Loss of a friend whom I never met

As many of you may have heard by now Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has passed away. Kind of surprise because he wasn't sick, but not really a surprise because he was 97 years old. I remember years ago, 13 really but who's counting, that he would be the next president of the Church and I was bummed. My only experience with him up to that point had been of him speaking on behalf of Presidents Kimball, Benson and Hunter. And boy was he dry. I was hoping for Thomas S. Monson. He told great stories. This was all before I understood the deep intricacies of the succession of the Prophet. Longest serving member to the Twelve and all that, which is course subject to change depending on revelation.

As the years have passed I have grown to love this man that I have never met. In all of his speeches and interviews he has always seemed very genuine and true to himself and what he believes. And I am suprised that his death has received national coverage. I still think of Mormonism as a podunk western religion of only little more than cult status. I mean, if y'all will indulge a brief divergence into religiosity, I really believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in spite of it foibles, which I blame more on the imperfections of man than any weakness of the religion, but it used to be much smaller. I look at it like my nieces and nephews. I picture them at 5 years old, and I imagine the same will happen with my own children. They'll be stuck at some much younger than they really are age in my mind.

I like that we are perceived as less strange than we used to be. We are strange. Some of our beliefs are really very different. I am not going to pretend otherwise, but it does please me that we are more understood.

What does kind of stick in my craw though is this. The news here last night was filled with pictures of earnest looking youth with candles and tears glistening in their eyes and singing the hymn "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet." And today I hear from the floor manager here at Day Murray Music that he had heard on the radio that we should dress up as a show of respect for President Hinckley. It's very sweet I know but the whole smacks to me of the Pharisee's yelling their prayers from the street corners saying how much more holy they are than you because they are so much louder in their devotion.

To me, the best way to respect the man, who was indeed just a man although one of the very best men, would be to live the religion that he had lived his life for, that he had spent countless hours teaching to us by his every word and deed.

I will miss President Hinckley. And I will try to live my religion the best way that I can. But I'm not wearing a tie today because I heard on the radio that I ought to. I'm wearing a tie today because all my jeans are dirty.