H.C.R. 6 Enrolled

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 Sylvia S. Andersen
12 Roger E. Barrus
13 Ron Bigelow
14 Jim Bird
15 DeMar Bud Bowman
16 Melvin R. Brown
17 Rebecca Chavez-Houck
18 David Clark
19 Stephen D. Clark
20 Tim M. Cosgrove
21 Greg J. Curtis
22 Bradley M. Daw
23 Brad L. Dee
24 Glenn A. Donnelson
25 John Dougall
26 Jack R. Draxler
27 Carl W. Duckworth
28 James A. Dunnigan
29 Ben C. Ferry
30 Janice M. Fisher
31 Julie FisherLorie D. Fowlke
Craig A. Frank
Gage Froerer
Kevin S. Garn
Kerry W. Gibson
James R. Gowans
Richard A. Greenwood
Keith Grover
Neil A. Hansen
Wayne A. Harper
Lynn N. Hemingway
Neal B. Hendrickson
Christopher N. Herrod
Kory M. Holdaway
Gregory H. Hughes
Fred R. Hunsaker
Eric K. Hutchings
Brad King
Todd E. Kiser
Bradley G. Last
David Litvack
Rebecca D. Lockhart
Steven R. Mascaro
John G. MathisRosalind J. McGee
Kay L. McIff
Ronda Rudd Menlove
Karen W. Morgan
Carol Spackman Moss
Paul A. Neuenschwander
Merlynn T. Newbold
Michael E. Noel
Curtis Oda
Patrick Painter
Paul Ray
Phil Riesen
Stephen E. Sandstrom
Jennifer M. Seelig
LaWanna Lou Shurtliff
Gordon E. Snow
Kenneth W. Sumsion
Aaron Tilton
Stephen H. Urquhart
Mark W. Walker
R. Curt Webb
Mark A. Wheatley
Carl Wimmer
Bradley A. Winn 32
33 LONG TITLE
34 General Description:
35 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor honors Gordon Bitner
36 Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for his life of

37 service and dedication.
38 Highlighted Provisions:
39 This resolution:
40 . honors Gordon B. Hinckley for his many years of service as a leader in The Church
41 of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including nearly 13 years as the church's
42 president.
43 Special Clauses:
44 None
45
46 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
47 WHEREAS, Gordon Bitner Hinckley was born in Salt Lake City on June 23, 1910, to
48 Bryant S. and Ada Bitner Hinckley;
49 WHEREAS, the loving influence of his parents sustained Gordon throughout his life and
50 played a key role in developing his personal character;
51 WHEREAS, at age two, Gordon contracted whooping cough and, taking the advice of
52 physicians to get Gordon out of the city into fresher air, his parents acquired five acres in East
53 Millcreek and built a small residence on the property;
54 WHEREAS, this became a summer home and farm for the Hinckleys, where Gordon
55 learned how to work;
56 WHEREAS, Gordon grew up in a home where study and deep, thoughtful pondering
57 were highly prized;
58 WHEREAS, Gordon frequently lost himself in studying the great literature of the world
59 and was fascinated with words and how to use them;
60 WHEREAS, Gordon graduated from LDS High School in 1928, and from the
61 University of Utah in 1932;
62 WHEREAS, Gordon's family weathered the Great Depression with determination and
63 tremendous generosity toward those less fortunate;
64 WHEREAS, in 1933, Gordon began his service as a missionary for The Church of Jesus

65 Christ of Latter-day Saints in England;
66 WHEREAS, Gordon's faith, character, work ethic, and determination were solidified as
67 he overcame feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt and served an outstanding mission;
68 WHEREAS, shortly after Gordon's return from missionary service, David O. McKay, a
69 member of the Church's First Presidency, organized the Radio, Publicity, and Mission Literature
70 Committee and designated Gordon as the committee's executive secretary;
71 WHEREAS, Gordon's work responsibilities gradually intensified in scope and became
72 the forerunner to the Church's Public Communications Department;
73 WHEREAS, on April 29, 1937, Gordon married Marjorie Pay, a neighbor he had grown
74 to adore, in the Church's Salt Lake Temple, and together they raised five children;
75 WHEREAS, the children remember him as a father who did not teach by lecture, but by
76 example;
77 WHEREAS, Gordon's example taught the children many skills that prepared them for
78 success in life, including to "just say your prayers and go to work," and to never care who gets
79 credit for a project or a job;
80 WHEREAS, in 1956, Gordon was named the president of East Mill Creek Stake, was
81 called to be an Assistant to the Twelve just two years later, and in 1961 was called as an apostle
82 in that quorum;
83 WHEREAS, Gordon's depth of service was marked by his intense desire to see church
84 members throughout the world, to understand their conditions, and to do what he could to
85 improve their lives and the resources the Church provided to them;
86 WHEREAS, through decades of faithful service, Gordon became a master
87 communicator and utilized the media tools at his disposal to bring clear and simple
88 understanding of the Church to many people throughout the world;
89 WHEREAS, in 1981, Elder Hinckley was appointed a counselor in the Church's First
90 Presidency where he was an anchoring, strengthening influence;
91 WHEREAS, during his years of service as a counselor in the First Presidency, members
92 of the Church increasingly marveled at President Hinckley's skills in communicating with power

93 and humility the future breadth of the Church and its potential for good;
94 WHEREAS, President Hinckley served as a counselor to three church presidents and
95 was named President and Prophet of the Church in 1995;
96 WHEREAS, later that same year, President Hinckley presented a landmark statement,
97 "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," which reaffirmed the time-tested importance of
98 the family as the unit of society that brings the best chance for happiness to each individual and
99 to the world;
100 WHEREAS, in 1996, President Hinckley brought significant positive national attention
101 to the Church when he agreed to be interviewed by reporter Mike Wallace on the CBS
102 program, "60 Minutes";
103 WHEREAS, later President Hinckley appeared several times on "Larry King Live," a
104 cable television program, where he spoke positively of people of other faiths and lifestyles and
105 of the limitless worth of the individual;
106 WHEREAS, in 2001, President Hinckley announced the creation of the Perpetual
107 Education Fund, a loan program to help young members of the Church in Third World countries
108 obtain education and training to enter the workforce;
109 WHEREAS, President Hinckley received numerous awards during his lifetime, including
110 the Boy Scout's Silver Buffalo award, the Distinguished Alumni Award for the University of
111 Utah, his alma mater, the Distinguished Citizen Award from Southern Utah University, and
112 honorary doctorates from Westminster College, Utah State University, Brigham Young
113 University, and Southern Utah University;
114 WHEREAS, among many honors bestowed upon him, President Hinckley was awarded
115 the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award a civilian can receive, in 2004;
116 WHEREAS, that same year President Hinckley's dear wife passed away, and he
117 frequently spoke publicly of how much he missed her;
118 WHEREAS, President Hinckley sought to build bridges and dispel misunderstandings,
119 frequently reassuring members of other faiths that "we never speak negatively of other churches.
120 We say to people, you bring all the good that you have and let us see if we can add to it";

121 WHEREAS, President Hinckley urged members to befriend those of other faiths, to
122 "mingle with them in the promulgation of good causes";
123 WHEREAS, during his lifetime, President Hinckley was honored by the National
124 Conference for Community and Justice for his contributions to tolerance and understanding in
125 the world;
126 WHEREAS, during President Hinckley's service, he directed an unprecedented
127 explosion in the number of temples built throughout the world, including rebuilding the historic
128 Nauvoo Temple, so that church members would not have to travel so far and spend so much
129 money to get to a temple;
130 WHEREAS, President Hinckley presided over major strides in the Church's missionary
131 and welfare services programs in priesthood and church government, and brought great
132 improvements to services for church members serving in the military;
133 WHEREAS, during President Hinckley's presidency, the Church grew from 9 million to
134 13 million members;
135 WHEREAS, President Hinckley engaged in numerous humanitarian efforts on behalf of
136 the Church during his life, most recently including visits to Honduras and other parts of Central
137 America after devastating floods that decimated these areas and directing the Church's
138 humanitarian effort in the aftermath, as well as sending goods and resources to Asia after the
139 recent giant tsunami, and to the Southern States after Hurricane Katrina;
140 WHEREAS, President Hinckley has played a significant role in many community
141 projects, including Salt Lake City's hosting of the Winter Olympics, the building of the
142 Conference Center and the Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City, and the current revitalization of
143 downtown Salt Lake;
144 WHEREAS, President Hinckley rededicated the newly renovated State Capitol Building
145 in one of his last public appearances just prior to his death;
146 WHEREAS, President Hinckley's refreshing, sometimes unexpected, wit lifted people's
147 spirits;
148 WHEREAS, President Hinckley gained from his father the skill to convey the wide

149 canvas of an idea, to help listeners see their role in bringing about grand endeavors, and to
150 inspire them with a glimpse of their limitless potential;
151 WHEREAS, President Hinckley's many other talents ranged from being enthusiastic,
152 optimistic, and sharply intelligent to deeply faithful, prayerful, and humble to the core;
153 WHEREAS, in this brief reflection on President Hinckley's life, something of the true
154 nature of the man has inevitably been lost; and
155 WHEREAS, it is hoped that this recognition will bring some measure of comfort to
156 those who grieve most at his passing:
157 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
158 Governor concurring therein, honor the life and contributions of Gordon B. Hinckley, President
159 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a respected world religious leader, a prophet
160 to millions, a beloved father, and a most devoted husband.
161 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the family of
162 Gordon B. Hinckley.