"We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet"

Today as a church and nation we commemorated the life of our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. He has been my prophet. The prophet that I have grown up listening to and receiving guidance from. I will miss his sweetness and his sense of humor. I am grateful for his service and his life. I am also grateful for his death because once again he will be united with his beloved wife who passed away 4 years ago. Their legacy will live on!!
I remember when I was in high school President and Sister Hinckley visited Oregon. I remember waking up EARLY and waiting outside the building for hours to hear our beloved prophet address us. He told us that we should get A's and he would tell us about some B's: Be grateful, Be smart, Be clean, Be true, Be humble, Be prayerful. I have many great memories of his goodness and of his accomplishments: the many temples he had built and dedicated, the perpetual education fund, his comforting remarks after 9-11, etc. Today I would like to leave one quote that touched me throughout my mission and now as a mother:

"Many young Women are serving missions and many are purposing to serve...the reason there are so many going is because in this next generation Heavenly Father will be sending his priesthood army to the Earth and he wants to send them to mothers who have been properly trained in the gospel and what better training can a young women have then a mission." --President Hinckley

~Rachel

I remember when President and Sister Hinckley visited Massachusetts. The conference was held in the Worcester Centrum, holding just over 20,000. What impressed me the most was that President Hinckley, shortly after standing, asked who ever the light technician was to turn on the lights so he could see the audience. He said he wanted to see our faces, as if the conversation was more intimate, one-on-one, instead of in a large arena. It was then that I really felt connected to him, and he became more than a prophet. He became a friend.

~Jared