Latter Day Saints Mourning Loss of Beloved President

January 27th brought Mormon's throughout Utah and the rest of the world the sad news of the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley. He passed in Salt Lake City in his apartment surrounded by his beloved family members. He was born June 23 1910 to Ada Bitner and Bryant S. Hinckley. Following graduation from high school in 1928, he attended the University of Utah and studied journalism which would serve him well later on in life, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree. Following college he headed off for a mission for the church during the depression from 1933 to 1935 in Great Britain. His time in his mission would later get him appointed as an assistant to the Church apostle who was over all the mission's on the European continent.

Once his mission was completed he met and married Marjorie Pay on April 29, 1937, together they would go on to have 5 children. Since then they have all grown and taken on lives of their own giving the Hinckley's 25 grandchildren and forty plus great grandchildren in all. They had a long and healthy relationship together which he spoke of often and when he spoke of her you could tell he had great love and admiration for her. She was a supportive wife and mother and loved her role as such. She had many accomplishments of her own, but that of his wife she held at the highest achievement. She preceded him in death April 6,2004.

President Hinckley held many positions within the church. He already was the assistant to a Church apostle, he would then become an organizer for the Church's Public Affairs Department in the mid thirties. In 1937 he began to serve on the Sunday School Board and later in 1951 he was named as Executive Secretary of the General Missionary Committee. This position put him in charge of managing the entire missionary program for the Church.Among other offices he has held are Stake Center President, senior full time leader of the church, board of trustees for the church educational system, and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.