— Stake Conference — May 2009 —
Elder Richard G. Hinckley, a member of the First Quorum of Seventy, was our stake conference visitor during the weekend of May 16-17, 2009. It was a wonderful experience to be taught by him and he did much to build the faith and love of our stake during his addresses. Elder (President) Hinckley served as one of my branch presidents when I was a second-year medical student in a University of Utah singles’ ward, and I served as his Executive Secretary in the branch presidency. He was wonderful then and is marvelous now. His voice is very similar to his father’s voice, President Gordon B. Hinckley. His speech and gestures are also very similar to his father’s. I shook his hand after the Saturday evening session and re-introduced myself to him. Some of the highlights of his addresses were:
1) As he began his Sunday morning message, being the last speaker of the session, he said, “I am acutely aware that I am the only thing standing between you and a hot meal. Also, by the appearance of some of you, I am also very aware that I am the only thing standing between you and a nice long nap.”
2) He told a sweet story about his mother and father. When he was 17 years old, his mother and father traveled overseas on church business. It was a difficult decision for them as to rather they should leave Richard with the car keys or not. Finally they decided to trust him and left him the keys. He said, “I don’t think that the wheels on their plane had even been retracted before I had a speeding ticket.” He apparently had driven to State Street and participated in an “acceleration contest”. He dreaded the return of his parents. He only told his mother, and they had to go to juvenile drivers’ court and pay a fine. He was so grateful that his mother did not tell his father about the drag racing, because his father never mentioned the incident. Then about 5 or 6 years ago, when President Hinckley was in his 90’s, he asked his son, “So, how fast could that car really go in an acceleration contest?” Richard asked his dad how he knew about that race so many years ago. “Your mother told me about it the very night you confessed to her”, replied President Hinckley. “Why didn’t you get after me at the time?”, responded Richard. President Hinckley humbly replied, “I figured that you had suffered enough already.” Elder Hinckley went on to say, “Give your children some wiggle room. Give them some space. Let them learn from their mistakes without a lot of haranguing from you.”
3) Elder Hinckley became good friends of a very high-ranking Episcopalian clergyman while he served as mission president in Salt Lake City. One day he received a call from this friend, asking if he could meet with him for lunch. After some small talk, the clergyman said, “I need to know how you call your bishops in your church.” Elder Hinckley described the process, starting with fasting and prayer, seeking the Lord’s direction, obtaining permission from the First Presidency, and then issuing the call. His friend asked, “No names are presented from the body of the church, no suggestions, letters of recommendation, etc?” No, we seek the Lord’s will and then move forward. The friend replied, “That is what we should be doing. Our process has become very political. We need to appoint a new clergyman, and I am being inundated with letters and calls and suggestions, all directing me to one person or another. How nice it would be to leave the process to the Lord.”
4) He told an amazing story about tithing. One of his early ancestors bought a few ewes and took them up into the mountains near Coleville, hoping to have lambs and expand the flock. That spring was very dry and there was not sufficient foliage for the ewes. They could produce no milk and the lambs were failing. When things got desperate, he remembered that he was a full tithe payer and he could expect the Lord to fulfill his promise found in Malachi, that tithe payers would have the devourer rebuked, and the fruit of their ground would not be destroyed. He prayed to the Lord, reminding Him that he paid his tithing and he needed these new lambs to grow and flourish. He sat with calmness in his heart as thunderclouds developed, the rains came, grass grew, the ewes ate, and their milk came in to nourish their lambs and save the flock.
5) Elder Hinckley told a story about Han In Sang, a Korean general authority. He related that many years ago, before there was a temple in Korea, Elder Sang went to general conference, and while there, he went all throughout the temple, and all around the outside touching every possible part of the temple. He touched the granite walls, the banisters, the chairs, the door knobs, every part of the temple. When he returned to Korea, he held a meeting and told the saints about the incredible temple and what a great privilege it was to touch all the parts of the temple. He then invited anyone who so desired to come up after the meeting and shake his hand, thus touching a hand that had touched the Salt Lake temple. The saints came forward afterwards, and for two hours he shook the hands of those who desired to touch a hand that had touched the temple.
6) Just a year before his death, President Hinckley sealed one of his granddaughters to her new husband in the Salt Lake temple. During his remarks as he spoke to the couple, he paused and said, “It has just occurred to me that I have sealed all five of my own children to their spouses in this temple, and I have sealed every one of my married grandchildren to their spouses in this temple. I think that is the finest thing I have done or accomplished in my life.” This was an amazing statement, coming from a man who has done extraordinary and far-reaching things for the church over decades of service. It emphasized what is really important in this life.
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