Please excuse a deviation today from my usual thoughts on communities, learning, and educational technologies. I just needed to write some of my reflections about a man I admire who passed away last night.
Today is a sad day for the 13 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as our president, Gordon B. Hinckley has passed away at the age of 97. What a truly amazing man! The articles being released this morning say that up until the end he was putting in a full day at the office. I hope I can be able to have that strength when I am in my 90s.
President Hinckley has led the Church for 13 years, during which time he has done some truly remarkable things. I like what Senator Orrin Hatch said, “This is a man who — I don’t care what your religious belief is, I don’t care what your educational standards are, I don’t care what place you’ve reached in the world, etc. etc. — you have to conclude this is one of the greatest men who ever lived on the face of the earth.”
In his service to the Church, these were some of the highlights that I think I will remember hm most for:
– Creating the Perpetual Education Fund, which I think is one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in the world and is continuing to grow. This program uses interest from a pot of money gathered through donations to give loans to people in developing countries, who then repay the loans for the next group of students. Perhaps because of my background in education, I am particularly excited for this program and the good it is doing for thousands of people in the world. If you truly want to “teach a man to fish”, consider donating to this wonderful program, which is administered by volunteers so 100% of the money goes towards these educational loans.
– Temples for members of our church are very special, different from church houses and more costly and difficult to build. But President Hinckley oversaw a radical change in how temples were built so that the number of temples worldwide could double in three years.
– Even in his 80s and 90s, President Hinckley traveled throughout the world to meet with members of the Church everywhere. I like the quote in this article that he was so beloved in the Orient that members there joke he will be resurrected a Korean!
– In 1995, he led the Quorum of 12 Apostles in crafting a powerful document on the family that explains how families can be built and developed successfully in today’s society.
– In 2000, he and the Quorum of 12 again issued a proclamation, this time a beautiful statement on our Church’s beliefs concerning Jesus Christ
– He was a bestselling author of Standing for Something.
– Above all, he was an exemplary example of a husband and father, and was perhaps best known or his devotion to his wife, Marjorie.
To those not familiar with the LDS faith, it may be interesting to know that the next president has already been selected, although not officially until after President Hinckley’s funeral, per the Church’s revealed tradition. The new president will be Thomas S. Monson, who was the senior member of the Quorum of 12 Apostles. I actually got to hear him speak by satellite broadcast to our church service yesterday. He is best known for his devotion to the needy (he frequently visits hospitals and has looked up the widows he served as a young bishop years ago), and as an experienced leader, and humorous storyteller.
Thank you President Hinckley for your service and love of the people, and to President Monson, our prayers are with you!
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