US:Gordon Hinckley, the elderly but indefatigable Mormon leader who guided the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the 21st century by building more temples, travelling more miles and moving Mormonism closer to the religious mainstream than any of his predecessors, died on Sunday. He was 97, writes William Lobdell, in Los Angeles.
Though he became the Mormons' 15th president and prophet at the age of 84, Hinckley's energy, style and longevity allowed him to engage millions throughout the world and provided the church with a media-friendly face.
According to Mormon doctrine, the church's leader is a "prophet, seer and revelator" able to receive divine revelations. The prophet is assisted by two counsellors and, on the next step down in the hierarchy, 12 apostles who also are considered prophets.
Upon the death of the president, the apostle with the longest length of service - in this case, 80-year-old Thomas S Monson - ascends to the top post. Monson is a former newspaper executive with a fondness for storytelling who will run his presidency in a similar way to Hinckley, several observers say.
During Hinckley's 13-year presidency, church membership, fuelled by 56,000 young missionaries, swelled by almost 37 per cent to 12.3 million people, according to church figures.
Interest in the church was also heightened in the last year by the candidacy of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, a Mormon, for the Republican presidential nomination.
Latter-day Saints believe that their founder, Joseph Smith, received a divine revelation that he published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. The scriptures include instructions from Jesus - whom Mormons believed visited America after his resurrection - about how to restore the fallen Christian church. Because of this text, Mormons believe they are the one true church and that the rest of Christianity is in a state of apostasy.
Hinckley approved the construction, on average, of about 400 building projects a year worldwide. Though Salt Lake City is the Mormon version of the Vatican, Hinckley often said he'd rather be out among the faithful in the world. At 95 he travelled more than 35,000 miles. His visits took him to many countries, includ-ing Russia, India, Kenya, and France. In top health for his age for most of his presidency, Hinckley restored vibrancy to the Mormon leadership position, an office often hobbled by the debilitating illnesses of its geriatric presidents.
He was also known as a brilliant public relations man, able to soothe the public's fears about Mormonism without alienating the faithful and often winning over a sceptical media.
He was born on June 23rd, 1910, in Salt Lake City. His grandfather knew Mormon founder Joseph Smith and travelled to Utah with the faithful in the 19th century.
Hinckley was raised in and around Salt Lake City, his family dividing their time between city and farm living.
In 1932 he graduated from the University of Utah and planned to get a master's degree in journalism, but his education was interrupted when he was called to serve a two-year mission in England. Much of his time was spent preaching at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park.
Returning to the US he worked at the church's headquarters, landing what at the time was a rare paid church job.
Two years later he married his long-time sweetheart, Marjorie Pay. The marriage would last 67 years until her death in 2004.
In 1961 Hinckley was appointed to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, a group that answers only to the president and his two counsellors, known collectively as the First Presidency.
Twenty years later, Hinckley ascended to the first presidency, where he served as a counsellor to three presidents whose tenure was marked by illness and frailty.
He is credited with providing the church with a steady hand during those years and he was involved in most of the major decisions that have shaped Mormonism for more than three decades.
Under Hinckley, the church embraced modern technology, including satellite television, an extensive multimedia website and the posting of genealogy databases on the internet for the public. - (LA Times-Washington Post service)