Editorial

This week, Park City joins the state, and the world, in mourning the loss of an inspirational leader.

Gordon B. Hinckley became President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at a time when most people have already settled down to rest on their laurels. He was 84 when he took over the presidency and he assumed the myriad responsibilities of leading the growing church with the fervor of a man half his age.

He also brought an ecumenical sensitivity to the church at a time when it was greatly needed.

As Utah and the LDS Church grew and gained international attention in the late 1900s, some of its conservative beliefs and practices drew criticism and, in response, many members turned inward, reinforcing the perception that Mormons preferred to keep to themselves. A few high-profile crimes involving fundamentalist Mormons, including the 1985 standoff between John Singer’s family and federal officials right here in Summit County, didn’t help the church’s image.

That changed, though, when Hinckley took over.

Among his first official appearances was an interview on national television with the formidable reporter Mike Wallace. Hinckley was candid about the misperceptions of his church.

And if critics thought they could pigeonhole the church’s 84-year-old leader as provincial, his worldwide travels silenced them immediately. During his first year in office he dedicated an LDS temple in Hong Kong and later became the first LDS Church president to visit West Africa and Russia.

example and through his speeches and writings, Hinckley urged his congregation to be tolerant and generous. While holding fast to Mormon principles, he de-emphasized some of the dogma that could have stymied not only the church’s growth but Utah’s potential for economic development as well.

The parallel is hard to ignore. Like Pope John Paul II, who became a beacon of global leadership for the Catholic Church, President Hinckley’s spiritual integrity was admired by members and non-members around the world.