Prophet's funeral full of 'highs and lows, laughing and crying'

The possibility that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could soon be led by someone other than President Gordon B. Hinckley had been on Marcus Ryan's mind for several months.

Seeing the always-energetic LDS Church prophet and president start to show signs of age — though not that of a 97-year-old — made Ryan nervous. The thought of President Hinckley's death and the idea of a funeral were heartbreaking, he said.

"I pictured it being the kind of thing where I wouldn't even be able to go to work, that I would just be so devastated," Ryan said.

When news reached him last Sunday that President Hinckley had died, Ryan's own feelings surprised him.

"I just felt at peace and happy for him," he said. "I felt thankful for the example he left for us and the service he gave."

Ryan flew from Dallas to Salt Lake City to attend President Hinckley's funeral Saturday with his younger brother, David, and David's wife, Jill, who are attending Brigham Young University and live in Orem. And like many of the thousands of people who attended the 90-minute service, Ryan left the Conference Center with watery eyes but a smile on his face.

"You see a lot of happy faces here of people who, a month ago, never would have imagined they'd be happy (to attend President Hinckley's funeral)," he said.

Camron Smith, a BYU student from Kansas City, Ind., described the funeral as a mix of "highs and lows, laughing and crying" — a fitting tribute to President Hinckley.

"It so aptly mirrored his life," Smith said.

The love that President Hinckley displayed toward anyone he met, his ability to relate to people of all ages and make them feel as though they had a personal relationship with them was present again Saturday through the words of those who spoke at the funeral, several mourners said.

"There was a strong, comforting feeling throughout the building," Salt Lake resident Bethany Bitner said as she exited the Conference Center with her husband, Kerry, and their 14-year-old daughter, Meghan.

Few if any of the tears that fell at the funeral were shed in sadness for President Hinckley, said Jill Taylor of Bountiful.

"I think the tears are honestly just tears of gratitude and humility for having been loved by such an amazing man," said Taylor, who attended the service with her husband, Brian, and their 12-year-old daughter, Brighton.

Several people expressed joy as they left the funeral that President Hinckley had been reunited in the next life with his wife, Marjorie, who died April 6, 2004.

"I think the sense of loss is ours," said Tom Nufer of South Jordan. "We'll miss him."