th. Just over an hour after that, breaking news had hit the television sets and the news spread like wildfire. I wasn’t watching TV and Dustin (who was in Jamaica) was calling me to break the news. Within minutes I received 5 more phone calls. This is a man who others strive to be like. His knowledge and testimony of the church along with his natural charm, charisma, social grace and wit have touched the lives of so many all over the world. Not only those of the same faith, but those of many other faiths, the non-believers, the cynics, and the hard-core reporters as well. He was so in tune with everything that was going on in the world, yet he lived as though he was detached. He has won over the hearts of teenagers throughout the world. (I work with teenagers on an almost daily basis and I truly understand how hard that can be). When many of those in high school here in Utah found out about President Hinckley, there were at least 5 or 6 high schools in which the students decided to dress in their Sunday best to go to school on Monday in order to pay tribute to this man. My Grandma didn’t believe in a lot of teachings of the church, but she always had the most wonderful things to say about President Hinckley. People couldn’t help but love and respect him, even admire him. He won over the hearts of everyone he came in contact with. Not to mention that he was able to accomplish more in 1 lifetime than I could ever do in 10. At the age of 97 he was traveling the world and touching the lives of so many. As many have said, I cannot even begin to imagine the reunion that he must have had with his wife and so many others that had passed before him on Sunday evening. We may be mourning the loss of him here, but there is a big celebration on the other side. I never was able to meet him in person, but I was able to attend quite a few meetings where he was speaking or in attendance. The feeling in the room when he was speaking was truly amazing and I will hold onto those feelings for as long as I live. I am so grateful to have learned from such a remarkable man. It has been a blessing in my life.