Gordon B. Hinckley: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Gordon Bitner Hinckley (born June 23, 1910) has been President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since March 1995. However, at times when President Hinckley's predecessors were in poor health, Hinckley performed most of the duties of the Church President.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he completed high school there in 1928. After attending the University of Utah he was called to go on a mission to London, England in 1933; an unusual occurrence for Depression-era Saints. Hinckley returned to the United States in 1935 and soon accepted a job offer to lead the Church's new public relations department (he had been schooled as a journalist in college). Hinckley's responsibilities included developing the Church's fledgling radio broadcasts and making use of the era's new communication technologies. From 1937 he served on the Sunday School General Board. On April 29, 1937, he married Marjorie Pay, whom died in mid-2004.

After service in a stake presidency, he became a General Authority of the Church in the discontinued position of "Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles" in 1958. In 1961 he himself became an Apostle and member of that Quorum, the youngest at that time.

In the early 1980s the ill health of both Church President Spencer W. Kimball and his octogenarian Counselors Nathan Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney prompted the occasional practice of adding a Third Counselor to the First Presidency. Hinckley filled this position on July 23, 1981. Hinckley became Second Counselor upon N. Eldon Tanner's death in 1982.

By this time, however, Hinckley was largely shouldering the burdens of the First Presidency himself. Though nominally he remained Second Counselor, he was informally referred to in the press as "acting President of the Church." Kimball and Romney remained largely out of the public eye until President Kimball died in November 1985.

Longtime President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Ezra Taft Benson became Church President, and named Hinckley First Counselor. Romney succeeded Benson as President of the Twelve. Thomas S. Monson became Second Counselor, and, for a while, all three members of the First Presidency were able to perform their duties.

In the early 1990s however, the nonagenarian Benson developed serious health problems that removed him from public view, and First Counselor Hinckley again carried out many of the duties of the President of the Church until Benson died in 1994. Howard W. Hunter, who had succeeded Romney as President of the Twelve, became Church President and confirmed Hinckley and Monson as his Counselors, Hinckley additionally becoming President of the Twelve by seniority. And when Hunter died after a presidency of only nine months, seniority made Hinckley president of the Church at the age of 84 (his two predecessors had both acceded at age 86).

Vigorous for his age, Hinckley has led the Church since; he is now the fourth oldest president in Church history at 94.

Hinckley is known for his aggressive building of temples. Under his leadership, the Church has expanded its number of temples from 27 to over 100 (119 operating as of August 2004, with 9 announced or under construction).

On April 6, 2004, Hinckley's wife, Marjorie Pay Hinckley, died at age 92, after 67 years of marriage.

On June 23, 2004, President George W. Bush awarded Hinckley the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor awarded by the United States, in a ceremony at the White House. The press release put forth by the White House stated:

Gordon B. Hinckley [...] has inspired millions and has led efforts to improve humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and education funding across the globe.