Again,Bro.Card nails some essential truths of the man.I do not think most of the church really understands the impact this one man has had on this church.His imprint began long before the mantle was his.I remember sitting in a hotel room in Billings,Mt.in 1984,just having flown in from Seattle.Watching a SLC TV station,not KSL,they proclaimed the most influential man in Utah to be Gordon B.Hinckley.There reasons were compellingbecause of all the irons he had in the proverbial pie.We have lost a great man,of that there is no doubt.i just think we will wake up down the road and realize just what a treasure we HAVE lost.

This was a very touching and intuitive glimpse into the leadership President Hinkley provided. President Hinkley did not always say things that I wanted to hear because it either made me feel guilty, or I didn't agree. But that is the genious of this great man. He challenged my testimony and made me really think about where I stand in relation to being worthy of the Celestial Kingdom. And even though I didn't agree, it usually meant I had (have) some growing to do as a man and spiritual being.

Brother Card always has such good remarks and reveals a great deal of insight in his writing. If ony that boy was a Republican...... hehe

As usual, Brother Card has an amazing insight and perspective to share. Br. Card emphasizes the strengths of a great prophet who wanted nothing more than for all people to know and understand what our Heavenly Father wants for us. I, for one, raise my hand in wholehearted support, and "vote of thanks" for a beloved prophet, Gordon B Hinckley. Thank you. Thank you, very much.

Amen.

Card misquotes (and thereby drastically alters) Joseph's quote. It is not "I teach them correct principles and LET them govern themselves." That suggests that he still exercises control over us. The quote is "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves." That is pure doctrine. When we understand correct principles, we do, in fact, govern ourselves.

Otherwise, a great article.

That was a very touching article! Thank you Bro. Card for that beautiful tribute to our dear Prophet!

AMA- Stop being so critical, everyone knows the quote, no need to act like a professor.

Bro. Card mentions President Hinckley's sponateity and humor. Some years ago I sat in a covention hall with 17,000 others. President Hinckley digressed from his comments and said that Edmonton, Alberta was not on the list for a temple but on looking at the sea of faces he thought we should be added to the list. He then added that he would have to clear it with the building committee . . . paused, grinned and said that they didn't disagree with him very often.

Thank you brother Card.

Thank you for such a brilliantly written and on the mark article. Not just for your beautiful tribute, but for your debunking of the myth of infallability.

Thank you ever so much for your article, I loved him so much.

A wonderful and beautiful article well written--it says it all !! Thank you

Kudos!

I had the great privilege of conducting a choir for the dedication of the Boise Temple. After the dedication Pres. Hinckley made it a point to shake my hand and thank me for the choir's performance. He asked me if my lovely wife was here and then asked me to bring her over so he could meet her. I shall never forget the impression he made on both of us that day. He was truly one of the most spiritual people I have ever met.

Very insightfull article! I had not realized how Pres. Hinkley streamlined alot of manual details. I once had the chance to shake Pres. Hinkley's hand, and he seemed as excited to meet me as I was to meet him!

Mr. Card,

You have a gift. You always get past the cliche' and the "mythology" and resonate with intelligence, humility and keen spiritual insight. Thank you and don't stop writing for and about the saints! As for President Hinckley, my love to you and the legacy you have given us.

Brother Card,
You have a way with words that is incredible. I enjoy your books and very much enjoyed your insightful comments concerning President Hinckley. I believe your view of the Prophet and our church is outstanding, thank you.

Orson,

It's great to have such a gifted person like yourself as a member and advocate in the church. The article was very insightful and even reassuring. Question: Is it harder to preach a sermon as a columnist or a novelist?

Brother Card,
Thank you for your succinct & inspiring comments regarding Pres. Hinckley. So true. Truly one of the great leaders of our dispensation.

Mr. Card,

You need to look at Chapter 2 of our current Priesthood and Relief Society lesson manuals and you will realize that you are wrong in your (and Pres. Hinckley's) assessment that "I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it...", concerning the doctrine that God was once a man. There are dozens of resources published by the church that espouse that particular doctrine. It is outside the realm of possibility that President Hinckley could not know that this has been described as a BASIC and the FIRST principle of the restored gospel, to know the true nature of God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent. (from a struggling saint...)

Br. Card, you err in asserting that the Snow couplet is the source of that particular doctrine. In fact, Joseph's King Follett discourse (which appears as a two-part lesson in the 1985 RS manual, and in a 1971 Ensign article) is the source. Snow simply paraphrases a significant portion of the KFD.

Other than that small point, great article. Thanks!

Figuroa,

From reading histories of Joseph Smith and Lorenzo Snow, it was clear to me that Lorenzo Snow told that couplet to Joseph Smith before Joseph said anything on the subject. Joseph quickly agreed with the statement, but whether or not he knew of the truth at the time is uncertain. However, it is clear that after that fact Joseph taught the doctrine.

Yet, the basic point remains in tact, regardless of whether there are one or multiple citations to the source. The fact is that we don't know what God's former or current life is like; and I yet sometimes, perhaps often, we mught just be guilty of trivializing or reducing what we don't fully understand into a common and trite fable.

I guess I feel that what we do know is wonderful enough that we don't need to make up more wonderful things, just bask in what we already have.

Besides, perhaps the doctrine is the means but not the reason for what makes and will make Mormons truely a great people, which is and will yet be our mutual love, mercy, and unity.

God bless President Hinckley, but even more, God bless Tommy Monson, as our family now prays, with complete love for the man that, as a boy, once took his train cars to a poor neighbor on Christmas.

Sometimes the trees get in the way of the forest. A great article that some have felt necessary to use as self-elevating through fault finding. Give me a break, am I stuck in a Utah ward Elder's Quoroum meeting...AGAIN?

Well done. Thank you.

Wow. That was very well done. It brought tears to my eyes, along with images of General Conference from my youth, when Hinckley could always be seen supporting the president, sometimes literally, sometimes by delivering a message the president couldn't speak himself.

I'm not a practicing LDS these days, and have deep philosophical problems with the idea--and especially the practice--of organized religion in the first place. But if more people thought and ACTED along the lines of Gordon B. Hinckley as Card portrays him here, I'd probably have to rethink my whole view of religion.

What a great man. People just don't come any better than that. May his successor live up to that great example.

Amen!

I like your comments and your article before.

Thank you for this excellent commentary and tribute. I'm deeply touched.

Thank you for a well written article.

Thank-You, Your comments and tribute were right-on. Thanks be to GOD that this man touched our lives.

May we always be grateful for good men. Who have the faith to believe in a plan given to us by a wise Heavenly Father. That comes through Jesus the Christ the first born and is so wisely given to us through the Holy Ghost and Angels. Go Gordon Hinckley to your good wife and family and enjoy your new assignments for its been our pleasure to have some time with you and allowing us to decide what we will do with these associations. Praise be to God for knowing a Prophet!!

What an inspiring writer you have been to me. As much as I love all of the books you have written, I love our prophet Gordon B Hinckley ten fold. What a marvelous reunion he is having with his wife, friends, family, prophets, and all those who have gone before. I almost wish I was there. Thank you for a wonderful tribute! Gail

First, like other pp I agree the article was well written and insightful. Ing, I hope that one day you will realize it is not everyone else's responsibility to live their religion before you start living yours. You could be one of the people emulating Pres. Hinckley instead of leaving the church because too many people don't. Part of being the kinder, gentler people Pres. Hinckley encouraged us to be is to be forgiving and reach out. So I hope this will be a little encouragement for you to go ahead and start rethinking your current position on religion and the LDS faith.

Lorenzo Snow is the only prophet who taught about the pre-divine character of God?! Joseph Smith Jr. and the King Follett Sermon, which can be read at LDS.org -- the sermon as reprinted in the Ensign in 1971 is the top two results if you search at LDS.org using the words "King Follett" -- beg to differ with you:

"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! ... We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."