NORWICH – Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley was a kind, energetic leader who in 12 years helped to spread the religion’s message through mainstream media and expand its presence globally, say members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Norwich.
Hinckley, 97, died of natural causes Sunday at his apartment in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“He was a great leader and an example for all of us,” said Vicki Raphael, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Norwich. “Everybody just adored him for the person he was.”
Peter Mennis, the church’s Norwich Branch President, said Hinckley, even at 97, was pro-active, outgoing and tireless; three traits that defined his dozen years as the church’s President and Prophet.
“He was just an awesome man,” said Mennis.
Hinckley is credited for leading the church through a global expansion that’s seen its membership grow to 13 million in 171 countries. As a result, he was well-known for keeping a rigorous work and travel schedule right up until his death, Mennis said.
“At 97, in a day he was busier than you or I,” he said.
He was also renowned for his efforts to bring the Mormon religion further into the public light worldwide, which made him a popular figure in the media.
“While he was President and Prophet, the church had a lot of exposure,” said Mennis, who pointed to campaign started under Hinckley called “Truth Restored,” aimed at explaining the church’s basic beliefs and dispeling myths surrounding them. “He was very successful in finding a way to help people understand the church.”
Because of his kindness and down-to-earth attitude, Raphael said members of the church felt especially close to Hinckley.
“In the church, we call ourselves brothers and sisters,” she said. “He was something like a father to us.”
Raphael said she was able to meet the president several years ago in Schenectady.
He was also in New York to dedicate the Mormon temple built in Palmyra, the place where the religion was founded by Joseph Smith, in 2000. It was part of Hinckley’s plan to double the number of temples – worship sites where certain sacred practices within the religion can only take place – worldwide to from 1999 to 2002.
“A notable impact is the fact that we have a temple in Palmyra,” said Mennis, who explained that members locally had to travel to Washington, D.C. or Toronto to go to temple before.
Under his leadership, the church also saw the construction of a conference center in Salt Lake City that’s believed to be the largest religious worship site in the world.
When not traveling abroad, broadcasting to members around the world or being interviewed on “60 Minutes” or “Larry King Live,” Hinckley was also known for being fond of Oreos and milk, Mennis said.
“We were just tickled pink with him as a leader,” he said. “We’re sad because we knew him. But I know where he is and he’s fine. The church will continue to roll on and grow. It’s a wonderful thing.”
In Norwich, there are 140 members of the church from throughout the county.