Mormons Sustain Hinckley As Church’s 15th President

With upraised hands, Mormons throughout the world expressed silent support for Gordon B. Hinckley as the 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“He is our prophet today. He is wise. He is caring. He speaks for the Lord. His is the voice to which we should now respond,” said Elder Robert D. Hales of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles last Saturday.

Hinckley, ordained the “prophet, seer and revelator” of the 9 million-member faith on March 12, was the focus of the church’s 165th Annual General Conference at the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

Hinckley, 84, was “sustained” as president by the upraised right hands of the membership in the traditional “solemn assembly” that follows each change in the presidency. He succeeded Howard W. Hunter, 87, who died March 3 after nine months in office.

The church has had two presidents die in less than a year, the most rapid turnover in its 165-year history. Hales and others stressed the importance of the lifetime office to the American-born religion.

Hunter’s death, and Faust’s appointment to the First Presidency, created a vacancy in the Twelve that was filled by Elder Henry B. Eyring, 61, commissioner of church education and a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy since 1992.

In his first general conference as president, Hinckley also announced an administrative change, abolishing the office of Regional Representative of the Twelve, established 28 years ago. In their place will be Area Authorities closely tied to the church’s area presidencies, made up of members of the two quorums of Seventy.

He said an Area Authority would serve about six years and there likely would be fewer than the 264 Regional Representatives who will be released effective Aug. 15.