Our Prophet

Andrew and I have felt a supreme amount of loss combined with gratitude at the passing of our Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley.

When I was a child, I thought of him as the the funny apostle. When he spoke in Conference, I perked up and eagerly watched, waiting for the lighthearted humor that was sure to come. When he became our Prophet, I remember being excited that he would speak more during Conference and liven things up a little. I may not have had the right attitude, but there is no doubt that President Hinckley always stood out to me as someone I could relate to.

As many of those our age, he has been the prophet of our youth and adulthood through which time we have made some of the most significant choices we will ever make in this life. Andrew and I are especially grateful for his counsel and testimony that strengthened our own and his example that inspired us to become better.

I remember after news of Sister Hinckley's passing years ago, I was walking back from a religion class on BYU campus. I ran into Andrew (this was during a non-dating period) and he and I spoke of the news as he walked me home. My first reaction was the thought that President Hinckley could never live without his wife for long (as he had recently said from the pulpit) and would soon follow. I cried inconsolably at the thought of losing our prophet. It seemed too soon. I wasn't ready. Andrew, ever the optimist, was sure I was overreacting. I'm grateful for the years since then that President Hinckley continued to press forward and lose his life in the blessing and service of the Saints. I'm grateful that he lived long enough to sign my mission call and that I had the opportunity to reply and pledge to him my full effort in preaching the gospel. Even years later, it still feels too soon; however, he has left us with so much that although we feel loss, we could never feel empty.

I recall testifying of our Prophet to countless people in Japan. I remember wishing that they could just meet him, fully expecting that if they could just be in his presence, they would know for certain that he was a prophet of God. I don't think anyone I testified to ever had the chance to meet our Prophet, yet it was enough for many of them to feel the Spirit as he spoke in Conference and they felt sure that he was a special witness of Christ.

For all those who may read this-and at this point I wouldn't be surprised if no one reads our blog- nevertheless, we would like to state that we know that Gordon B. Hinckley was a Prophet of God. We know that God loves us all so much, that he has blessed us with servants on the Earth who guide and direct us to lead full and remarkable lives. We know this because we have felt the Holy Ghost testify and bring feelings of peace and hope as we hear the words of his chosen servants, including our beloved Prophet. We are grateful for the faith, humor, and optimism of President Hinckley. His relationship and love for us all has helped me better understand, even if in small way, the love and compassion that our Savior feels for us. I hope that we will be able to share his influence and wisdom with our children, that they too may be strengthened and remember the heritage of their Faith.
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