President Gordon B. Hinckley

Yesterday, I was able to watch the funeral proceedings for President Hinckley. I was moved by the loving tributes and touched by the doctrines taught. All that was said reaffirmed my testimony, and gave me pause to feel deep gratitude for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We were at a fireside when we first heard of President Hinckley's passing . My instant feelings were joy for him, that he was once again reunited with his dear wife. At the end of the funeral yesterday, when the choir sang the final song, and photos of President Hinckley were shown, I was overcome with the grief I had not felt all week. I will miss him. He has touched my life profoundly.
Dad and I commented that we can think of no other person in our lifetime who has accomplished what President Hinckley has. I can think of no world leader, CEO, educator or religious leader who has impacted, for good, the many lives he has. In one of the documentaries we watched on Saturday, I heard President Hinckley comment to an interviewer when asked what he might have been, had he not been a Church leader. He said with a chuckle, "an architect?" He was more right than maybe he imagined. Not only was he an architect of many marvelous temples, Church buildings, and Proclamations, but he was an architect of lives.

When I think of defining and cherished moments of my life, of course, my own temple marriage is at the top of the list, closely followed by the temple marriages of all my children. These were the sweetest moments imaginable. Another defining moment was September 2006 when I attended the dedication of the Sacramento Temple. Taking part in the Open House tours of the Sacramento Temple was indeed an honor and privilege, but receiving tickets to attend a dedication session in the temple was beyond thrilling. My joy was overwhelming when I learned our tickets were for the celestial room in President Hinckley's presence. It was a sacred experience to hear his dedicatory prayer, and feel the sure knowledge he was a prophet of God. The memory will be etched in my mind for eternity.

President Hinckley's daughter, Virginia Pearce, summed up my feelings when she said "he was adorable." I think she meant it in many senses of the word. He was adorable because of his brilliance, cuteness, humor, and love for all mankind, but also because he was adored.