Gordon HinckleyBGordon B Hinckley, who died on 27 January, 2008, aged 97, was the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), a denomination known better around the world as the Mormons.In his 12 years at its helm, he oversaw the development and modernisation of the church which helped it become what is believed to be fastest growing religious group in America. He was known for his skills in public relations, addressing out-dated doctrine and building new temples across the globe.At the time of his death he was the church’s oldest ever president and thought to be one of its most influential leaders since it was founded in 1830 by ‘latter-day prophet’ Joseph Smith. As the leader of the LDS, he was given the ecclesiastical title of ‘Prophet, Seer and Revelator’ and afforded overall authority within the church.Gordon Bitner Hinckley was born on 23 June, 1910, in Salt Lake City, Utah. His family were descended from the original puritan colonists who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the 1600s and they had been part of the LDS since 1939. His grandfather had been among those forced to flee from the East following the murder of Smith by anti-Mormon mobs four years later.His mother and father were educators within the LDS community and Mr Hinckley had a good education, studying English at the University of Utah. He had ambitions in journalism but at 23 accepted a call to become a missionary for the church, spending three years preaching in London and around Europe.However, he became disillusioned with the LDS’s missionary work, returning to Utah in 1935 to persuade the church’s leaders to invest in radio technology. He began making what are thought to the first evangelical broadcasts in America and he would continue to be associated with developing the LDS’s methods of communication throughout his life.He was in charge of publicity for 20 years, handling all of the church’s radio and literature output. Following the Second World War he became executive secretary to the missionary committee, coordinating proselytising in Asia, Latin America and Europe. In this role he continued to utilise the media, producing films and working closely with the Mormon publishing company, Deseret Book.In 1961 he was elected to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the second-most authoritative governing body of the LDS behind the president and his counsel, to which he was elevated in 1981.Mr Hinckley continued to rise through the ranks of the church, eventually succeeding Howard W Hunter as president in 1994, aged 84. His time in power saw huge growth for the church, with the number of temples around the world more than doubling to 124, as well the building of a new conference centre and tabernacle in Salt Lake.He was also known for providing clear guidelines on the church’s position on gender, sex, marraige and families in his ‘Proclamation to the World’ made in 1995 when the issue of gay marriage first became one of the most heated topics in America. Other initiatives included providing loans for education in developing nations and working towards addressing policies that had previously been seen as racist or discriminatory.He was also noted for his impressive handling of the media, proving to be a dexterous and formidable interviewee after becoming the first president to appear on television. He helped the LDS undergo a period of re-branding which included emphasising the words ‘Jesus Christ’ in their full title and a move away from the polygamist Mormon stereotype in order to broaden their appeal among evangelical Americans.Among the numerous honours bestowed upon him, Mr Hinckley received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W Bush in 2004, having "inspired millions and led efforts to improve humanitarian aid, disaster relief and education funding across the globe."Despite suffering from cancer for the last two years of his life, he continued to work for the church until his death at the age of 97 at his home in Salt Lake. He had been married to Marjorie Pay from 1937 until her death in 2004 and had five children, two of whom followed their father into the church’s administration.His funeral on 2 February was broadcast globally in 69 languages and many millions of Mormons were reported to have attended memorial services.
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