First Substitute H.C.R. 6

Representative Michael T. Morley proposes the following substitute bill:

1 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION HONORING THE
2 LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF PRESIDENT
3 GORDON B. HINCKLEY
4 2008 GENERAL SESSION
5 STATE OF UTAH
6 Chief Sponsor: Michael T. Morley
7 Senate Sponsor: Mark B. Madsen
8 Cosponsors:
9 Douglas C. Aagard
10 Sheryl L. Allen
11 Ron Bigelow
12 DeMar Bud Bowman
13 Melvin R. Brown
14 Rebecca Chavez-Houck
15 David Clark
16 Stephen D. Clark
17 Tim M. Cosgrove
18 Brad L. DeeJames A. Dunnigan
Lorie D. Fowlke
James R. Gowans
Richard A. Greenwood
Neil A. Hansen
Wayne A. Harper
Christopher N. Herrod
Kory M. Holdaway
Fred R. Hunsaker
Rebecca D. Lockhart
Kay L. McIffRonda Rudd Menlove
Merlynn T. Newbold
Michael E. Noel
Stephen E. Sandstrom
Jennifer M. Seelig
LaWanna Lou Shurtliff
Gordon E. Snow
Aaron Tilton
Stephen H. Urquhart
Carl Wimmer 19
20 LONG TITLE
21 General Description:
22 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor honors Gordon Bitner
23 Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for his life of
24 service and dedication.
25 Highlighted Provisions:
26 This resolution:
27 . honors Gordon B. Hinckley for his many years of service as a leader in The Church
28 of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including nearly 13 years as the church's

29 president.
30 Special Clauses:
31 None
32
33 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
34 WHEREAS, Gordon Bitner Hinckley was born in Salt Lake City on June 23, 1910, to
35 Bryant S. and Ada Bitner Hinckley;
36 WHEREAS, the loving influence of his parents sustained Gordon throughout his life
37 and played a key role in developing his personal character;
38 WHEREAS, at age two, Gordon contracted whooping cough and, taking the advice of
39 physicians to get Gordon out of the city into fresher air, his parents acquired five acres in East
40 Millcreek and built a small residence on the property;
41 WHEREAS, this became a summer home and farm for the Hinckleys, where Gordon
42 learned how to work;
43 WHEREAS, Gordon grew up in a home where study and deep, thoughtful pondering
44 were highly prized;
45 WHEREAS, Gordon frequently lost himself in studying the great literature of the world
46 and was fascinated with words and how to use them;
47 WHEREAS, Gordon graduated from LDS High School in 1928, and from the
48 University of Utah in 1932;
49 WHEREAS, Gordon's family weathered the Great Depression with determination and
50 tremendous generosity toward those less fortunate;
51 WHEREAS, in 1933, Gordon began his service as a missionary for The Church of
52 Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England;
53 WHEREAS, Gordon's faith, character, work ethic, and determination were solidified as
54 he overcame feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt and served an outstanding mission;
55 WHEREAS, shortly after Gordon's return from missionary service, David O. McKay, a
56 member of The Church's First Presidency, organized the Radio, Publicity, and Mission
57 Literature Committee and designated Gordon as the committee's executive secretary;
58 WHEREAS, Gordon's work responsibilities gradually intensified in scope and became
59 the forerunner to The Church's Public Communications Department;

60 WHEREAS, on April 29, 1937, Gordon married Marjorie Pay, a neighbor he had grown
61 to adore, in the Church's Salt Lake Temple, and together they raised five children;
62 WHEREAS, the children remember him as a father who did not teach by lecture, but by
63 example;
64 WHEREAS, Gordon's example taught the children many skills that prepared them for
65 success in life, including to "just say your prayers and go to work," and to never care who gets
66 credit for a project or a job;
67 WHEREAS, in 1956, Gordon was named the president of East Mill Creek Stake, was
68 called to be an Assistant to the Twelve just two years later, and in 1961 was called as an
69 apostle in that quorum;
70 WHEREAS, Gordon's depth of service was marked by his intense desire to see church
71 members throughout the world, to understand their conditions, and to do what he could to
72 improve their lives and the resources the Church provided to them;
73 WHEREAS, through decades of faithful service, Gordon became a master
74 communicator and utilized the media tools at his disposal to bring clear and simple
75 understanding of the Church to many people throughout the world;
76 WHEREAS, in 1981, Elder Hinckley was appointed a counselor in the Church's First
77 Presidency where he was an anchoring, strengthening influence;
78 WHEREAS, during his years of service as a counselor in the First Presidency, members
79 of the Church increasingly marveled at President Hinckley's skills in communicating with
80 power and humility the future breadth of the Church and its potential for good;
81 WHEREAS, President Hinckley served as a counselor to three church presidents and
82 was named President and Prophet of the Church in 1995;
83 WHEREAS, later that same year, President Hinckley presented a landmark statement,
84 "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," which reaffirmed the time-tested importance of
85 the family as the unit of society that brings the best chance for happiness to each individual and
86 to the world;
87 WHEREAS, in 1996, President Hinckley brought significant positive national attention
88 to the church when he agreed to be interviewed by reporter Mike Wallace on the CBS program,
89 "60 Minutes";
90 WHEREAS, later President Hinckley appeared several times on the "Larry King Live" a

91 cable television program, where he spoke positively of people of other faiths and lifestyles and
92 of the limitless worth of the individual;
93 WHEREAS, in 2001, President Hinckley announced the creation of the Perpetual
94 Education Fund, a loan program to help young members of the church in Third World
95 countries obtain education and training to enter the workforce;
96 WHEREAS, President Hinckley received numerous awards during his lifetime,
97 including the Boy Scout's Silver Buffalo award, the Distinguished Alumni Award for the
98 University of Utah, his alma mater, the Distinguished Citizen Award from Southern Utah
99 University, and honorary doctorates from Westminster College, Utah State University,
100 Brigham Young University, and Southern Utah University;
101 WHEREAS, among many honors bestowed upon him, President Hinckley was awarded
102 the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award a civilian can receive, in 2004;
103 WHEREAS, that same year President Hinckley's dear wife passed away, and he
104 frequently spoke publicly of how much he missed her;
105 WHEREAS, President Hinckley sought to build bridges and dispel misunderstandings,
106 frequently reassuring members of other faiths that "we never speak negatively of other
107 churches. We say to people, you bring all the good that you have and let us see if we can add
108 to it";
109 WHEREAS, President Hinckley urged members to befriend those of other faiths, to
110 "mingle with them in the promulgation of good causes";
111 WHEREAS, during his lifetime, President Hinckley was honored by the National
112 Conference for Community and Justice for his contributions to tolerance and understanding in
113 the world;
114 WHEREAS, during President Hinckley's service, he directed an unprecedented
115 explosion in the number of temples built throughout the world, including rebuilding the
116 historic Nauvoo Temple, so that church members would not have to travel so far and spend so
117 much money to get to a temple;
118 WHEREAS, President Hinckley presided over major strides in the Church's missionary
119 and welfare services programs in priesthood and church government, and brought great
120 improvements to services for church members serving in the military;
121 WHEREAS, during President Hinckley's presidency, the Church grew from 9 million to

122 13 million members;
123 WHEREAS, President Hinckley engaged in numerous humanitarian efforts on behalf of
124 the Church during his life, most recently including visits to Honduras and other parts of Central
125 America after devastating floods that decimated these areas and directing the Church's
126 humanitarian effort in the aftermath, as well as sending goods and resources to Asia after the
127 recent giant tsunami, and to the Southern States after Hurricane Katrina;
128 WHEREAS, President Hinckley has been played a significant role in many community
129 projects, including Salt Lake City's hosting of the Winter Olympics, the building of the
130 Conference Center and the Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City, and the current revitalization of
131 downtown Salt Lake;
132 WHEREAS, President Hinckley rededicated the newly renovated State Capitol
133 Building in one of his last public appearances just prior to his death;
134 WHEREAS, President Hinckley's refreshing, sometimes unexpected, wit lifted people's
135 spirits;
136 WHEREAS, President Hinckley gained from his father the skill to convey the wide
137 canvas of an idea, to help listeners see their role in bringing about grand endeavors, and to
138 inspire them with a glimpse of their limitless potential;
139 WHEREAS, President Hinckley's many other talents ranged from being enthusiastic,
140 optimistic, and sharply intelligent to deeply faithful, prayerful, and humble to the core;
141 WHEREAS, in this brief reflection on President Hinckley's life, something of the true
142 nature of the man has inevitably been lost; and
143 WHEREAS, it is hoped that this recognition will bring some measure of comfort to
144 those who grieve most at his passing:
145 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
146 Governor concurring therein, honor the life and contributions of Gordon B. Hinckley, President
147 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a respected world religious leader, a
148 prophet to millions, a beloved father, and a most devoted husband.
149 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the family of
150 Gordon B. Hinckley.