Our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinckley passed away last night January 27th at 7:00pm. He was 97 years old. He is one of my favorite prophets because of his wit and sense of humor. I love anyone who can laugh at themselves and find humor in all situations of life. He had that gift and shared it not only with the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but with the world. He was a man of God and shared his love of God and will to do good for all people in all lands. He was respected and loved by everyone who met him. I have had the quote "In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured" on my blog because it reminds me to enjoy and savor every moment of life, the good and the bad. He seemed to do that. He was full of humility and grace and accomplished so much by dedicating his life to the Lord.
When we heard the news my heart sank a little and the mood at the house was somber. We heard the news around 7:45pm last night. We were at my parents for Sunday dinner and a neighbor called and told us to turn on the TV because President Hinckley had passed away. We quickly turned it on but could not find any information. Carter searched the internet and there was not any reports yet. Shortly after, there was a break in the programming announcing that indeed President Hinckley had passed away. I grabbed my cell phone and started calling our family that lives out of state. It seems at that very moment other LDS families had the very same idea. It literally took 5-10 trys dialing the number before I could make the connection because all circuits were busy. I was even trying on two phones to see which one would pick up the signal first. It truly shows how many people loved him and were touched by his life.
It is quite the winter storm outside my window today. I love to watch the snow fall and love the quiteness the it brings. It has given me time to sit and reflect upon what I can do to be more Christ-like and to bless the lives of others. I feel so grateful to be a member of the LDS church and for countless blessings I have received because of it. Today, I sat with my two younger ones and watched an interview he gave in 2003. The reporter asked what advice he would give to the youth. He responded " Hang in there and stand by your ideals. Fight for the good and live the right way, shun the evil it won't lead anywhere. Your future lies in the living the values that have been proven through centuries of time. If they will cling to those values, the values of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, they will be happy and their lives will be productive." What great advice. After hearing him say this Kennedy ran up and hugged the TV and said he is my favorite prophet. What a touching moment.
I know his life has touched many. Last night, Carter and I stayed up late watching the news coverage and seeing how the young people gathered at Temple Square and at his apt building singing hymns as a memorial to him. Students at BYU gathered at the building that bears his name (the Alumni building) to sing and reflect on his life. This continues today as most college and high school students are wearing their sunday best to school today in honor of him. What a great and exemplary man he was. We love you President Hinckley.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing your feelings Sandra. It brings me comfort to read
what other people experienced when they heard the news and how they feel about him.
HUGS~
Chelsea
What an awsome thing you wrote. He was my favorite prophet. I felt like my testimony grew the most during his years as prophet. I love what you wrote about what he said to the youth. It is great advice for them in this day.
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