Thank You President Hinckley
Many others have written excellent farewells.
I’ve decided to write about the one time I stood near President Hinckley and locked eyes with him.
I had the opportunity to sing in the choir at the dedication of the Bountiful Temple soon after I returned home from my mission. President Hinckley was presiding over the session of the dedication I was attending. It was very close quarters in the celestial room where the service was being held and I ended up standing right behind President Hinckley who was the first councilor in the first presidency at the time. As we filed into the room to sing each musical number he watched us squeeze into the space behind the row he was sitting on. He always smiled at the choir as we came into the room.
As it came time to do the Hosanna Shout and then sing the Hosanna Anthem at the closing of the service I joined everyone else in the temple in waving my handkerchief while speaking the words of the shout. As the shout commenced I accidently hit President Hinckley in the head with my handkerchief. He wasn’t visibly distracted at all (I didn’t whip him very hard) and after the shout he turned around and smiled at me. It was kind of cool. As we sang the “Hosanna Anthem” he turned around and watched us for a few moments. It was cool to see someone who has likely had to listen to that song so many hundreds of times (there were 16 sessions of the Bountiful Temple dedication) clearly enjoy the spirit and the music at that dedication ceremony. I’ll always remember his blue/grey eyes and the smile he had when he looked at me.
Its kind of dumb I know…the one second’s worth of attention I received from President Hinckley came because I whipped him in the head with a handkerchief but I’ll always remember that and it will always be meaningful to me. I didn’t really know President Hinckley but I believe he was a great man and the world is poorer for his absence.
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Thank you.
Comment by Laura Miller — January 30, 2008 @ 8:21 pm
You sing?!?!
Comment by Char — February 2, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
Heh…just a bit. Usually just when I’m driving around in my car.
Comment by Jeremy Manning — February 3, 2008 @ 1:06 am