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Summarized by Michael Nielsen
LDS Church's Growth Under Hinckley Noticed in Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta Journal-Constitution 1Jul00 N1
By Gayle White: Staff
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Gordon Hinckley, the self-effacing and
well-respected leader of Mormonism, is determined to lead his church
into the mainstream. His followers consider him the latest in a
succession of prophets since Joseph Smith formed the church 170 years
ago. During his tenure as prophet, Hinckley has set a course guiding
the church into the spotlight.
Hinckley's 90th birthday was the occasion for a huge birthday party,
with 21000 people well-wishers.The crowd enjoyed entertainment of
Mormon convert Gladys Knight, as well as gentle humor from Hinckley
himself.
Since becoming president five years ago, he has been in the
spotlight, having been interviewed many times. Mike Wallace, of "60
Minutes", was so impressed with Hinckley that he wrote the
introduction to Hinckley's recent best-seller, "Standing for
Something." "My '60 Minutes' colleagues and I learned, from the time
we spent with Gordon Hinckley and his wife, from his staff, and from
other Mormons who talked to us, that this warm and thoughtful and
decent and optimistic leader of the Mormon Church fully deserves the
almost universal admiration that he gets," Wallace wrote.
The church has a distinctive past, with its history of polygamy and
difficult relations with Blacks, but Hinckley's efforts to reach out
to people have helped to move the church toward society's center. Yet
he has managed to do this while maintaining the church's core values
of fidelity, commitment to family, and service.
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