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Photo by Scot Facer
Proctor
Many
have come forward to praise President Hinckley this week, including
a Time magazine article that claims it was the prophet’s
ability to open doors and make people more comfortable with Mormonism
that paved the way for Mitt Romney’s run for the White House.
In
Washington D.C., Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett
paid tribute to him on the floor of the Senate, and many notables
are flying into Salt
Lake to pay their respects. Thousands
are expected to throng the north gate at Temple
Square to get tickets to the funeral Saturday morning.
In
all this, at Meridian,
we have just yearned to hear President Hinckley’s voice again, so
here are some memorable quotes from the past few years.
Marvelous Things Happen
"I
recall sitting in the Salt Lake Tabernacle when I was fourteen or
fifteen — up in the balcony right behind the clock — and hearing
President Heber J. Grant tell of his experience in reading the Book
of Mormon when he was a boy. He spoke of Nephi and of the great
influence he had upon his life. And then, with a voice ringing with
a conviction that I shall never forget, he quoted those great words
of Nephi: ‘I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded,
for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments
unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that
they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth
them’ (1 Ne. 3:7).
There came into my young heart on that occasion a resolution to
try to do what the Lord has commanded. What marvelous things happen
when men and women walk with faith in obedience to that which is
required of them!"
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “If Ye Be Willing and Obedient,” Ensign, Jul 1995,
2
Conviction
"Certitude
is certainty. It is conviction. It is the power of faith that approaches
knowledge — yes, that even becomes knowledge. It evokes enthusiasm,
and there is no asset comparable to enthusiasm in overcoming opposition,
prejudice, and indifference. Great buildings were never constructed
on uncertain foundations. Great causes were never brought to success
by vacillating leaders. The gospel was never expounded to the convincing
of others without certainty. Faith, which is of the very essence
of personal conviction, has always been, and always must be, at
the root of religious practice and endeavor."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “Faith: The Essence of True Religion,” Ensign, Oct
1995, 2
The Polar Star
"We
know not what lies ahead of us. We know not what the coming days
will bring. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will
be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much
of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For
others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know.
But one thing we do know. Like the polar star in the heavens, regardless
of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world,
the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives.
He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the
very focus of our faith."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “We Look to Christ,” Ensign, May 2002, 90
Bookends
"Today,
facing west, on the high bluff overlooking the city of Nauvoo,
thence across the Mississippi, and over the
plains of Iowa, there
stands Joseph’s temple, a magnificent house of God. Here in the
Salt Lake Valley, facing east to that beautiful temple in Nauvoo, stands Brigham’s
temple, the Salt Lake
Temple. They look toward one another as
bookends between which there are volumes that speak of the suffering,
the sorrow, the sacrifice, even the deaths of thousands who made
the long journey from the Mississippi River to the valley of the
Great Salt Lake."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “‘O That I Were an Angel, and Could Have the Wish of Mine
Heart’,” Ensign, Nov 2002, 4
Black Walnut
"I
love trees. Well, some 36 years ago I planted a black walnut.
It was in a crowded area where it grew straight and tall to get
the sunlight. A year ago, for some reason it died. But walnut is
a precious furniture wood. I called Brother Ben Banks of the Seventy,
who, before giving his full time to the Church, was in the business
of hardwood lumber. He brought his two sons, one a bishop and the
other recently released as a bishop and who now run the business,
to look at the tree. From all they could tell it was solid, good,
and beautiful wood. One of them suggested that it would make a pulpit
for this hall. The idea excited me. The tree was cut down and then
cut into two heavy logs. Then followed the long process of drying,
first naturally and then kiln drying. The logs were cut into boards
at a sawmill in Salem, Utah. The boards were then taken to Fetzer’s
woodworking plant, where expert craftsmen designed and built this
magnificent pulpit with that wood. The end product is beautiful.
I wish all of you could examine it closely. It represents superb
workmanship, and here I am speaking to you from the tree I grew
in my backyard, where my children played and also grew. It
is an emotional thing for me."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “To All the World in Testimony,” Ensign, May 2000,
4
Prophetic Utterance
"As
I contemplate this marvelous structure, adjacent to the temple,
there comes to mind the great prophetic utterance of Isaiah:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of
the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow
unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go
up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem … O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk
in the light of the Lord’ (Isa.
2:2–3, 5). I believe that prophecy applies to the historic
and wonderful Salt
Lake Temple. But I believe also that it is
related to this magnificent hall. For it is from this pulpit that
the law of God shall go forth, together with the word and testimony
of the Lord."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “This Great Millennial Year,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 67–71
Priesthood Keys
“’What
hath God wrought through the instrumentality of His servant Joseph!’
I give you my testimony of him. He was the ordained servant of God,
this Joseph, raised up to become the mighty prophet of this dispensation
— ‘a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ’
(D&C 21:1).
To that witness I add another word of testimony, that the members
of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are
they who today hold all of the priesthood keys bestowed upon Joseph
Smith, with the administration of those keys under the direction
of Joseph’s legal successor, the President of the Church."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “‘What Hath God Wrought through His Servant Joseph!’,” Ensign,
Jan 1997, 2
Nauvoo Temple Announced
"In
closing now, I feel impressed to announce that among all of the
temples we are constructing, we plan to rebuild the Nauvoo
Temple. A member of the Church and his
family have provided a very substantial contribution to make this
possible. We are grateful to him. It will be a while before it happens,
but the architects have begun their work. This temple will not be
busy much of the time; it will be somewhat isolated. But during
the summer months, we anticipate it will be very busy. And the new
building will stand as a memorial to those who built the first such
structure there on the banks of the Mississippi."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “Thanks to the Lord for His Blessings,” Ensign, May
1999, 88
Four Essential Cornerstones
"We
have basic cornerstones on which this great latter-day Church has
been established by the Lord and built, ‘fitly framed together.’
They are absolutely fundamental to this work — the very foundation,
anchors on which it stands. I should like to speak briefly of these
four essential cornerstones which anchor The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. I mention first the chief cornerstone, whom
we recognize and honor as the Lord Jesus Christ. The second is the
vision given the Prophet Joseph Smith when the Father and the Son
appeared to him. The third is the Book of Mormon, which speaks as
a voice from the dust with the words of ancient prophets declaring
the divinity and reality of the Savior of mankind. The fourth is
the priesthood with all of its powers and authority, whereby men
act in the name of God in administering the affairs of His kingdom."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “Four Cornerstones of Faith,” Ensign, Feb 2004, 2–7
Praise for Our Youth
"It
is wonderfully refreshing to see the faith and faithfulness of our
young people. They live at a time when a great tide of evil is washing
over the earth. It seems to be everywhere. Old standards are discarded.
Principles of virtue and integrity are cast aside. But we find literally
hundreds of thousands of our young people holding to the high standards
of the gospel. They find happy and uplifting association with those
of their own kind. They are improving their minds with education
and their skills with discipline, and their influence for good is
felt ever more widely."
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “The Church Grows Stronger,” Ensign, May 2004, 4
Fresh Air
“The story is told that reporters were interviewing a man on
his birthday. He had reached an advanced age. They asked him how
he had done it.
“He replied, ‘When my wife and I were married we determined
that if we ever got in a quarrel one of us would leave the house.
I attribute my longevity to the fact that I have breathed good fresh
air throughout my married life.’”
Gordon B. Hinckley, “Slow to Anger,” Ensign,
November 2007
Let Our Voices be Heard
“The building of public sentiment begins with a few earnest
voices. I am not one to advocate shouting defiantly or shaking fists and issuing threats
in the faces of legislators. But I am one who believes that we should
earnestly and sincerely and positively express our convictions to
those given the heavy responsibility of making and enforcing our
laws. The sad fact is that the minority who call for greater liberalization,
who peddle and devour pornography, who encourage and feed on licentious
display make their voices heard until those in our legislatures
may come to believe that what they say represents the will of the
majority. We are not likely to get that which we do not speak up
for.”
Gordon
B. Hinckley, “In Opposition to Evil,” Ensign,
September 2004
Joseph
Learned More
“For centuries men gathered and argued concerning the nature
of Deity. Constantine assembled scholars of
various factions at Nicaea
in the year 325. After two months of bitter debate, they compromised
on a definition which for generations has been the doctrinal statement
among Christians concerning the Godhead.
“I invite you to read that definition
and compare it with the statement of the boy Joseph. He simply says
that God stood before him and spoke to him. Joseph could see Him
and could hear Him. He was in form like a man, a being of substance.
Beside Him was the resurrected Lord, a separate being, whom He introduced
as His Beloved Son and with whom Joseph also spoke.
“I submit that in the short time of that remarkable vision
Joseph learned more concerning Deity than all of the scholars and
clerics of the past.”
Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Great Things
Which God Has Revealed,” Ensign, May, 2005.
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