Last night text messages and emails flew around to report that President Hinckley died at home. He was 97 years old.
I'll miss him, even though I know we were lucky to have him with us as long as we did. I was 15 when he became the President of the Church, and so many wonderful things have happened under his leadership. We have many more temples around the world now (including the one in Alaska), and programs to encourage education for members in developing countries. He was willing to go out and speak with the media about who we are and what we believe, and to form good relationships with leaders of other faiths and organizations. He traveled the world to meet with members of the Church. President Hinckley seemed so tireless that it was easy to forget how old he was. And it was always wonderful to hear him speak--he was sharp as a tack, optimistic, funny, and loving.
From the beginning he encouraged us to "try a little harder to be a little better" as Christians, family members, and neighbors.
"My beloved associates, far more of us need to awake and arouse our faculties to an awareness of the great everlasting truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past, and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to improve the world about us, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our social activities." (Gordon B. Hinckley, “We Have a Work to Do,” Ensign, May 1995, 87)
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