Gordon B. Hinckley Passes Away

[Alexander I]

"SALT LAKE CITY - Gordon B. Hinckley, the Mormon church's oldest president who presided over one of the greatest periods of expansion in its history, died Sunday. He was 97.

Hinckley, the 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died of complications arising from old age, church spokesman Mike Otterson said.

"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an abiding love for others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and fellow Mormon. "His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed by not only members of our faith, but by people of all faiths throughout the world."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_re_us/obit_hinckley

R.I.P. President Hinckley; you will be missed.

[Tuberski]

That is sad to hear.

R.I.P.

[SlowwHand]

Yeah, that "Ack" shows how badly you feel.

[Tuberski]

That was habit, I never do the ack in these threads.

[Max Webster]

Its always sad when anybody passes away.

But why this particular individual is singled out is beyond me.


anyway my condolences to the family.

[-Jrabbit]

Hinckley led the LDS church -- a relatively young faith, begun in 1830 -- for over 45 years. He made Mormonism acceptable to the mainstream, and presided over a huge expansion of operations, traveling to over 60 countries and dedicating 95 new churches. There are now over 12MM Mormons in this world, largely through his efforts. It's now the 4th largest religion in the US -- bigger than Lutheranism.

He took his faith and his mission very seriously. He made it his life. Such dedication is rare. That's why Gordon Hinckley was important.

[Max Webster]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
Hinckley led the LDS church -- a relatively young faith, begun in 1830 -- for over 45 years. He made Mormonism acceptable to the mainstream, and presided over a huge expansion of operations, traveling to over 60 countries and dedicating 95 new churches. There are now over 12MM Mormons in this world, largely through his efforts. It's now the 4th largest religion in the US -- bigger than Lutheranism.

He took his faith and his mission very seriously. He made it his life. Such dedication is rare. That's why Gordon Hinckley was important.

Very impressive, especially if you value Mormon religion.

[TheStinger]

never heard of him until now

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
...dedicating 95 new churches.

Actually he dedicated around 95 new temples, which are quite different from the chapels where local congregations meet. You could compare an LDS chapel with a Jewish synagogue, while LDS temples are more equivalent to the Temple of Solomon. There are 124 Temples, and over 17,000 chapels.

I won't bother explaining all the details here, but suffice it to say that a temple is only located in an area where there's a very significant LDS population, while chapels are everywhere.

This article gives further details on the difference: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/...rship-services

Understanding the significance of temples to LDS theology gives greater perspective on the tremendous impact of Gordon B. Hinckley, especially considering that when I was born 25 years ago there were just 20 temples worldwide, and now there are 124.

[-Jrabbit]

Thanks for clarifying, Alexander. I've written a couple stories for trade journals converning the LDS Church (including the incredible seismic upgrade and AV revamp to the main Tabernacle building), so my grasp of proper terminology is a bit shaky.

[Provost Harrison]

Only the good die old

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
I've written a couple stories ... covering the incredible seismic upgrade ... so my grasp of proper terminology is a bit shaky.

[chequita guevara]

I hope this thread is a parody.

[Elok]

Why? It's Gordon B. Hinckley, not John Hinckley Junior, in case you misread

It's natural that Alexander would be distressed when the founder of his religion passed away, and while I disapprove of the Mormons on doctrinal grounds I haven't heard of this guy doing anything bad.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Elok
...I haven't heard of this guy doing anything bad.

I can make up an ugly rumour if you'd like.