Political and civic leaders pay tribute to President Hinckley
In Washington, D.C., Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch paid tribute to him on the U.S. Senate floor. And government and civic leaders inside and outside the state shared personal stories about their associations with him.
President Hinckley died Sunday of causes incident to age. He was 97.
The usual rustle in the Utah House and Senate chambers stopped for a minute as lawmakers stood and bowed their heads before debating bills in their morning sessions.
House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, seemed a bit overtaken by the event. "I think this (moment of silence) is the best way to honor him. And then we all may worship in our private way his passing."
When the silence broke, Curtis said, "It may seem a little trite to go on with business." But the House did, as the law requires.
"He was a great community leader as well as a religious leader," Curtis said, in explaining it was proper for the government entity to recognize President Hinckley's contribution to Utah.
Curtis said that, following the funeral for President Hinckley, the Legislature would pass a resolution of appreciation and condolences and present it to his family.
Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, recalled the respect shown President Hinckley at the dedication of the remodeled Capitol Jan. 4, his last public address.
"As the prophet came and approached the podium, there was total silence in the Rotunda and reverence for that great man. Not all in the audience were members of the LDS Church, but there was a great deal of reverence for him as a leader in this community," she said.
"It strikes me how he had a big-picture, eternal perspective. He thought outside the box. I think it behooves all of us to keep a big-picture, eternal perspective."
Shortly after he was elected Senate president, Valentine found himself sitting next to President Hinckley at the governor's inauguration.
"After we finished the inaugural events, I went over to shake his hand. He looked at me with those grey blue eyes he had, and he embraced me. He gave me a hug. He looked at me and said, 'President, lead well. Lead fairly. And lead with your heart.' He then took his cane and waved to everyone as he walked away."
Bennett, R-Utah, spoke on the U.S. Senate floor of President Hinckley's life and legacy, noting how connected he was to the world.
"He read the papers. He watched the television. He knew what was going on in the world outside the church, every bit as much as we did, and his memory was phenomenal. There are many people who were 20 to 30 years his junior who could not remember current items of news as well as he could," Bennett said.
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