Mormon church president dies at 97

[DeclinetoState]

By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 8 minutes ago

<!-- end storyhdr -->SALT LAKE CITY - Gordon B. Hinckley, the Mormon church's oldest president who presided over one of the greatest periods of expansion in its history, died Sunday. He was 97.

Hinckley, the 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died of complications arising from old age, church spokesman Mike Otterson said.

"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an abiding love for others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and fellow Mormon. "His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed by not only members of our faith, but by people of all faiths throughout the world."

Hinckley had been diagnosed with diabetes and was hospitalized in January 2006 for the removal of a cancerous growth in his large intestine.
Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_re_us/obit_hinckley;_ylt=AjTaVqCfJn097YAnLm.6Nuqs0NUE)

I'm not LDS, and I believe the church has some rather bizarre teachings, but it does seem remarkable that many of them have lived well into their 80s and 90s.

[Patriot Heart]

Well, they along with 7th Day Adventists, have some strict dietary food laws. For the Mormons, no alcohol, smokes or caffiene. Adventists go further and follow Leviticus food laws. No pork, shellfish, meat animal must have a cloven hoof (pigs excluded of course). Vegetarianism encouraged. I have heard the Adventists live longest on average of any faith.

[Lazarus]

Well, they along with 7th Day Adventists, have some strict dietary food laws. For the Mormons, no alcohol, smokes or caffiene. Adventists go further and follow Leviticus food laws. No pork, shellfish, meat animal must have a cloven hoof (pigs excluded of course). Vegetarianism encouraged. I have heard the Adventists live longest on average of any faith.If you call that living.........:biggrin:

[Air Force Guy]

There's a running joke about food and Christians...

Old man dies and meets his wife in heaven at a feast Jesus regularly presented to the redeemed.

The old man walks thru the immense buffet line with his wife and starts loading up with all the delicacies his large plate can hold: Steaks, mashed potatoes by the mountain, desserts so rich words cannot describe them...

Just before he exits the line he freezes and looks at his wife with his jaw agape.

"You forced me to avoid all this stuff for the 70 years we were married. Argggh! I could've been eating that stuff on earth and been here to enjoy this MUCH sooner!"

[DesertFox]

The pope calls an emergency session of all the world's bishops and above in the church hierarchy. They assemble in the Vatican, all worried that something awful may have transpired.

Pretty soon here comes the pope.

"Brothers," he says, "I got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

The hall set to buzzing as the brothers discussed it. Ultimately a voice cried, "The good news first, Your Holiness!" All the brothers cheer, so the pope quiets them down.

"Okay. The good news is, this morning I got a phone call from Jesus Christ! Brothers, the Lord is come! He is here with us on this earth!"

The assembled throng explodes in rapture. Spontaneous rejoicing, singing and dancing breaks out. The noise rises to a roar and carries on for a good 20 minutes. Ultimately, though, the brothers begin to calm down. A voice cries, "Your Holiness, you said 'good news' and 'bad news.' How can there be any bad news now that the Son of Man is once again walking the earth?"

"Brothers," intoned the pope, "I received the news from Jesus Himself in a phone call this morning. A phone call from Salt Lake City."

[DeclinetoState]

A certain Democrat and onetime Algore supporter in a certain state in the center of the U.S. is asserting that Mr. Hinckley is in hell. I'd give you a link to the site, but I think if you want to you can find it easily enough.

:(

[DoctorDoom]

Don't rue his passing. He's one step closer to being a god.

7. God used to be a man on another planet, Mormon Doctrine, p. 321; Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Vol 5, pp. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 2, p. 345; Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 33.

8. After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354.

What does Mormonism teach? (http://www.carm.net/lds/lds_doctrines.htm)

[DesertFox]

97 is long enough. About time he saved some oxygen for someone else.

[Neil Peart]

97 is long enough. About time he saved some oxygen for someone else.I've actually prayed to live to see the year 2112, which would require me to live to be 124 at least.

[MrSanity]

Well, they along with 7th Day Adventists, have some strict dietary food laws. For the Mormons, no alcohol, smokes or caffiene. Adventists go further and follow Leviticus food laws. No pork, shellfish, meat animal must have a cloven hoof (pigs excluded of course). Vegetarianism encouraged. I have heard the Adventists live longest on average of any faith.I have considered becoming an Adventist, but I find them too resentful of Catholics.