Our Beloved Prophet

I was so glad and felt very blessed to be able to watch the funeral proceedings of President Gordon B. Hinckley broadcast on BYU-TV. It was such a spiritual and uplifting funeral and so many things touched me that I heard and saw throughout the services. I hope you don't mind a lengthy blog here with my feelings about it.
It was a joy for me to see and hear Jane Clayson Johnson as one of the commentators for the funeral. As you remember, she was a successful news anchor that received a lot of worldly criticism when she left her career as she married to raise a family. I was one of her faithful fans and enjoyed watching her when she was on The Early Show on CBS. I thought then what a great example she was of the church. Just like at President’s Faust’s funeral, the apostles lined up on both sides of the entryway where the family and casket came into the Conference Center. It was such a powerful thing to see those great men who loved and served President Hinckley all stand together in reverence for him and his family. I felt their strength and love.
I was touched when President Monson, at the beginning of the funeral, recognized President Hinckley’s bishop and stake president sitting on the stand. I wondered what that would be like, to be the bishop of the Prophet of God. It really strengthened my testimony of how church organization functions the same everywhere. Ever since I watched an entertaining and quite humorous Education Week presentation by Sister Marjorie Hinckley and her daughters at a Relief Society retreat years ago, I have admired and appreciated President’s Hinckley’s daughters. They have truly honored and taken care of their parents in their advancing years and more so since their mother died. I was so touched with daughter Virginia Pearce’s talk about her father and how, after the death of his wife and his deep grief and mourning, President Hinckley took the added compassion and faith deeply carved in his heart, put on his shoes, and went to work. He did so two years later after his diagnosis with cancer…mourned the loss of his good health and then put on his shoes and went to work. That gave me courage to commit everyday to put on my shoes every morning and go to work! I was touched when H. David’s Burton mentioned in his talk that within minutes of the announcement of the death of President Hinckley how the airwaves were full of text messages around the globe from the youth of the church. How he loved the youth! I do, too, and instantly remembered how many texts we received that Sunday evening from our young single adult branch members within minutes of when we heard the sad news.
I was touched by Earl C. Tingey’s talk that focused on the footprints on the sand of President Hinckley. One that I especially appreciated was the prophet’s sense of humor. I have always loved President Hinckley’s humor and wit and recalled how many times he taught others that a sense of humor is what gets you through life. How very true that is because I have had to rely on humor in many troubled and hard times.
I was touched when Boyd K. Packer reminded us of how the succession of the church works and remembered that Dale taught that very thing at branch FHE last Monday night. He also asked the young single adults to pray for three things : for the Hinckley family; for strength for President Monson; and for the testimony that President Monson is the Lord’s choice for the next prophet. I took his counsel and was blessed with powerful spiritual impressions. I was touched when Henry B.Eyring reminded us that President Hinckley always optimistically counseled, ”things will work out” and, from encouragement from his own father in the mission field, to “forget yourself and go to work”. Elder Eyring told us that President Hinckley had been doing that ever since and had put the gospel of Jesus Christ "down in his heart" and encouraged Elder Eyring when he served in the Church Education System to teach seminary and youth leaders to teach the youth to get the gospel down in their hearts. I remembered that I received that counsel from Elder Eyring as a seminary teacher in a training session. Difficult task, but certainly worth it! President Hinckley taught us all to not only give our best, but our very best and there is not a better way to do that than to put the gospel of Jesus Christ down in our hearts and to teach our beloved youth to do the same. Elder Eyring told us that President Hinckley wanted to be in Rexsburg for the dedication of the new temple there and I was a little saddened to realize that President Hinckley would not be at our temple dedication this summer. But I know he will be there in spirit and can I hope that President Monson will be there?
I felt the sweet, yet powerful witness that President Monson was indeed the next prophet of the church as I listened to his tribute to President Hinckley. Again, he lovingly spoke of the humorous side of the prophet and I loved his account of how his doctor, the same as President Hincklely, tried to get President Monson to tell the prophet how important it was that he use his cane to walk with instead of doing things with it like waving it and tapping people on the shoulder. President Monson then told the doctor that he was President Hinckley’s counselor and that he was his doctor, and that he tell him! I laughed and was reassured that our next prophet, President Monson, was obedient and had apparently taken the counsel of his beloved prophet and friend… to have a sense of humor to get you through the difficult times. I was touched when he quoted the scripture and gave counsel to President Hinckley’s posterity and that he gave to President Faust’s family at his funeral: New Testament - 3 John verse 4: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." That is the same wish for all of us parents and I am thankful that my children have given me such great joy.
When President Monson quoted the words of the hymn, “God Be With You” that President Hinckley recently gave himself in a conference session and then bid tender farewell by saying, “Gordon, God be with you,” I wept. And never stopped as we watched the poignant pictures of President Hinckley’s legacy shown as the choir sang the beautiful closing song, “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”. My testimony of the Savior’s resurrection and gift of eternal life was strengthened.
Again, I was so touched to see the apostles line up when the casket and family left the center, especially when one reached out and touched the casket in a loving gesture. To see many audience members wave white handkerchiefs reminded me of how President Hinckley and the saints worldwide did that very thing while parting.
At the graveside service, I smiled when President Monson lovingly reminded us that 2 out of the 3 in their former presidency were on the other side. He told of President Hinckley’s wish to have a box of dirt from England where he served his mission placed in his grave so that he could be buried on not only American soil, but also his beloved England’s soil. I, too, felt like I should leave “nothing undone” in my life and continue to keep going strong. I was mesmerized with the striking bagpipe player as he marched around and played a medley of some of President Hinckley’s favorite songs, (and mine) “O Danny Boy”, “Amazing Grace” and “Praise to the Man”. Such feelings of gratitude and love for our beloved President Hinckley were overwhelming and I wanted to “stand a little taller” and have the deep abiding faith that “it will work out” no matter what comes my way. I have no doubt in my mind that he is a prophet of God and that he rests with Him and with his cherished Marjorie. May we all support and sustain President Monson as he continues to love and guide the church.