"Mormon Church President Gordon Hinckley Dead

January 27th, 2008 @ 7:30pm

The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is dead. The LDS Church confirmed President Gordon B. Hinckley died Sunday night.

Hinckley was 97 years old. He served at the leader of the Mormon Church for more than 12 years.

The LDS Church released a statement Sunday night that said, "The Church president died at his apartment in downtown Salt Lake City at 7pm Sunday Night from causes incident to age. Members of his family were at his bedside."

Hinckley last spoke to a global audience of the LDS Church in a satellite broadcast in early December. He appeared weaker than he had in previous public appearances, but still in good general health.

Hinckley was the 15th president in the 177-year history of the LDS Church and had served as its president since 12 March 1995.

The statement from the church said "a successor is not expected to be formally chosen by the Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until after President Hinckley's funeral within the next few days."

Hinckley was the most traveled of all previous leaders of the LDS Church, and oversaw a period of dramatic growth in membership in the Mormon Church. The man followers view as a prophet of God presided over a decade when more members of his faith lived outside the United States of America than in it.

The LDS Church has nearly 13 million members in 171 countries.

Hinckley was a leader known for embracing the world's media and demonstrating comfort in answering questions about his religion. The traits were unique for a faith whose leadership has generally been reserved and prone to avoid reporters and the spotlight.

The LDS Church's statement about their leader's death acknowledged the relationship with the media.

"He was a popular interview subject with journalists, appearing on 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace and on CNN's Larry King Live, as well as being quoted and featured in hundreds of newspapers and magazines over the years," the statement said.

Hinckley will be remembered among Mormons as a man of quick wit, love of his faith's unique history, undying optimism, and the architect of a unprecedented temple building era."

News article by KTAR.com