Elder James E. Faust referred to President Howard W. Hunter, his departed colleague of 33 years, as "an extraordinary human being and one of the noble servants of Almighty God."
The apostle said President Hunter equated the role of prophets in the Church today with those in Old Testament and Book of Mormon times, quoting his statement in a Deseret News interview of July 3, 1994, that the role is "to stand at the head of the Church and to provide spiritual bearings for those who espouse the gospel."Elder Faust listed President Hunter's many activities since his call last June. He said perhaps the most remarkable occurrence during that short time has been "that members of the Church all over the world became bonded to him in a special way as their Prophet, Seer and Revelator. They have seen in him the personification of the attributes of the Savior himself."
Elder Faust said the president was humble, meek and unassuming, endowed with great intelligence and determination, always industrious, charming, gracious, cordial, friendly, gentlemanly, kind and sympathetic."
"He had a way of drawing people to him. There was a special magic in his personality. Although outgoing in so many ways, yet he was also a private man. He had no inner conflicts and tensions. He had no ego needs. With all his wisdom, he could sit among his brethren and say very little. He was at complete peace with himself."
President Hunter's family was his great pride and joy, Elder Faust noted.
The prophet's spiritual depth, Elder Faust continued, was "so profound as to be unfathomable," that his spirituality was honed during the years as a special witness of Christ.
"It was the wellspring of his whole being. He was quiet about sacred things, humble about sacred things, careful when he spoke about sacred things."
He concluded, "No doubt as Mormon, another prophet, promised, when Howard William Hunter died Jesus stood with open arms to receive him." (See Mormon 6:17.)