Hinckley set high bar for church successor

When he died Sunday at the age of 97, Gordon B. Hinckley was the oldest president in the 177-year history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

He leaves the Utah-based church in the midst of a period of unprecedented growth -- there are now an estimated 13 million Mormons, worldwide -- and many attribute that growth to the efforts of Mr. Hinckley, himself.

The church began in 1830 with just six members. Not only did church membership pass the 13 million mark under Mr. Hinckley's 13-year tenure, but much of that growth has occurred overseas, with new temples rising in Africa and South America and coverts to the faith outpaced children born into the church by a margin of 272,000 to 94,000 in 2006.

The church was born in America, but less than half its membership -- 5.7 million -- now live in the United States. A third of those American members live in Utah.

In promotion of that worldwide growth, Gordon Hinckley was an indefatigable traveler. Claudio Zivic, who oversees the church's affairs in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, recalls watching the late church president address a crowd of 50,000 in Buenos Aires in 1996: "He touched our lives in every possible way. He has taught us to be a little better, to stand a little taller and to do what is right."

Mr. Hinckley's commitment to expansion and focused missionary work gave the church unprecedented resources, says Rick Phillips, a sociology professor at the University of North Florida.

The Mormon Church scheduled public viewing Thursday and Friday before a funeral today. Officials expected tens of thousands to pay their respects over three days at the church's 21,000-seat downtown conference center in Salt Lake City, built during Mr. Hinckley's presidency to accommodate the church's phenomenal growth.

Mr. Hinckley has set a high bar for his successor. His leadership and optimism will be missed by his church.