2008-01-27 President Hinckley passed away

We heard from Rita Grider that President Hinckley passed away. Her husband Mike was watching TV while Paula and Rita were talking. We turned on the TV and called our family to tell them. This marks an end of end of an era.

Gordon B. Hinckley, the president of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, on Jan. 4.


from the NY Times:

Gordon B. Hinckley, Mormon Leader, Is Dead at 97

Gordon B. Hinckley, the president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who led Mormonism through a period of global expansion, died Sunday at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 97.

The church, which announced his death on its Web site, said a successor to Mr. Hinckley was not expected to be chosen until after his funeral.

Mr. Hinckley spent 46 years in the church’s top leadership ranks, 12 of those as its 15th president. He was the oldest president in the church’s history.

In a faith that is relatively young, founded in 1830, Mr. Hinckley’s impact was formative. He traveled to 60 countries and dedicated 95 of the church’s 124 temples, some on sites that he himself had surveyed and selected. Wherever he went, he drew large crowds of church members waving white handkerchiefs, a sign of affection that began in Chile and spread.