Stories: An Interview with Elder Hinckley
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| “Here sits a future Prophet of God!”
Having been spiritually motivated by seeing the Church video on President Gordon B. Hinckley recently as part of our Sabbath Day observance, I have a desire to tell of an experience that I had with him, which has been a sure spiritual witness throughout my life to this time. The video takes about ½ minute to tell about then Elder Hinckley receiving the assignment in 1962 to go with President Henry D. Moyle, then First Councilor in the First Presidency, to visit the 21 missions in Europe in 23 days. I was then in Norway on a 2-½ year mission that began in June of 1961. As I have since realized by reading President Hinckley’s history, “Go Forward With Faith,” I was one of the “proof” 19-year-olds to serve a mission before the Church officially changed to that age a few years later. By the time that President Moyle and Elder Hinckley arrived in Norway nearing the end of that tour, I was nearing the half-way point of my mission: “on the down hill side” as it was commonly called then. However, I was still younger than most of the new arrivals to the mission field; but no one asked about age there, then it was only about length of service! (One not so enjoyable side of this aspect occurred when I had been in Norway about 3 months, and the then “Traveling Elders” came to the town where I was working at the time as the junior companion to the District Leader: while out tracting with the junior “TE,” he asked me how long I had left; and, upon hearing I still had about 27 months left, he said, “If I had that long, I’d slit my wrists!”) Nevertheless, this is how my 20-year-old mind worked about the prospective interview list at the all-mission conference the day of the interviews: “I am a senior companion and have been here about half my mission; therefore, I will interview with President Moyle, who sits on the right hand of the Prophet of the Lord, President David O. McKay, whose signature is on my missionary certificate; won’t that be exciting and certainly something to put in my journal.” As it turned out, the list had me interviewing with Elder Hinckley, about whom I knew nothing. He had received his Apostolic call after I went to Norway, and communications were not by satellite at that time. Also, the Church, as yet, had not begun broadcasting Church news via shortwave radio. Thus, I was, to say the least, kind of disappointed, but decided to make the best of it anyway. While waiting for my interview time, I said a silent prayer that the Lord would help me understand why, and I told Him that I would try to continue to give my best effort. I don’t remember much of what we discussed during the interview, but, during the few brief minutes we were together, I got the distinct spiritual impression, “Here sits a future Prophet of God!” Besides the wonderful people with whom I worked and some very special experiences I enjoyed during my mission in Norway, that interview remains one of the highlights that I shall not forget! That witness has stayed with me to this day, for which I am so thankful. As I watched Elder Hinckley during his time in the Quorum of the Twelve, I thought my witness was “satisfied” in 1981 when President Spencer W. Kimball called him into the First Presidency. Later, he served as the Second Councilor to President Kimball, then the First Councilor to both President Ezra Taft Benson and President Howard W. Hunter. Serving in these capacities honed President Hinckley for the ultimate service that he is performing now as President of the Church, and the Prophet of God. I sustain him with my whole heart and soul and every fiber of my being. The witness of the Spirit is true! |
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