Posted by
The American Legacy on Friday, February 01, 2008 5:40:49 PM
Having just returned from the public viewing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, I am filled with emotion, contemplating the great sense of loss I feel.
I met President Hinckley on two occasions. In 1997, I was responsible for making the dedicatory arrangements of the 8000 seat David O. McKay Events Center in Orem, Utah. I grew up in Huntsville, Utah, McKay's home town, and I had a special connection to him. I even mowed his lawn when I was a boy. So this assignment was quite exciting.
I asked President Hinckley to offer the dedicatory prayer, which he kindly obliged. He traveled with his wife Margorie, and President Thomas S. Monson and his wife Frances. I was the contact person with his security entourage, and I interacted directly with President Hinckley at length, as we went over the plans for the how the event would proceed. As we waited for the event to start, I escorted them to our green room, and allowed them to freshen up before the event.
We were late in starting, and I must have been a little over-anxious. I went in the green room, giving them an update regarding the delay. Finally, President Hinckley looked at me and smiled "I'll go when you want me to go, dear Gary!"
I laughed, President Monson laughed, and sister Hinckley didn't appear amused! (For those who don't know, the irony of that statement reflects a phrase in the LDS Hymnbook, "I'll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord." It is often used as a song to send off missionaries, whose mission calls come from President Hinckley. The irony and play on words wasn't lost on us!)
The other occasion was related to the same event. We had commissioned a statue of David O. McKay, but we were unable to get it installed at the time of the dedication, because the sculptor was injured. The sculpture artist was Ortho Fairbanks, a kind and talented man who was the only sculpture artist for which David O. McKay was willing to sit and pose. Fairbanks had completed a mock-up of his final design. However, it didn't look like anything I remembered President McKay to look like. I was afraid of spending tens of thousands of dollars on making a bronze statue, if the statue had no likeness of President McKay.
I called F. MIchael Watson, the secretary to the First Presidency, and asked if I could get President Hinckley to look at it, because he was among the only people alive who remembered first hand what President McKay looked like. I admit it now, that I was eager to find any reason to meet with President HInckley, but fortunately they agreed. When we finally met with President Hinckley, he was kind, witty, and offered several great suggestions. He then he led us to his office, where we shared a few minutes just talking with him. I don't remember much about that conversation, but I do remember how thankful I was to be in his office, enjoying the time I had with him.
He is a great man, and I appreciate his leadership and example. I will miss him dearly.