President Hinckley

21 thoughts on “President Hinckley”

1. I suspect that his humility–his desire that only the Lord’s will be done–is so well developed that he no longer feels seriously torn between these two competing personal desires.

2. nah ltbugaf I totally disagree… his desire to serve the Lord is nothing compared to the degree in which he misses his wife. The longer you are married the more you would be torn no matter how much you love the Lord. It is one thing to know the Lord is on your side and you serve Him in everything you do and another quite different thing to have a constant companion by your side all those years. Someone that actually talks to you face to face that is your sounding board, your hugger when you are down, your cheering section when you are faced with new challenges, your tissue on bad crying days your hair dresser on bad hair days your sole comfort on rainy days, your side warmer on cloudy snow days; and on and on and on… wanting to live as God would want you to is nothing compared to missing your constant companion.

3. I know it’s not nearly the same thing but I can agree with Sally. Even though I only lost my cat, I cried for 3 days. We had her 12 years. She was very special to me. I know the Lords teachings on it. I know I will see her again but I miss her. I can only imagine how much he misses his wife.

4. You’re cat was married?

   I agree with Kim on this one. I am willing to bet that there is some division President Hinckley’s heart. I really can’t imagine that there wouldn’t be, regardless of how faithful he is. That doesn’t make him a bad person, it makes him a loving husband.

   I am sure they will be together soon.

5. Ian, you are right, it doesn’t at all make him a bad person. He misses his companion and love, and wants to be with her. This doesn’t make him less of a prophet at all. He knows and trusts in Heavenly Father’s will, but I am sure he wishes at times, that his wife were by his side.

   He isn’t superhuman after all. He has emotions and feelings just like everyone.

6. How would you feel if at the next General Conference President Hinckley announced he had remarried?

   Do you think he should share the rest of his life with someone or shuld he stay single?

7. I agree with Itbugaf.

   I think having the very deep and personal experiences the Prophet has with the with the Lord, face to face in many cases I am sure, supercedes his desire to die just so he can see his wife. I would suspect that he will clearly know when his mission has been fulfilled completely as a Prophet and until then he will frevently serve even though he continues to desperately miss his wife…that doesn’t mean he loves her any less.

   K.

8. Bill, I don’t think there’s any “should” about it–especially from the perspective of those who have no business meddling in President Hinckley’s personal life. That would include you, me, and everyone else on the ‘blog. :)

9. “I am sure, supercedes his desire to die just so he can see his wife.”

   I think it’s more than “just so he can see his wife”. The eternal relationship he has with her, the bond they share isn’t something that is based in a selfishness. He can miss her and want to be with her at the same time as he wants to do the Lord’s will.

10. Meddling – Interesting word. I know a SP who lost his wife and the Church called several people to serve on a committe to find him a new wife. Single women were interviewed for the position. I know this sounds crazy but it is true. He was to be called as a Temple President and needed a wife so he could become a Temple President.

    I know a man who lost his wife while they were on a mission and he was told that he would be released since she had passed away.

    Is having a wife a requirement to holding certain Church callings?

11. Your stories are certainly colorful, Bill.

12. Sorry–forgot to answer your question. “Is having a wife a requirement to holding certain Church callings?”

    Yes.

13. If having a wife is a requirement to holding certain Church callings (Leadership Positions) should all Church Leaders be held to the same standard?

    If a spouse decided to exercise their free agency and leave the marriage, or committed some serious sin, should the faithful spouse be treated different at church? Loss of Church callings for example?

14. “[S]hould all Church leaders be held to the same standard?”
    A. No. A ward Sunday School President, for example, doesn’t need to be married, and there’s no particular reason to change that. Some other callings call for different qualifications. It’s not surprising that the qualifications for one leadership position may differ from the qualifications for another leadership position.

    “If a spouse decided to [do something wrong or leave the marriage], should the faithful spouse be treated different at church? Loss of Church callings for example?”
    A. That depends on whether the calling requires the leader to be married. If the calling does require it, and the leader is no longer married, then the leader probably needs to be released. Not really difficult logic, there.

15. A Ward Sunday School President is not a Leadership position. I have not clue who the Sunday School President is in my Ward. Let’s assume a Leadership position would start at the level of a Bishop and go up from there. If a Bishop or Stake President has to be married, does a GA? How about an Apostle? How about the Prophet?

    ltbugaf wrote -“If the calling does require it, and the leader is no longer married, then the leader probably needs to be released. Not really difficult logic, there.”

    Following your logic – does the Prophet need to be married? If he does need to be married and is not, then does he need to be released?

    At what office would a GA need to hold to no longer need to be married to keep his position?

    Just asking a question.

16. “…does the Prophet need to be married?”

    Not that I know of.

    “At what office would a GA need to hold to no longer need to be married to keep his position?”

    I don’t think I fully understand the question, but I’ll take a crack at it: I don’t know what positions require marriage and which don’t.

17. At least a bishop needs to be married: see 1 Tim. 3:2.

18. Unless that was just an instruction for the Church in Paul’s time, rather than a requirement for bishops in all dispensations.

19. If a Bishop loses his wife, will he be replaced? Does anyone know of a Bishop that is in office and single?

    I know a SP that lost his job and was released as SP (early) because he was unemployed.

20. Bill, as far as I’m aware, there’s no rule about having to release a bishop under these circumstances. There probably is a policy in place of usually releasing a bishop who loses a wife. I can think of a broad range of reasons for doing so. However, such a policy is probably subject to exceptions. Those who apply such policies try to do so under the guidance of the Spirit and make exceptions where the Spirit indicates they should.

21. I expect somewhere a Bishop has lost his wife. I am not aware of it happening to anyone I know.

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