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Through the
Camera Lens:
Gordon B. Hinckley in Nauvoo, June 27, 2002
Text by Maurine
Jensen Proctor
Photography by Scot Facer Proctor
Note: Click
on photos below for enlargements.
No one felt
more intently the meaning or significance of the day than Gordon
B. Hinckley. He was in his element. Deeply moved in one moment,
funny in the next, he showed the range of his nature, the fervor
of his feelings. He had chosen this day, June 27, for its historical
meaning. As he told the crowd at the coverstone ceremony, "This
was Joseph's temple."
On the hot south
side of the temple for the coverstone ceremony while the crowd sweat
and wept at the same time, President Hinckley was gracious and funny
with the quick wit that both warms and endears his listeners. As
he placed memorabilia in a box that would be sealed in the temple
wall, he joked, "How would you like to be placed in a vault
like that and be sealed up?" As project managers struggle to
seal the box and do their work with the coverstone, he laughs. "I
thought you were professional. Should I show you how to do that?"
He is human,
approachable-a friend.
With graciousness,
he remembered to acknowledge the people who made the temple happen.
He invited each of the mayors from the surrounding towns to the
pulpit. "I want to say you don't get anything done in a community
without the backing of the mayor."
Chuck Scholz,
the mayor of Quincy, said, "The bonds that were formed back
in 1839 are even stronger today, and we'd like to say thank you
for what your church has done for those of us here in Illinois."
If the bonds are stronger, there's not much question who had the
wisdom to build the bridge.
How does he
do it? This ease with people, with uncanny ability to disarm the
press or the policy makers is never more evident than on June 27.
"We could
go on for a long time," he laughed, "but the sun is hot
and we don't want anyone to have a stroke." From the sweltering
8:30 a.m. coverstone ceremony, he moves around to the shaded west
side of the temple for a press conference on the temple steps. Though
he admits he hadn't slept well the night before ("Strange bed"),
he doesn't look wilted, and he uses his cane more to gesture than
for support.
At the press
conference, President Hinckley was flanked in the back by Elder
Russell M. Nelson and Elder M. Russell Ballard and their wives,
other members of the Seventy, members of the new temple presidency
and other support staff.. Arranged in a semi-circle before him are
members of the press. Still photographers crowded the platform,
clicking frantically. Scot was among them. Video cameras rolled
silently.
Beyond the fence
were hundreds of Church members, leaning through for a better glimpse.
They love their prophet and feel a special power about him. They
wanted to feel what he feels on this special day, understand what
he knows, see what he sees. Everyone around him laughs when he says
something funny and beams at a higher radiance because they feel
the power of the Spirit.
He started out
by putting the day in context. "This is a very significant
day for those of us of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. We're back in Nauvoo."
Click
here to continue with
Gordon B. Hinckley in Nauvoo, Part 2
(All
photographs Copyright 2002 Scot Facer Proctor)
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