President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints observed his 89th birthday Wednesday.
The beloved leader, revered by members of the 10.5 million-member church as a prophet and honored numerous times by church, civic, educational and other organizations, was congratulated by associates at a reception Wednesday afternoon. The gathering was held in the Church Administration Building.On Wednesday evening, President Hinckley and his wife, Marjorie, to whom he has been married more than 62 years, will observe his birthday quietly with family members.
Blessed with good health, President Hinckley continues his extensive travels and carries out his responsibilities of church leadership with characteristic energy and enthusiasm.
In late April he dedicated the church's newest temple in Bogota, Colombia, and spoke at a regional conference in Santiago, Chile. And in mid-May he was the keynote speaker before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.
President Hinckley has been a general authority of the church for more than 41 years, having been sustained as an Assistant to the Twelve on April 6, 1958. In 1961 he was named to the Quorum of the Twelve. He served a total of nearly 14 years as a counselor to three previous church leaders, President Spencer W. Kimball, President Ezra Taft Benson and President Howard W. Hunter.
President and Sister Hinckley are the parents of five children. They have 25 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.