I'll Miss Our Prophet & Mentor

Last night I came home from an enjoyable hometeaching visit ready to goof around and wrestle with Jaden. I was making faces at Jaden through the window before I even made it in the door, and I already had in my mind how I was going to rain a brilliantly executed tickle-bonanza down on him. Instead, my train of thought was immediately derailed when Mel shared the news about President Hinkley's passing. I wasn't as surprised as I would have expected I might be, but it was still a bit of a shock to hear our "invincible" prophet had succumbed to his old age.

Before I heard anything about the "when", "where" and "how" of his passing, I spent a minute trying to imagine what his last moments were like. I was sure they were rather somber, but it didn't seem odd at all to imagine him just charging along as his ever-inspiring self right until he just stopped, smiled, and said, "Thanks everybody, the Lord just told me I'm done now," sat himself down and that was it. Although, I now know that wasn't the case at all, I will always remember Gordon B. Hinkley the man as a person who gave absolutely everything he could right up until the very end. He was on "old man" for our time. He will always remind me that an "old" retired person still has an enormous amount to give to those around him and hard work for a valuable cause is always important.

As the evening wore down and Mel and I were watching the news cover the story, I was reminded again about how significant this moment is for me. Gordon B. Hinkley was a great man, but more than that, he was our prophet. There was a time when, after the "last prophet" was killed, revelation was lost to us for hundreds of years. However, now another man, who I also hold dear to me, will take over his position and continue to lead our church and hold the keys to our Lord's work here. President Hinkley held the position of Prophet for the majority of my life, and he was in that position for the majority of my own "testimony growth", so one feeling I was surprised to find absent was that of disappointment. Instead, in the place of disappointment, I found peace, comfort and acceptance that this is God's plan and design. A prophet still lives to receive revelation for us and to guide us through the "issues of the day", and this great work will continue just as it has.

It is profound to me that I will miss Gordon B. Hinkley, but I will not have to miss his work.

Christian