Our Beloved President Hinckley 1910-2008

the above painting was by Heber, Hyrum's younger brother. He gave it to us for a wedding gift~we have always loved it.

My heart is full tonight and I just wanted to do something. President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints passed away this evening. I know he his with his beloved Marjorie, but we will miss him dearly. And it gives me great comfort that I have no doubt where he is, that the resurrection of Jesus Christ made it possible for us all to live again. He has been the prophet since the year I graduated from high school, (1995 ) and has been a true beacon of light to the world in every way. I will just miss hearing his voice, and his testimony, so I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes and testimony from him.

* "Now, the next thing of which I am certain, and of which I bear witness, is the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without it life is meaningless. It is the keystone in the arch of our existence. It affirms that we lived before we were born in mortality. Mortality is but a stepping-stone to a more glorious existence in the future. The sorrow of death is softened with the promise of the Resurrection. There would be no Christmas if there were no Easter." -Apr 2007 Conference

* “It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.” -Ensign, Oct 2000

* "Paul wrote to Timothy: God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord (2 Timothy 1:7-8). I would that every member of this Church would put those words where you might see them every morning as you begin your day. They will give you courage to speak up, they will give you the faith to try, they will strengthen your conviction of the Lord Jesus Christ." -Ensign Feb 2006

* " . . . I am satisfied . . . that whenever a man has a true witness in his heart of the living reality of the Lord Jesus Christ all else will come together as it should."
- 2004, Apr. Gen. Conf.

* "Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . .
Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride. " -Pres. Hinckley quoting Jenkin Lloyd Jones, BYU 1973

* "Our whole strength rests on the validity of [Joseph Smith's] vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens."
- Oct. Gen. Conf. 2002

* A Protestant Minister was given a tour of an Arizona temple before it was dedicated. He asked President Hinckley: "I've been all through this building, this temple which carries on its face the name of Jesus Christ, but nowhere have I seen any representation of the cross, the symbol of Christianity. I have noted your buildings elsewhere and likewise find an absence of the cross. Why is this when you say you believe in Jesus Christ?" President Hinckley gave this answer: http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2043-1-2986-1,00.html