One who never rested
Ten years ago this month I returned from serving a full-time mission in Mexico. Just two months following my return I found myself again in Mexico, returning to the headquarters of my mission for a special conference at which Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, would be speaking, along with Elder L. Tom Perry.
In a bizarre turn of events, the night before he was to speak I was asked to translate from Spanish to English for both President Hinckley and Elder Perry as they sat and listened to the other native Spanish leaders scheduled to speak the following day. You can imagine I didn’t sleep much that night, pondering at length how I was ever going to translate for a man revered by many, myself included, as a prophet of God.
The following morning I sat on the stand about a dozen chairs down from where President Hinckley would be seated. As he entered the building I had the privilege of greeting him. I’ll never forget the look on his face as we shook hands. It was one of being physical exhausted, likely due in part to the fact that he was traveling to several locations throughout Mexico within just a few days, and definitely due in substantial part to being 87 years old.
Incredibly, this was ten years ago. I’m certain he was rarely less tired during those latter ten years than on the day I saw him. And yet he never rested, figuratively (and probably literally). I remain in awe of all that he accomplished, dedicating more temples than any other church president, among other very notable efforts.
As an aside, I totally botched the translation. I considered myself fairly fluent in Spanish at the time, but because we were in an enclosed, round, completely concrete stadium, the reverberation from the stadium speakers and my location on the stand made it nearly impossible to hear what was being said. Since that day ten years ago, I’ve long wished I could greet him anew for the chance to apologize for my deficiencies that day. However, being the incredible, humble man he was, I’m certain it was of little consequence to him. “Carry on, good brother” or something along those lines presumably would have been his reply.
We’ll miss you, President Hinckley.