Paying Respects to Pres. Hinckley

Spontaneously, my brother Warren and I decided to take the kids up to Salt Lake to attend the viewing of President Hinckley. I thought the whole process might take a couple of hours because people on Thursday were walking right in. We came completely unprepared, sans diapers, food, or toys. It took us two hours to get into the Conference Center, and the kids braved the cold fairly well.

When we got in, they seated us in orderly fashion and we were told it would be another two hours at least. They were playing the tribute to him on his 95th birthday, and we had to come up with all sorts of ways to keep Ryan occupied: going through wallets to look at pictures and cards, drawing with pen on old receipts and hands/arms, singing along to some of the music, learning to take pictures with camera phones, dropping things behind chairs to let him go after them, flipping him upside down, and playing peek-a-boo. Ryan never got upset, but after about three hours, he did start telling us that he was done. Instead of food, I only had a couple of mini Reese's cups in my pocket, so I gave him one each hour we were in the Conference Center.

When we finally were able to walk past the casket, we were only there for twenty or thirty seconds. I decided that it wasn't so much actually seeing President Hinckley--it is just a body and they never look the same. But we were able to pay our respects and someday I'll be able to tell the kids that I took them there.

With that, I'd like to say how much I loved him. He was in the First Presidency from the time I was four, and I really felt like he was my prophet. I loved his optimism, his sense of humor, his love for other people, his intelligence, and his vision. I will miss him.