A Conversation with Gordon B. Hinckley

Last night CNN aired a previously taped interview of President Gordon B. Hinckley conducted by Larry King. King hit the usual topics--women in the church, the church's wealth, the church's fancy buildings, blacks, revelation, church growth, etc.

Here is a transcript of the interview.

Here are some news stories from the Utah press:

Pres. Hinckley optimistic

Hinckley appears on 'Larry King Live'

Comments on and critiques of all parts of the interview are welcome, including thoughts on style and substance.

Comments

[Ann]

This is the sort of comment that could get me banned from the DAMU: I thought he did a fine job. I hope I'm that together when I'm in my mid-90's. I like GBH. He seems like a sincere, kind man.

[Dave]

Very interesting interview -- mostly pleasant conversation, of course. I didn't catch it live so it was nice to read through it. The genealogy package really got Larry King's attention!

[Justin]

Ann, what's the "DAMU"?

I've never thought King was a good interviewer, and he didn't change my mind during this interview. His questions tend to be poorly worded, and he doesn't ask good follow-up questions. His style limits the substance of his interviews, imo.

[Abner Doon]

When I read the transcript, I honestly thought it was a repeat of an earlier interview. The questions and answers were almost exactly the same.

Like Ann, I'm impressed by Hinckley's wit, charm and vigor at his age. I do believe he is a sincere and well-intentioned man. However, I'm singularly unimpressed by his non-answers to questions one might suppose a mouthpiece of God would be able to elucidate upon with a little more profundity. Could just be my own unreasonable expectations, but I just don't see a Prophet behind the President.

[Dave]

Yes, the interview sure reminded me of the one he did a couple of years ago. Maybe it will be an annual Christmas event, kind of a "Larry King on Temple Square" special. One is tempted, of course, to sift through the responses for things to comment on (and there were a few intereting responses), but that isn't really in line with the spirit of the holiday season. Still, I thought the exchange about how Pres. Hinckley speaks with the Lord (through prayer, sometimes he gets answers and sometimes he doesn't) was interesting . . .

[Dave]

Okay, the section of the interview I was really looking for was farther down the page, where he talked about "revelation by impression." There's a post over at T&S on that passage of the interview as well.

[joe]

kind of a "Larry King on Temple Square" special. LOL, yea I'd like to see that.

[Ronan]

One thing I sometimes struggle with is the notion that God in His Infinite Heavens, with countless children (many of whom face terrible problems e.g. devastating tsunamis) is only concerned that the Latter-day Saints should have a nice place to rest their (ample) bottoms when they watch Conference. Is the Conference Center the extent of God's revelation to the world? Surely not!

Actually, I used to struggle with this until my paradigm shifted somewhat. I think some Mormons imagine that God's great work and glory is restricted to the management of the Church. If so, then his attention to small details (like the Conference Center) and disinterest in large details (natural disasters) would not seem befitting of the God I worship.

But God's love for his children and his work with them is not restricted to the Church. I believe that he inspires countless ordinary folk every day to do good, plus leaders and ministers and aid workers and people of influence. Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet. His job is to lead the Church and he does a great and inspired job. But is he the only "prophet" (= mouthpiece of God's will) on the Earth? No. The uniqueness of his calling is NOT as a prophet (open to anyone God chooses) but as the President of the Church.

Phew. That's all my post-Christmas angst pouring out.

[mike]

justin, i believe that the DAMU is the DisAffected Mormon Underground.

[Jeff]

This great man (Gordon B. Hinckley) is truly the Prophet,Seer, Revelator, and the only person on earth that holds the keys to the priesthood that binds things on earth as well as heaven. He is human, but this man is not of this world.

[Sarah]

Pres. Hinckley never said that sometimes he gets answers to prayers and sometimes he doesn't. He says God always answers prayers, but just not always the way we expect Him to.

Also, the church has done a tremendous amount for Tsunami victims and will continue to do so. The church isn't just looking out for itself, but for the whole world. I'm going to church tomorrow night to make hygiene kits for the victims. Here is an article about how the church is helping:

SALT LAKE CITY — The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is asking its 12 million members worldwide to donate generously to support humanitarian aid for disaster victims in southern Asia.

The First Presidency issued the following statement today:

"In association with other relief agencies, the Church is extending substantial humanitarian aid to the stricken people of southern Asia. We have representatives on the ground who are assessing needs and who are administering help.

"This coming Sunday, 2 January 2005, will be our regular fast day. In the present circumstances, we urge our people to remember in their prayers those in the devastated areas and to contribute most generously in fast offerings, which will make it possible for the Church to increase its aid to those whose suffering is so great."
The church has already sent over 70 tons of supplies, food, shoes, etc.

[Josh]

He did evade answering some of the deeper questions. He's a prophet, (whether in name or actual,) and at the least, people would have told him stories of what they might of experienced in after-life experiences, etc. He is not unknowledgeable in the subjects, at least, if nothing more, in stories of others and scriptures. He could have answered the questions. But the sheer fact that he used jokes instead, or whatever, means that he didn't want to. Have you ever discussed with someone about religion (and something tells me that you have... :) )? If you start a discussion on something you don't need to, you get off on pretty wild tangents and waste time that could've been spent learning other information about the religion. If I were a prophet, and wanted people to repent, I think I would focus on the principles that caused people to change and believe in God, not some random useless distracting information. And isn't that what he did?