On President Gordon B. Hinckley's passing

There are a lot of people I admire. I'm a software developer, and while I have my philosophical differences with a number of prominent people in the software world, I know a good programmer when I see one and I admire them for their dedication to their work and to whatever cause they choose. I admire a lot of people, in fact, and strive to take their good examples and integrate them into my life.

But there are few people that I would call a hero, or a person that I would want to be more like in every detail. That regard tends to be reserved for exceptional people who show exemplary lives; the most obvious example being Jesus Christ. The men who comprise the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the LDS Church, or the Mormons) fit the bill quite well. They are called to the same post as the apostles of the early Christian church, and as such are considered prophets, just as prophets of old in the Bible. Preposterous, you say? It most certainly isn't, and I'll tell you about President Hinckley to show why he is a hero to me, and why I have no doubt about him as a Prophet. He passed away on January 27th (of 2008), and I'm sad to see him go.

President Hinckley was a funny man. He would stand up to speak in General Conference (where the whole church gets together to listen on TV or over satellite tranmission, etc.), and crack a joke or two that would have everyone laughing heartily. On the other hand, he always had something serious to address, and he always did so without mincing words. Captivating to listen to, he spoke with such clarity that you always went away from his talks thinking, "I want to to better. I can do better."

He inspired goodness in people, but he always directed them toward God in the process. He pleaded with people for tolerance of other religions and views, pleaded with people to serve others, and pleaded with people to avoid pornography, smut, sleaze, abuse, carnality, and all things related to them. He always showed optimism; and his optimism was contagious. There was no hint that even someone who was struggling with bad habits or problems had no hope. His teachings were nothing less than the modern-day wording of Christ's teachings in their purity, and it's obvious where he got them and who he credited with what he taught.

But a good person saying and doing good things does not mean they are a prophet. I know a lot of people who go about doing much good, and they definitely aren't prophets or anything like one. As background, some day I'll post about the first president of the LDS Church and his story, but suffice it to say that President Hinckley received his authority via the Priesthood traceable back to Christ himself, and I truly believe that. With that said, I'd like to share a personal experience regarding President Hinckley that shows my personal conviction on the matter.

For the first part of my university studies, I was at BYU (Brigham Young University); I later transferred to Utah State University to finish my CS degree. While at BYU, we had the good fortune of being able to listen to various religious leaders and faculty speak about religious matters. President Hinckley came to speak, and everybody was excited about it. We all went early to the basketball stadium to snag a seat, and it filled up pretty quick (I think it seats about 22,000 people or so). Everyone was chatting, and the general buzz in the Marriott center was quite audible. About 5 seconds before President Hinckley came in, I had this little thought in the back of my mind say "stand up." I did so, and realized as I did that everyone else was standing up at the same time, and all of the talking stopped. 20,000 people, and not a peep out of any of them. He came in right after, and everyone started singing the LDS hymn "We thank thee, O God, for a Prophet". As this was occurring, and I was looking down towards the podium at him, I had a very strong, warm feeling come over me and the clear thought in my mind saying, "This, Mike, is truly a Prophet of God."

There was no mistaking that feeling. There is no simulating it, nor is it the effect of brainwash or any other erroneous cause. It was a simple, pure manifestation of the Spirit of God teaching me a simple principle, one that I could then never deny. Having that knowledge has given me a greater desire to follow what President Hinckley has taught, and helped me to realize just how important it is to know that God has not left us without a voice in modern times, and that He didn't just stop talking to us.

President Hinckley was an amazing person, and accomplished much good in his life. I'm sure he is quite happy to be with his wife again (who passed away a couple of years ago), but we'll miss him. To sum up my regard for this man, may I quote from the Book of Mormon, speaking of captain Moroni, but cast it in terms of President Hinckley:

Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto [Gordon B. Hinckley], behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

May you crack many jokes among those that have passed on before, and rest in peace, our dear old friend. We'll miss you.