Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley (born June 23, 1910 in Salt Lake City , Utah ; † January 27, 2008 ibid) was the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , commonly referred to as Mormons , from 1995 to 2008 . Hinckley was the oldest ever serving president of that denomination.
Life
Hinckley was born on June 23, 1910 to Bryant Stringham and Ada Bitner Hinckley. In 1928 he graduated from LDS High School. He then studied English at the University of Utah and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. He served in the British Mission from 1933 to 1935. In 1935 he made a trip around Europe, then Hinckley was hired by Heber J. Grant to organize the public relations department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 5, 1961 . Hinckley served as a counselor in the first presidency from July 23, 1981 to 1995. During the 1980s, he was the only healthy member of the institution at one point. On March 12, 1995, he became President of the Faith Community.
Hinckley led the missionary work well and was very busy building temples for the Church. He consecrated more than half of the 124 temples worldwide today, more than all modern prophets before him combined.
Since April 1937 Hinckley was married to Marjorie Pay (1911-2004); they became parents of five children and grandparents of 29 grandchildren. On June 23, 2004, George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom . On January 27, 2008, he died of old age at the age of 97.
See also
Publications (selection)
- Stand a Little Taller: Counsel and Inspiration for Each Day of the Year , Eagle Gate Verlag 2001 (en.), ISBN 1-57008-767-9
- Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes , Crown Publishers 2000 (en.) ISBN 0-8129-3317-6
- Be Thou an Example , Deseret Book Company 2000 (en.), ISBN 1-57345-051-0
- Standing for Something (Wheeler Compass) , Wheeler Publishing 2000 (en.), ISBN 1-56895-924-9
- Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley , Deseret Book Company 1997 (en.), ISBN 1-57345-262-9
Web links
- Obituary for Gordon B. Hinckley (German)
- Literature by and about Gordon B. Hinckley in the catalog of the German National Library
predecessor | Office | successor |
---|---|---|
Howard W. Hunter |
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints 1995 - 2008 |
Thomas S. Monson |
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Hinckley, Gordon B. |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hinckley, Gordon Bitner |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
DATE OF BIRTH | June 23, 1910 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Salt Lake City |
DATE OF DEATH | January 27, 2008 |
Place of death | Salt Lake City |