Long before dawn, even before a touch of pink began to lighten the skies over Salt Lake City, friends and admirers of President Howard W. Hunter began gathering Tuesday to pay their respects to the 87-year-old church leader.
They came by the thousands during the day and evening for a public viewing at the Church Administration Building, where more than 4,000 church employees and their families filed through the flower-bedecked rotunda of the granite building before 9 a.m.The public viewing, which began at 9 a.m. and which will continue until 7 p.m. Tuesday, was preceded by a gathering Monday evening for family members of the beloved church leader and for general authorities, their wives and families.
"It's peaceful" was the way Kaysville teen Kara Cullimore described the brief visit as she and Leslie Johnson and Johnson's three children, Tyler, 3; Stephanie, 8; and Errin, 31/2, all of Kaysville, paid their respects to the man members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints revered as a prophet and leader of 9 million Mormons worldwide.
President Hunter, who had been the church leader for nearly nine months but who had served in the general councils of the church 341/2 years, died Friday morning at his downtown Salt Lake residence after being ill with cancer.
The Johnsons and Cullimore were among those who went through the administration building to see President Hunter for a last time. President Hunter, who was dressed in white and lying in an antique walnut casket, looked serene and peaceful but appeared thin and drawn because of his illness.
A large multicolor spray of roses, tulips, snapdragons, lilies and other flowers formed a fitting casket spray arrangement to the church leader, who saw beauty in not only flowers but in people. Many other sprays and large arrangements of flowers on easels added beauty. They included gifts from Ricks College, Brigham Young University, Utah State University and Brigham Young University in Hawaii.
A large portrait painting of President Hunter, located in the administration building foyer, greeted visitors as they filed into the viewing area where visitors, church security personnel and others spoke in subdued tones.
Leslie Johnson said she brought her children to the viewing to "give them an opportunity to say goodbye. In just the short time (he's been the church president) we've grown to love him. He's a sweetheart," she said.
The temperature outside was a crisp 27 degrees when the viewing for church employees and families, family history missionaries and others began at 7 a.m. with clear, sunny skies later on as an often steady stream of visitors gathered.
A Salt Lake Tabernacle usher said two family history missionaries from Samoa were the first in line at 5:15 a.m. for the initial viewing Tuesday morning. The line, which formed in the underground parking terrace north of the administration building, moved quickly through the building.
John and Faye Boyle and their four sons, Joe, Jon, Jason and Jeremy, of Lindon, Utah County, and two friends, Beth Lund, also of Lindon, and Hannah Overson, Pleasant Grove, were among those arriving very early.
Jason Boyle, who returned from a mission last Dec. 9 in the eastern United States, said he wanted to attend the viewing to reflect on the "message President Hunter had about Christ."
Holding Jason's hand, Lund said the message of President Hunter, church leader for "such a short time means so much more. He had time to say it only once."
Reed W. and Barbara Bluemel, family history missionaries from Fort Bridger, Wyo., arrived at 6:45 a.m. for the viewing, saying they "feel such a reverence" for President Hunter and other prophets.
"He (President Hunter) is very special to us because of his gentle nature. He was close to us because of his connection with genealogy and because we were able to serve during his administration," said Barbara Bluemel, who explained that she and her husband were planning to do ordinance work Tuesday morning at the Salt Lake Temple.
The temple, the importance of being worthy to enter such sacred edifices, and family history research have been important topics to President Hunter, who many years ago headed what is now the Family History Department.
Christopher Bawden, 13, a deacon in the Jordan River 12th Ward, Jordan River Stake, was among hundreds of young people attending the viewing during the early morning.
"I love him (President Hunter) like the rest of the presidents," said the youth, who arrived with his mother, Joana, and sisters, Michelle, 17, and Melissa, 16.
"Our children were very anxious to come today," Joana Bawden said, explaining that she and her children planned to meet her husband, Timothy, a church real estate department employee, before attending the viewing.
LaMon Ashman, Provo, a secretary in the church controller's office; Heather Rubert, a family history missionary from North Ogden; Eleanor Hall, a family history missionary from El Cajon, Calif.; Reed Perkes and his wife, Saundra, and their children, C.J., Scott and Blake; and Eunice Pace, now of West Jordan and recently of Albion, N.Y., were among other visitors.
"I thought it was really important that (I be among) church members who show respect for President Hunter. He meant a great deal to me. I expected him to live longer - even after the announcement that he had cancer," Pace said, holding back tears.
Jeff and Liz Sly, Magna, said they had a family devotional at their home early Tuesday before bringing their children, Kirsten, Justin and Kaylin, to the viewing.
"We're thankful that the prophet was with us for the time that he was," said Jeff Sly, drawing his family around him.