A self-defined "shy and bashful boy, freckle-faced and awkward," President Gordon B. Hinckley gained a conviction early of the truth of the gospel as practiced in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he has served for several decades in the high ranks of the church.
First called as an assistant to the Council of the Twelve in April 1958, he was ordained an apostle on Oct. 5, 1961. Since July 1981, he has served as a counselor in the First Presidency.His philosophy regarding church service is that "in the church, we serve where we are called to serve."
When he was a young boy, his father served in a stake presidency. He took his seat on the stand during a a stake priesthood meeting while Gordon, "a somewhat unwilling boy," sat on the back row.
As the congregation sang "Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah" (a reference to church founder Joseph Smith), the boy had an unusual experience.
"There welled up in me an overwhelming conviction," he later recalled. His testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, and the truth of the church that had resulted, had been firmly established. From that time on, he said, he was never timid or shy in bearing that testimony to others, although he was by nature reticent.
As a teenager, he heard a conference address by President Heber J. Grant calling on church members to follow the example of Nephi in deciding to "go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded." For Gordon Hinck-ley, it translated into a commitment to fill a full-time mission.
He served in the British Isles, sometimes preaching from a portable stand in London's noted Hyde Park. Ultimately, he became an assistant to the apostle heading the missionary effort in Europe.
Then Elder Howard W. Hunter, at whose right hand he will now stand as a counselor, said at one time, "For 20 years Elder Hinckley and I sat side by side in the circle of the Council of the Twelve. I learned to appreciate his wisdom and judgment. Men of his ability are rare."
In continuous service, at the ward and stake level and then in the highest ranks of the church, he has been involved in the evolution of the church from a relatively small group centered primarily in the United States to an organization that encompasses more than 8 million members in congregations throughout the world.
One of his most challenging assignments, given to him by President David O. McKay, was to oversee development of temple materials in 13 languages.
Calling on rapidly evolving technology, he brought these resources to bear on the production of informational and inspirational materials to further the building up of the church. His interest in media was a natural outgrowth of his business experience as founder, officer and director of Recording Arts Inc. He has served on the boards of many church-related and private businesses.
Elder Neal M. Maxwell described President Hinckley as one who could "cope with complexity but prefers simplicity. Even when weary, he would rather be at work than at rest. Yet in all of this and much more, he has kept a highly developed sense of humor, seeing good cheer as a vital message of life."
President Hinckley has a keen appreciation for the history of the church and the contributions of key members since its inception. He has participated in many projects to restore church historic sites, including the recent dedication of a newly restored Cove Fort site. He is proud of his own family genealogy, which includes ties back to the beginnings of both the United States and the church.
In a Church News interview in 1987, President Hinckley said, "I remember distinctly sitting up in a cherry tree, looking across the valley, seeing the trains come into the valley and thinking that some day I'd like to see the world."
His church assignments have, in fact, allowed him to see the world and to be intimately involved in the spread of the gospel to many nations not previously included in the church network.
He married Marjorie Pay on April 29, 1937, and they are the parents of five children.