In Honor of the Prophet

Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the almost 13-million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, died last night. He was 97.

Hinckley died at his apartment in downtown Salt Lake City ``from causes incident to age,'' according to a statement on the church's Web site.

Hinckley was ordained the 15th president of the Mormon Church in March 1995 after President Howard Hunter, 87, died from the effects of prostate cancer just nine months into his term, the shortest in church history. Church presidents serve until their deaths.

When Hinckley was ordained at age 84, Mormons hailed him as a man of vigor and good health. Because the church presidency falls to the longest-serving member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, most men have been elderly when they took the office.

At his ordination press conference, Hinckley made a point of standing to field questions. When asked about his health, he said, ``I spent one night in the hospital in my life. I was past 75 when that occurred.'' It was the first time in 20 years that a new Mormon president held a press conference.

By comparison, the last several Mormon Church presidents suffered poor health for much of their terms in office and Hinckley served as the de facto head of the church for his two immediate predecessors. Spencer W. Kimball, who led the church from 1973-85, had open-heart surgery, suffered a small stroke, had three brain surgeries for a hematoma and was almost blind from glaucoma.

Ezra Taft Benson, Hunter's predecessor, and David O. McKay, president from 1951-70, were both housebound during their last years as president and made few public appearances.

Rising Up the Ranks

Hinckley was born on June 23, 1910, in Salt Lake City to Bryant and Ada Hinckley. His first job was as a newspaper deliverer for the Deseret News, one of Salt Lake City's dailies. He went on to get his bachelor of arts in English from the University of Utah.

After graduation, Hinckley spent two years in Great Britain as a full-time missionary for the Mormon Church before becoming an assistant to the Church Apostle who oversaw all European missions. Hinckley returned to the U.S. in 1935, when there were fewer than 1 million Mormons, and became the head of the church's new public-relations department, a position he held for 20 years.

As public-relations chief, Hinckley is credited by many Mormons for dispelling many long-standing negative stereotypes, including the now-banned practice of polygamy.

Hinckley was named in 1961 to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and in 1981 was promoted to the First Presidency, the church's highest inner circle. He served as counselor to both Benson and Hunter before he was named President of the Quorum of the Twelve.

Church Beginnings

The religion was founded by Joseph Smith in upstate New York in the early 1800s. Smith said he experienced visions from God and Jesus and angels, one of which told him of tablets buried near Smith's home.

Using ``seeing stones'' Smith translated the tablets, which told of Jesus' appearance in the Americas and from which Smith produced the Book of Mormon, ``a record of God's dealings with the people who lived in the ancient Americas,'' according to Mormon Church's Web site. In the Mormon Church, the Garden of Eden is located in what is today Independence, Missouri. Mormons believe their president is a living prophet, who has regular communications and revelations with God.

Presidential Accomplishments

At the press conference after he was named president, Hinckley vowed to expand the reach of the church and increase its numbers. Church membership rose by more than 3 million during his years as president, and the number of Mormon temples worldwide more than doubled.

In what some consider a turning point for the church, Hinckley told Mike Wallace on CBS's ``60 Minutes'' in 1995 that Mormons are not ``weird.''

Hinckley traveled to more foreign countries than any president in the church's more than 176-year history. He is the first church president to travel to Spain and to Africa.

In 2004, President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.

Recent Years

Hinckley battled the moniker of ``Mormon Olympics'' when the 2002 Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City. He urged his followers not to proselytize during the worldwide event and to keep a low profile, though Hinckley did carry the Olympic torch.

In 2001, Hinckley received a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat and, three days before his 95th birthday in 2005, he announced he had diabetes. Hinckley has walked with a cane since early 2001 because he said he was ``a little unsteady on my feet'' and that he suffered from vertigo.

Hinckley's wife, Marjorie Pay, preceded him in death in April 2004. They were married in 1937. Hinckley is survived by his five children.

A successor to Hinckley will be named by Mormon church officials after his funeral, which will be held this week.