Monday, January 28, 2008

A great man


I want to just take a little bit of time and mention the passing of our dear prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. I know that almost everyone reading this already has heard the news, but I still feel like I should say something. I was 14 when President Hinckley became the prophet. This was just about the time that I was really starting to listen and pay attention during General Conferences. I have always looked forward to hearing our prophet's voice and always feel so happy and reassured whenever he spoke. He had such a way of making you feel right at home and you just knew that he was speaking with conviction. His sense of humor could always get the whole congregation laughing! There were a few times at college where I was able to hear him speak in person and the spirit was always there testifying that he was indeed God's prophet on earth.

I will deeply miss him. I think that especially this spring's General Conference will be hard. I have heard many people echo some of my first thoughts...that it is sad for us, but everyone is so glad that he is with his wife right now. Isn't it so wonderful that he loved and missed his wife so much that everyone knew it!

The day that he passed away, January 27, 2008, the topic of our Sunday School class started me thinking about modern day prophets and how wonderful a blessing they are. We were talking about how God has told us that He is unchanging. On my mission, we used this truth to teach that if God never changes, and he spoke through prophets in Bible times, then why wouldn't he speak through prophets now? The times that we are living in now are so unique in the challenges and blessings that they present, and I am so grateful that God loves us enough to provide a prophet. I am especially grateful that Presiden Hinckley was that prophet for much of the time that I can remember.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Kristalyn, I have been needing to blog about this too-especially for our family journal. Your post put me in tears. It brought back so many memories of testifying as a missionary of prophets and particularly, President Hinckley, a living prophet when we were missionaries. What a miraculous doctrine-living prophets today with counsel from God. I too am sad but find comfort and joy in thinking about the welcome he has received upon passing to the other side.

Beth said...

I loved this post. I have to agree, I think this next conference is going to be especially hard without him. It totally makes me smile to think of his reunion with his wife, but it's still hard to accept that he's not here with us anymore. The great thing is that we know we can see him again, and that the work will go on. I have read several negative comments about how he wasn't really a prophet, and I'm so glad that I know he absolutely was!

Babzanne Barker said...

What a beautiful post, Kristalyn. Thank you!I'm glad you loved the prophet, too.

AbiAnn said...

When Abigail was two, we would ask her who the prophet is and she would say "Go B. Hinkey." I read once, that if our we taught our children to love the prophet and the apostles then it would make it very hard for Satan to grab hold of them. He was easy to love. He was the first prophet I felt I knew. He was was the first prophet I had ever seen. He was a very progressive prophet and left a great legacy for the members of the church.

Mason is so cute!! We love books in our house too. The favorite right now is "Puff the Magic Dragon." We highly recommend it, beautiful pictures. I love Masons big smile too!