Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Dearest Prophet - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Not going to lie - I stole this letter off a stranger's blog. But she seems really nice and I don't think she will mind. It is a teary read - a letter from the Prophet to his sweet wife Marjorie...

"My Darling,
All that is said in this book concerning your virtues is true. Your own words and those spoken by a host of friends bear tribute to your worth. More, much more, might have been included.
It is now more than sixty years since we entered the Salt Lake Temple, there to be married for eternity. I had known you for a long time prior to that. I knew what I was getting into, and it has turned out as I had hoped it would. What a treasured companion you have been. Through all these years we have walked side by side as equals before the Lord. There have been good days and bad days, but the good days have far outnumbered the bad ones.

You have been my critic and my judge. You have seen to it that my shoes were shined, my suit pressed, my tie straight. You have pushed aside the flattery that comes with public life, and winnowed the kind and sincere words of honest and loving friends. You have held at bay that old fraud of adulation and kept my feet planted on the solid earth. How I appreciate you....our voracious appetite for reading and your relentless pursuit of knowledge have kept you alert and refreshing throughout a long and fruitful life. Now we have grown old together, and it has been a sweet experience. We have shrunk in stature and move a little more slowly. We are more forgetful. But as of this writing we still have one another--and that is so good. And when in some future day the hand of death gently touches one or the other of us there will be tears, yes, but there will also be a quiet and certain assurance of reunion and eternal companionship.
'Trusty, dusky, vivid, true...'
The God of Heaven fashioned you.
I love you, dear"



Could there be a better depiction of how incredibly sweet and tender he was? He was strong and steadfast, yet incredibly meek and humble. He had the cutest sense of humor. And let's be honest, is there a cuter grandpa?
I am so grateful to have been raised "knowing" and loving him. I am grateful for his beautiful example and sweet simplicity. I love the principles that he lived by and encouraged us to rise to. I am grateful that my kids can recognize his picture and pray for him in their nightly prayers. I am grateful for the millions of ways that my testimony was strengthened by his amazing words and the very sound of his voice! I know that he was called of God and rejoice in the fact that he is now with our loving Heavenly Father. It melts my heart to think of his reunion with his eternal companion too...:)

21 comments:

Trish said...

I, too, read this letter on several blogs. I just love it, and him.

Jon Lefrandt said...

Love this letter. Thanks for sharing!!

Ash said...

Steph isn't he the most sweetest man you could ever imagine. This letter was so sweet in every way. I am so glad you shared it. I loved it.
Oh and Bella, she can totally take tennis this summer! It would be so fun!
Love you!

Crystal said...

I'm so glad you posted this letter I had not yet read it....How sweet, I love him....

Crystal said...

I'm so glad you posted this letter I had not yet read it....How sweet, I love him....

amelia said...

Wow, what an amazing letter! Tears are streaming down my cheeks!
What a sweet dear man. He will be greatly missed won't he?

How are you guys doing? I just barely saw the comment you left months ago on our blog! It was great to read it! I started that blog...just playing around and never posted more. I have just recently started posting again. Now I know to look for comments. So sorry I haven't replied until now :(

I LOVE your blog! You're family is just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing with us!

Take care and hope to see you all soon!

Lisanne Lee said...

Jeff said to me, "We're such outcasts for not posting about the prophet...everyone's doing it." This is the best so far. We heard the news together and our first thought was, "I'm so glad he's with his Marjorie."

...amazing.

Love you.

...where are you?

Jami Stevenson said...

Definitely my favorite Latter Day Prophet, thanks for posting the sweet letter...see you Monday?

Rochelleht said...

Came over from Martha's blog. This is just the sweetest thing ever. I loved it. It's so wonderful to imagine his reunion, isn't it?

Alis said...

I've visited your blog a few times and decided to finally leave a comment!

I love that tribute, and am so glad you shared it. I know I will go about my day trying to "stand a little taller!"

Happy blogging:)

Jackson Family said...

What a precious letter!!

hope you and your family are doing well. Maybe the boys will play flag football again this year!

take care

Tanya Kimball said...

I love this! I printed it off to keep! I don't think it gets any sweeter than that! I'm sure they had a perfect reunion!

Jon and Ashley Lefrandt said...

Listen here... you keep falling off the blogging wagon.

Kari said...

New post please!!! I miss your exciting posts!!

bstoutfamily said...

Just wanting some new pics. of your cute kids!! :) I also wanted to let you know I am having a Scentsy candle party/openhouse at my house on Sat. the 9th! My sister in law (Nicole) is coming out to do it, I guess her husband's sister started the company so I figured it would be fun to do it!! You can bring whoever...it is from 1:30 to 3:30pm and my address is 364 East 30 South in Orem (right off of Center St.) Anyway, just thought I would let ya know!!! Her website is www.scentsy.com/nicolea
Talk to you soon!

bstoutfamily said...

Sorry... I meant this Sat. the 8th!

christensen crew said...

Steph, I loved this post. You are so cute...I loved your comments at the end. I agree with you about him being so strong and steadfast, yet so meek and humble....and soft. I hadn't read this until you posted it. It made cry, and laugh, and miss him.
Thank you for sharing this sweet message of our dear prophet.

I think you need to update, you've got some serious requests! And I want more of your blog too! I know you are busy though!
Love you...Kate

christensen crew said...

Steph, I loved this post. You are so cute...I loved your comments at the end. I agree with you about him being so strong and steadfast, yet so meek and humble....and soft. I hadn't read this until you posted it. It made cry, and laugh, and miss him.
Thank you for sharing this sweet message of our dear prophet.

I think you need to update, you've got some serious requests! And I want more of your blog too! I know you are busy though!
Love you...Kate

christensen crew said...

Steph, I loved this post. You are so cute...I loved your comments at the end. I agree with you about him being so strong and steadfast, yet so meek and humble....and soft. I hadn't read this until you posted it. It made cry, and laugh, and miss him.
Thank you for sharing this sweet message of our dear prophet.

I think you need to update, you've got some serious requests! And I want more of your blog too! I know you are busy though!
Love you...Kate

christensen crew said...

Steph, I loved this post. You are so cute...I loved your comments at the end. I agree with you about him being so strong and steadfast, yet so meek and humble....and soft. I hadn't read this until you posted it. It made cry, and laugh, and miss him.
Thank you for sharing this sweet message of our dear prophet.

I think you need to update, you've got some serious requests! And I want more of your blog too! I know you are busy though!
Love you...Kate

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