"He loves to tell stories that make people laugh," said granddaughter Ann Hinckley in an April 1997 New Era article. "He doesn't tell jokes that are at the expense of others. He laughs at himself and helps us laugh at ourselves."

"I love it when he tells a story," said granddaughter Katie Barnes. "He can hardly get through it because he's laughing so hard. He can't breathe because he's laughing, which makes us laugh."

Fellow church leaders also spoke of President Hinckley's humor.

"He has kept a highly developed sense of humor, seeing good cheer as a vital message of life," the now-deceased Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said of President Hinckley.

The late G. Homer Durham, a high school classmate and later a missionary companion and general authority, once described how humor fit into President Hinckley's overall character: "His judgment stands up in every situation. His insight into human character and situations is rich and meaningful. He knows when silence is better than utterance. He has a sense of humor that endears him to all."

SPEAKER — Love for language led to skills in speaking, writing

As a writer and speaker, President Gordon B. Hinckley was noted for his love of the English language. Several influences during his early years helped create this lifelong love.

One influence was his parents' background. Both were professional educators. This was reflected in the layout of their home, which featured a library of more than a 1,000 books.

His mother also was a musician, and his father was a skilled writer of history. The library featured a large oak table, a good lamp and several comfortable chairs in addition to the books.

In an Ensign magazine interview just after President Hinckley was sustained as prophet, President Hinckley's son Clark noted that his father had often spoken to his children about what a quiet, inviting place it was.

"Apparently it was a wonderful place to study," Clark Hinckley said, "and it reflected a love for good books and learning in that home. Now, I don't think that as a boy Dad spent all his time reading, but there is no question he was exposed to great literature and that it had an impact on him."

President Hinckley grew up putting that love of language and literature to good use. His early academic intentions were toward a degree in journalism, so he went to the University of Utah to prepare.

Then came another opportunity.

"I was most fortunate," he said, "in the happenstance events that formed my early university education. I went to enroll in a freshman English class, and all the sections were filled.