How to Bury a Prophet

Dear sister,

I find myself in my 30s and no children. My wife would approve of second wife but LDS does not.

Prophet Abraham, prophet Mohamed all had muliple wives. Prophet Jesus never forbade multiple wives, although he recommended that we should not marry so that we could server God full time.

Prophet Buddha did not forbade it. Even Krishna did not forbade it.

In your opinion, why did the church forbade the practice? Was it in order to avoid an all out war with the feds?

Since now we have the 'companion' option that meets both the law of the land and personal desire, should the church reinstate this God approved practice.

Don't get me wrong I am all for locking up the molesters in Texas, but what about the rest of us that have a genuine reason to desire for a second love?

Thank you for your feedback, opinion, references for further reading.

I write you for you are the most knowledgable mormon I know. I hope that you are doing well.

I saw your show on TV, I was very happy to see you live giving the rest of us some very serious indepth knowledged.

Thank you

I am a little late reading your article Dr. Flake,but thanks for the wonderful job you did of honouring a wonderful man.He was like the grandfather I never knew.He was always ambitious and faithful.My only happiness is that he is now with his beloved Marjorie !

Thanks Again
Fred

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Thank you for your well written article. This is, indeed, how Mormons bury their family members. My father passed away recently. Mormon funerals speak of the eternities, that which seems to be the most daunting question at the time of death, and although sorrowful, rejoice in the legacy of life left by the passing of a loved one. Very down to earth, open, and vulnerable, with limited fan fare.

Michael Jarman, Beaverton Oregon.

I loved the services for Presdent Hinklel and how they were reviewed. Sometimes I sched tears. That felt good to me. It was beautriful- the whole thing. I am a convert to the Church. I joined after the mishionneries knocked onmy door in Yakima ,Wa. in 1949. Joining the Church has not emproved my spelling! Sorry! My Children are well educated . One daughter grad. from BYU HI" also one grand. grad. fromBYU Provo and one from BYU Id. It is a blessing to have bean given the gospel. I appriciated exsperienceing the Hinkley Family, Thank you!

Thank you so much for a beatifully written article. My brothers and I officiated at my dad's family in the same manner as President Hinckley's family member did. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is such a strenght to me and our family.

Again thank you for your article it is well written and correct.

Robert Ault
Nacogdoches, Texas
rsault@gapac.com

The day President Hinckley died, I spend hour searching information on national media, and could´n undestand how the national tv networks press did´n said anything or very littler about it.

Reading this article, from well respected people, make me happy.

Thanks for the research, and interest in that man whom I can testify with love was a true prophet of God. I am confident, He enjoy it as well from Heaven.

Thank you for a wonderful article. President Hinckley was such a sweet man and great leader. He will be deeply missed.
Connie from Twin Falls, Idaho

I enjoyed this article.
Thanks!
Greatly missed Prophet & father on earth to this great gospel I belong to.

Thank you for this fine article. Very insightful and useful.

The article moves me to tears.

Amen.

Tremendous! I have never seen such an honest and beautifully written article about the Church of Jesus Christ. This article must inspire its readers to emulate such a man as Gordon B. Hinckley.

Dr. Flake, may God bless you and continue to inspire you in your endeavors.

What a beautiful article..... Thank you!

How can i wish the best for a family that serviced the people for so many years. I never met our late President , Gordon Hinckley, But with God I will again meet him in the after life.I can only say, Gods speed and may he watch over us and guide us in our prayers.

Thank you for this lovely article. The spirit in these words are humble and loving. President Hinckley will truly be missed, but his legacy will ALWAYS live on.

Proffessor Kathleen Flake; Has written a wonderful explanation of the funeral of President and Prophet of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints.
It was a lovely ceromony and honor of their father.
I am a member of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints and truly appreciate this unbiased review.
Thank you Proffessor Flake

I feel truly blessed to be a part of our church & believe that that our beloved Prophet is with his beloved & we will see them again , hopefully sooner than most think.
Sincerely
Tahama Sue Barba

I feel truly blessed to be a part of our church & believe that that our beloved Prophet is with his beloved & we will see them again , hopefully sooner than most think.
Sincerely
Tahama Sue Barba

"Actually Nathan, Dr. Flake is not Mormon. She is a scholar specializing in Mormonism."

As others have correctly pointed out, Kathleen Flake is an active member of the church. I know this first hand since we are in the same ward and my son was in her primary class last year.

Sis. Flake, I really enjoyed your article. I plan on sharing this with several colleagues that became aware of Pres. Hinckley's passing.

- Daniel's dad

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, I am saddened by the loss of our beloved Prophet.However, I rejoice also in the knowledge that his legasy of love for all people of the Earth will continue and become stronger in the hearts of the members of the Church as a trubute to his life and teachings as a Prophet of God. He was a man that led his people with . courage, love and example. He was a man that emulated the Saviour in every possible way and shared his love freely with every one regardless of race,creed or color. this Legasy will continue to be born by all those who had the great privelege of knowing such a spiritual giant amongst men.
I proclaim with absolute conviction that Gordon B Hinckley was preordained to be a Prophet of God in these the latterdays,and also proclaim that Jesus Christ is the saviour of all mankind, and that this is his Church upon the Earth today, which he directs through his chosen Prophets and only through him and by him can man be saved by obedience to his laws and commandments.I attest to these things in sincerity of our recent Prophet and know that this Church is in safe hands as the helmsman is the great Jehovah and creator of this world and know that those chosen to lead it into the future are chosen of him.

Thanks you so much for a wonderful tribute to the past Prophet - Pres. HInkley. He is greatly missed and loved him because of his great love for people. He has been a wonderful example to our children of how someone lives his life in service. He served even until the very end. I also appreciate your beautifully written article about the family. It was very touching. Again, thank you so much, Lisa

I am a Latter-day Saint missionary serving in Salzburg, Austria. I watched Pres. Hinckley's funeral along with our missionary district. We were able to watch the service in English in the Relief Society room. The German speaking members watched the service in the Chapel as it was available in the German language.

It was an honor to join our love and respect for our Prophet with the other members worldwide who benefited from Pres. Hinckley's counsel, leadership and example. Each of us received our Mission call from Pres. Hinckley.

We marveled at what a great example the funeral was as far as appropriate dress and grooming, music and talks. We all felt blessed to be a part of the proceedings and remember Pres. Hinckley as a Prophet of God.

The only issue that I find is the statement made about the Church not being forever. The doctrines of the Church have been around for thousands of years. They have been taught since the beginning of time. I feelthat the services were very poignant and sacred not to just the family but to all members of the Church as a whole, and possibly the world. I am grateful for those in governments around the world and in the United States for their efforts to show respect to the Hinckley family.

What a lovely article. Thank you.

Pres.Hickley was one of the best presidents of the church,today. Besides,Pres.J.Smith,who started our great church.Those many years ago.Our church is the best church there is today.Praise the Lord for his great decision on who he chose to be the first prophet is,and always will be.
PRAISES THE THE ALMIGHTY ONE AND ONLY ONE......

Pres.Hickley was one of the best presidents of the church,today. Besides,Pres.J.Smith,who started our great church.Those many years ago.Our church is the best church there is today.Praise the Lord for his great decision on who he chose to be the first prophet is,and always will be.
PRAISES THE THE ALMIGHTY ONE AND ONLY ONE......

Pres.Hickley was one of the best presidents of the church,today. Besides,Pres.J.Smith,who started our great church.Those many years ago.Our church is the best church there is today.Praise the Lord for his great decision on who he chose to be the first prophet is,and always will be.
PRAISES THE THE ALMIGHTY ONE AND ONLY ONE......

It is refreshing to read something about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or "Mormons" as the world calls them, that is quite objective and not reflective of the emotional and political hysteria that we have witnessed in the past year. Now that Mitt Romney is out of the presidential picture, will we see more of this positive trend?

To clarify one point that may be miscontrued; the Gospel and doctine of Jesus Christ as is preached by this faith is eternal and forever! The family can be forever when, by the power of God's priesthood, loved ones are inseparably linked or "sealed" to each other by covenant in sacred temples, then followed by faithful living of the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout their lives. Hence, the hearts of the people of this faith are firmly rooted in their families, their loved ones, because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The members of this faith do not worship the family, but do worship the Lord Jesus Christ.

The organizational structure of the earthly church is instrumental in carrying this gospel to all of God's children or all inhabitants of the earth, for the purpose of providing the opportunity of salvation and eternal life if they so choose. It's focus and daily structure are founded in scripture and revelation. However,it does change, from time to time, as was done in all books of cannonized scripture, in order to better meet the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the world as God determines.

To illustrate this point, I cannot think of any modern Christian faith that currently practices sacrifice by the shedding of blood on the alters of the temples, as was done in ancient times. That practice was discontinued or changed by Jesus Christ himself, when he came to the earth and became the ultimate sacrifice. Those earlier rights symbolically pointed forward to Christ's atonement and were no longer needed. Now the institution of the sacrament is how we remember and worship Christ.

It is refreshing to read something about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or "Mormons" as the world calls them, that is quite objective and not reflective of the emotional and political hysteria that we have witnessed in the past year. Now that Mitt Romney is out of the presidential picture, will we see more of this positive trend?

To clarify one point that may be miscontrued; the Gospel and doctine of Jesus Christ as is preached by this faith is eternal and forever! The family can be forever when, by the power of God's priesthood, loved ones are inseparably linked or "sealed" to each other by covenant in sacred temples, then followed by faithful living of the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout their lives. Hence, the hearts of the people of this faith are firmly rooted in their families, their loved ones, because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The members of this faith do not worship the family, but do worship the Lord Jesus Christ.

The organizational structure of the earthly church is instrumental in carrying this gospel to all of God's children or all inhabitants of the earth, for the purpose of providing the opportunity of salvation and eternal life if they so choose. It's focus and daily structure are founded in scripture and revelation. However,it does change, from time to time, as was done in all books of cannonized scripture, in order to better meet the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the world as God determines.

To illustrate this point, I cannot think of any modern Christian faith that currently practices sacrifice by the shedding of blood on the alters of the temples, as was done in ancient times. That practice was discontinued or changed by Jesus Christ himself, when he came to the earth and became the ultimate sacrifice. Those earlier rights symbolically pointed forward to Christ's atonement and were no longer needed. Now the institution of the sacrament is how we remember and worship Christ.

Beautifully written. Thank you Ms. Flake. After all the "Bad Press" lately it felt so good to read something so positive and true to the Church.As for whether Ms. Flake is a member of the Church or not, so what if she is? Does that negate what she said in the article? I do not understand why that was even a concern. Does praise only mean something if it comes from a non-member? President Hinckley was a very special man and I loved him, and will truly miss him, but Heavenly Father has put another Prophet in his place now and he too will be great.

I was surprised by your statement that the Church is not forever, and it took a second to process, but you are right. In the eternities the priesthood will function through wives and husbands and their family connections across all the eons, and there will not be a Church organized as we know it today.

I thought it was a superb article. I was deeply touched by the way it was written. I thank the author for her kindness on reporting the facts.

WELL DONE!!

So many assume they know what leaders and member of this faith believe and do. It misleads those who read or listen to them. This article on the other hand is top notch in it's depiction of how life is for LDS members. Clean, simple and respectful just like this article. Well done.

In spite of America's supposed outgrowing prejudices, everyone has seen plenty of evidence in this year's presidential election that those prejudices still exist.
It is touching that Professor Flake rises above all that foolishness to say a few kind words about a good man. We may not agree with his doctrine, but anyone who knows anything about Gordon Hinckley must respect the life he lived and the example he set. We could use a few more like him in every church, every political party, every business, every city.
The Bible says, "And in those days there were giants in the land." There are giants in the land in these days also; well, one less today.

This article actually stayed to the facts.
Excellent, no misrepresentation, as is so
often the case. Thank you.

This article actually stayed to the facts.
Excellent, no misrepresentation, as is so
often the case. Thank you.

Ms. Blake,
Thank you for writing this article. It was clear and concise, yet described the process so perfectly. I appreciate your honest input and the reverence in which your words were written. Many thanks,
Sandra K. Brown

Ms. Blake,
Thank you for writing this article. It was clear and concise, yet described the process so perfectly. I appreciate your honest input and the reverence in which your words were written. Many thanks,
Sandra K. Brown

Thank you for this article. It brought back pleasant memories of my grandfather's funeral.

Thank you for the beautiful, well-done article that accurately portrayed the funeral of President Hinckley. We love him and learned much from him. He did an incredible amount of good.

The funeral was touching and sweet, healing to many of us who are so sad to see him leave. He will be missed. We are happy, though, to reflect on his happy reunion with wife Marjorie, parents, other family and friends. Families ARE forever.

Thanks for this wonderful article, it couldn't have been explained any better.

All I can say is that, not only would the families be sealed together through time and eternity but as we all the church would remain through time and eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ is eternal as well as all of his belongings including the church. This would mean that his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true and eternal church in the entire universe.........

I would like to thank the professor for her editorial on the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. I thank her for impartiality towards the prophet and hope that other reporters would follow suit when writing articles that are sensitive to other people.

Thank You.

Thank you Dr. Flake. Very inspiring. I for one will always remember Gordon B. Hinckley. I will also heed and fallow the councel of our next Prophet of these latter days.

Mormon funerals strike a balance, with a minimal formal outline, including a sermon by the local bishop about the afterlife and the resurrection, all due to the Atonement of Christ, balanced by personal reminiscence by family and songs by choirs of grandchildren. One Mormon funeral I attended was for a close family friend, Tatsui Sato, a remarkable Japanese man who was possibly the first person baptized into the LDS Church in Japan after World War II. He was a chemistry professor fluent in English, and went on to translate the LDS scriptures into Japanese, and Japanese genealogy records into English. The person who baptized his wife was an Air Force pilot named Boyd K. Packer, who is now the next most senior apostle after Thomas Monson. When Elder Packer spoke at Brother Sato's funeral, it was a talk by the young pilot who learned Japanese children's songs from Brother Sato's son. The fact that he is an Apostle was not part of his role that day.

A point to remember is this: Every faithful Mormon man is a priest, capable of ministering in the ordinances of the Church. Every adult son is a priest who can dedicate a grave as a temporary resting place, until the Resurrection, of his father.

The priesthood in the LDS Church is exercised most often in the context of family needs, of baptism of children, and laying hands on them to give the Gift of the Holy Ghost, of ordination to successive stages of the priesthood of young men at ages 12, 14 and 16, culminating in their being ordained elders at age 18 preparatory to serving a mission, or going off to college, or serving as a missionary. Each father gives blessings to children and spouse when they are sick, and blessings to children when they are facing challenges.

Gordon B. Hinckley's eldest son, as it so happens, is a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, patterned after the 70 missionaries ordained by Christ to assist the apostles. But it was in his capacity as son and ordinary holder of the priesthood that he dedicated his father's grave, just as he probably gave his father a blessing or two during his last illness. As Kathleen Flake notes, Mormons believe the Church is temporary, while it is the family that is eternal, and that our most important and original relationship to Heavenly Father is as His children. Positions in the Church are transitory for those outside the 85 positions that are full time, life-long church callings (the 70, the 12 apostles, and the President and his two counselors, also apostles). A leader of a couple thousand Mormons in several congregations ina city like Boston may serve in that capacity for five or seven years, but eventually the day comes that he is released and might become, a week later, a Sunday School teacher. That is what happened to Mitt Romney. The positions belong to the Lord and the Church, not to the individual who holds them for a time.

Mormons even have catch phrases that remind them of this. "No other success can compensate for failure in the home" was said by David O. McKay, president from 1952 to 1970. That means, very pointedly, not just success in a profession but also in the Church organization. Fathers were reminded that their families come before their church callings.

One thing this viewpoint does is make each congregation function a little like an extended family. The people you attend church with are those who live inside a boundary line drawn at Church headquarters. You don't get to shop around for a better looking bishop. You are stuck with your fellow congregants, just as you are with your brothers and sisters. And we call each other by those titles: Brother Wagstaff and Sister Kumagai, Brother Hernandez and Sister Wisniewski. By learning to put up with each other's shortcomings, and they with ours, we get to practice the real meaning of commandments like, Love thy neighbor as thyself. Even when she may not seem lovable.

When Newsweek profiled Mitt Romney, it started out by recounting a conversation with Romney about the small church building where his family had attended church for a few years when they first arrived in Michigan. The reporter expected Romney would act like a typical politician and reminisce about the pastor and some homely story told to the youth. Romney didn't. Because the pastor in that very small group was probably his own Dad. And even if he weren't, it is not the bishops and youth teachers who stick in our memories, that form our lives as Mormons, but our own parents. The bishops come and go, but parents are forever. It is their influence that is the most decisive in forming a young Mormon into an adult Mormon. And Romney has told many stories about the influence of his Dad, who was quite literally the pastor, the religious minister of his family. As is every good Mormon father. As was Gordon B. Hinckley.

Happy to see a positive article regards president Gordon.b.hinckley.please keep it up

I love The Prophet and Our Church Leaders.

Thank you, Dr. Flake, for presenting a fitting and timely article of a prophet of God. Respectful, and objective, presenting truth and fact as they are, and in a simple, understandable way for all to see.

Thank you.

On the whole, a very good article, demonstrating careful thought and understanding.

One thing I am concerned about, however, is the following:

"Families are, as Latter-day Saints like to say, “forever.” What they don’t say is that the church is not forever. It is only the instrument for endowing families with the right and duty to mediate the gifts of the gospel to their members; thereby, sealing the willing among them as families in the life to come. This was Hinckley’s message as a prophet."

You imply in your language that Latter-Day Saints have an unspoken belief that the church is not eternal. Such a belief as you describe does not exist, otherwise you can be sure we would speak it.
What we do believe, however, is that the church is the kingdom of God on the earth and that God is not the author of confusion, but of order. I give it as my opinion that as long as the kingdom of God exists, there will be the church administering it, whether in both heaven and earth or just in heaven.

Gordon B. Hinckley taught that families are eternal, but he never said a word about whether the church was eternal or not. You imply that Gorden B. Hinckley taught a "the-church-is-not-eternal" message throughout his ministry as president of the church, which he didn't. This may be your view, and if it is, please state it as such.

You are correct about Gorden B. Hinckley teaching that the church is "the instrument for endowing families with the right and duty to mediate the gifts of the gospel to their members; thereby, sealing the willing among them as families in the life to come." But to say that the church is "only the instrument..." is to dismiss the other important concerns of the church, such as missionary work.

I realize that my concern may seem to be a minor quibble of semantics to you, but I hope I cleared things up a bit about our assumptions. I appreciate your time.

Great article.

Thank you so much for a wonderful article. President Hickley will be missed. But what a beautiful cerimony. There is such a feeling of peace in a "Mormon" funeral. There truly is life after death and we know and believe that. We know that we will see our loved ones again someday. Thank you for the wonderful and correct article.

Thank you very much for this article. It was kind and touching, just like the sweet man you spoke of. It touched my heart that a religious teacher such as your self would take the time to express such kind remarks to a religion that is sometimes hated and belittled at every turn.
Our prophet was dear to us and having such a simple and precise report of the death and burial of a servent of the Lord was a tender gift indeed as it was just like the man. Powerful yet kind and plain, which is just like the doctrines of the Church he so willingly served.
Thank you.

Kathleen Flake has provided a well-written, non-biased article about how we, (the Latter-Day-Saints) "bury a Prophet" and also on our beliefs.

It is most satisfying to see our beliefs CORRECTLY published without personal interpretations to suit the author.

I appauld Ms. Flake on an honest job of journalism, it's SO refreshing to see our religion portratied honestly.

Thank you so much!

Kathleen Flake has provided a well-written, non-biased article about how we, (the Latter-Day-Saints) "bury a Prophet" and also on our beliefs.

It is most satisfying to see our beliefs CORRECTLY published without personal interpretations to suit the author.

I appauld Ms. Flake on an honest job of journalism, it's SO refreshing to see our religion portratied honestly.

Thank you so much!

Kathleen Flake has provided a well-written, non-biased article about how we, (the Latter-Day-Saints) "bury a Prophet" and also on our beliefs.

It is most satisfying to see our beliefs CORRECTLY published without personal interpretations to suit the author.

I appauld Ms. Flake on an honest job of journalism, it's SO refreshing to see our religion portratied honestly.

Thank you so much!

Kathleen Flake has provided a well-written, non-biased article about how we, (the Latter-Day-Saints) "bury a Prophet" and also on our beliefs.

It is most satisfying to see our beliefs CORRECTLY published without personal interpretations to suit the author.

I appauld Ms. Flake on an honest job of journalism, it's SO refreshing to see our religion portratied honestly.

Thank you so much!

Kathleen Flake has provided a well-written, non-biased article about how we, (the Latter-Day-Saints) "bury a Prophet" and also on our beliefs.

It is most satisfying to see our beliefs CORRECTLY published without personal interpretations to suit the author.

I appauld Ms. Flake on an honest job of journalism, it's SO refreshing to see our religion portratied honestly.

Thank you so much!

Kathleen Flake has provided a well-written, non-biased article about how we, (the Latter-Day-Saints) "bury a Prophet" and also on our beliefs.

It is most satisfying to see our beliefs CORRECTLY published without personal interpretations to suit the author.

I appauld Ms. Flake on an honest job of journalism, it's SO refreshing to see our religion portratied honestly.

Thank you so much!

Kathleen Flake has provided a well-written, non-biased article about how we, (the Latter-Day-Saints) "bury a Prophet" and also on our beliefs.

It is most satisfying to see our beliefs CORRECTLY published without personal interpretations to suit the author.

I appauld Ms. Flake on an honest job of journalism, it's SO refreshing to see our religion portratied honestly.

Thank you so much!

He was a great man and a great Prophet and will
always be remembered by millions for his kindness and love of everyone and living the gospel the way it should be lived.

We all loved him.

I enjoyed your article very much. It pointed out things that I knew, but never quite focused on in regards to how Gordon B. Hinckley's family members were the ones that performed the funeral services. Living in what could be known as the mission field, California, many of our friends are not LDS. When we attend funerals for them or their loved ones, I so miss the tenderness that only a family or close friend can provide by giving appropriate remarks about their deceased loved one. Mormon funerals are beautiful. Thank you for your article. Once again, I enjoyed it very much,
Sincerely,
Kathy Bartz

I enjoyed your article very much. It pointed out things that I knew, but never quite focused on in regards to how Gordon B. Hinckley's family members were the ones that performed the funeral services. Living in what could be known as the mission field, California, many of our friends are not LDS. When we attend funerals for them or their loved ones, I so miss the tenderness that only a family or close friend can provide by giving appropriate remarks about their deceased loved one. Mormon funerals are beautiful. Thank you for your article. Once again, I enjoyed it very much,
Sincerely,
Kathy Bartz

Thanks you for your fair and "sweet" coverage of Pres. Hinkle's funeral. You took an interesting slant, that even as a life long member, I hadn't thought of... probably because we are so used to seeing families take care of their loved ones, we think everyone does it this way.

Thank You for the article. It's wonderful to see something positive about The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints. President Hinckley was a great man who will be missed by all.

Dr. Flake: A very well written story. We will miss President Hinckley. You presented his life and his burying with grace and truth. Families are forever. May we all enjoy and love the families we have in this life and in the next. Thank you for this 'story' I am sure it will sit for many years in many Bibles and Book(s) of Mormon as a memory and tribute to this great man.

Thank you so much for this wonderful tribute. This truly was a great man, kind and gentle to all. This is the kind of journalism that is needed to make this world a better place. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my heart is full and I want to let Kathleen Flake know I sincerly appreciate her work.

Professor Flake, I really enjoyed your column. You accuarately discribed how President Hinckley's funeral was essentially the same as funerals for any other Latter-Day Saints. In so doing, your column showed that you clearly have done your homework and understand us Latter-Day Saints well. I hope that other journalists follow your example as they report about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN LOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIS WAS A LOVING TESTIMONY TO HE CHURCH AND HIS FAMILY, WILL NEVER FPORGET HIS WIT, HIS ADMIRATION OF THE SAVIOR, LOVE CHERYL

HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN LOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIS WAS A LOVING TESTIMONY TO HE CHURCH AND HIS FAMILY, WILL NEVER FPORGET HIS WIT, HIS ADMIRATION OF THE SAVIOR, LOVE CHERYL

HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN LOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIS WAS A LOVING TESTIMONY TO HE CHURCH AND HIS FAMILY, WILL NEVER FPORGET HIS WIT, HIS ADMIRATION OF THE SAVIOR, LOVE CHERYL

HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN LOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIS WAS A LOVING TESTIMONY TO HE CHURCH AND HIS FAMILY, WILL NEVER FPORGET HIS WIT, HIS ADMIRATION OF THE SAVIOR, LOVE CHERYL

HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN LOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIS WAS A LOVING TESTIMONY TO HE CHURCH AND HIS FAMILY, WILL NEVER FPORGET HIS WIT, HIS ADMIRATION OF THE SAVIOR, LOVE CHERYL

I very much appreciated Kathleen Flake's eloquently penned essay analyzing the funeral of President Gordon B. Hinckley. I have attended many funerals for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, having digested Dr. Flake's take on such an event, realize that she is right, every whit. Funerals in the Church are Christ-focused and they are family-focused. They are sad, true, but only with the sadness that comes when someone you love leaves for a long time, not permanently. More often than not, as was witnessed in President Hinckley's funeral, these services are full of hope, faith, and even humor. They become expressions of faith in Christ and His promises of resurrection. They become sweet moments of peaceful reassurance that all is well. They become the substance of joyful realization that life surely does extend beyond the grave, and that, too, in familiar bliss.

I very much appreciated Kathleen Flake's eloquently penned essay analyzing the funeral of President Gordon B. Hinckley. I have attended many funerals for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, having digested Dr. Flake's take on such an event, realize that she is right, every whit. Funerals in the Church are Christ-focused and they are family-focused. They are sad, true, but only with the sadness that comes when someone you love leaves for a long time, not permanently. More often than not, as was witnessed in President Hinckley's funeral, these services are full of hope, faith, and even humor. They become expressions of faith in Christ and His promises of resurrection. They become sweet moments of peaceful reassurance that all is well. They become the substance of joyful realization that life surely does extend beyond the grave, and that, too, in familiar bliss.

Thank you for your insightful and very accurate portrayal of the LDS Church, its teachings, beliefs, etc. It is refreshing to read something by an author who really does good reporting, i.e., does their homework about a topic - especially this one. As we all know, the current presidential race brought the topic of the LDS Church to the forefront of many conversations, and much has been written about the beliefs of its members - mostly slanted, inaccurate, and misleading; therefore, I thank you again for your great reporting.

A wonderful tribute from Dr Flake.

A previous entry asked whether she was LDS.

Her bio at the head of this piece includes:

Descended from Southern Mormon pioneers and Baptist dust bowl migrants who ended up in Arizona, she now lives in Nashville, and is a practicing Latter-day Sain

Thank you for the thoughtful and accurate article.

Beautifully written, thank you.

People!

Read her BIO:

Kathleen Flake is associate professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt University. The "On Faith" panelist teaches courses in new religious movements and the relation between church and state in America. She researches the effect of politics on religion and the strategies by which religious communities maintain a sense of fidelity to an originating vision, while changing over time. Her recent book, "The Politics of American Religious Identity: the Seating of Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle," addresses both questions in the context of twentieth-century Mormonism. Descended from Southern Mormon pioneers and Baptist dust bowl migrants who ended up in Arizona, she now lives in Nashville, and is a practicing Latter-day Saint. Prior to her appointment to Vanderbilt, she was a litigation attorney in Washington, D.C., representing the government in civil rights and professional liability cases.

Thank you for this sweet article.

Thank you so much for your beautiful words. I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the article. We have lost someone we love very much and I find it so comforting to know that it is just for a little while and that we will all be together again. And yes we do thank thee oh GOD for a prophet. I think that President Monsen will be a great one too.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I appreciate deeply your article “How to Bury a Prophet.” We who had the honor to listen to and follow his counsel, truly understand this man IS a TRUE Prophet of Heavenly Father and when you study his life you can understand how Heavenly Father prepare his servants to the Job He has called them to perform here on earth.
Thank you for the kind words.
We Thank thee Oh God for a wonderful Prophet!

Thank you for the nice and acurate display of what happened. It is nice to see something real and not made up or taken out of context in the media. I was pleasently surprised.

We all loved Pres Hinkley and will miss him but we also know that the work will carry on and the beginning of another great man.

Wonderful story... I respect Members of The Curch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as "Christians" - and those who don't are, ironically, NOT Christian themselves.

Mormons are the only Church that still teaches that Jesus has the body He showed everyone after his death on the cross - maybe the rest of us are wrong afterall.

There is much which could be said about your article, but I think "Thank You" sums is up for me.

If she is not LDS she should be. She has real understanding of the LDS faith and our regard for our prophets. A well done article that had me in tears again. I also thought his daughters comment that he was "adoreable" was an apt description. A funeral is a farewell for time, but not eternity. Thank you for writing in a way that will help others understand that the LDS religion is about families being together forever and our desire to emulate our Savior, Jesus Christ.

It is nice to see a postive article about our faith and prophet. Thank you for being respectful and explaining our religion, without being judgemental or hurtful.

It is nice to see a postive article about our faith and prophet. Thank you for being respectful and explaining our religion, without being judgemental or hurtful.

It is nice to see a postive article about our faith and prophet. Thank you for being respectful and explaining our religion, without being judgemental or hurtful.

Fantastic! It's seldom that an article about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)gets it so right. Bravo to Kathleen Flake for putting in the time and effort to really understand and then being willing to write the truth.

Rebecca Loveless

Actually Nathan, Dr. Flake is not Mormon. She is a scholar specializing in Mormonism.

Very well written

Dr. Flake,

I too wish to add my gratitude for your wonderful article. Thank you for your professionalism and clarity in which you presented this event. Also thank you for your accuracy in describing doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It takes courage to stand up and be different. Your article did not have the under tone of presumption nor did try to degrade the LDS faith. Thank you for respecting the beliefs of one of the main religions of the world.

Great article.Thanks so much.President Hinckley was a great Prophet who emulated Our Savior Jesus Christ.We greatly miss him.

Great article.Thanks so much.President Hinckley was a great Prophet who emulated Our Savior Jesus Christ.We greatly miss him.

Thank you for your article it is a touching observation.

What can I say? A well done article.

Kathleen:

Aloha! Thank you for your article about the funeral of President Hinckley. Your observation of the funeral being a family affair struck a chord with me, too. Over the last few months, I have attended two other LDS funerals and theirs were also family affairs.

In the end, I think God will ask us more of how we treated our spouses, parents and children more than how we successful we were in our other pursuits no matter how "important" we think they may be. Families, after all, are forever.

Thank you again, Keenan Adcock.

Dr. Flake, it is indeed the family's responsibility and privilege to bury their dead, and that's something I love about LDS funerals. I'm a convert of many years but my parents and other relatives are still Catholic. At every death I struggle with the impersonal and empty funerals. When a close family member has died I have stepped forward to let the priest know we will be giving a eulogy, and they never ever like that--it takes plenty of persuasion on my part to make it happen. My non-LDS siblings feel the same way, that we want to take back control of what is ours, the right to bury our dead the way we see fit. There is such a sense of peace for the LDS families who have the privilege of honoring their dead by participating in the funeral. I believe it aids in the grieving process.

Dr Flake is LDS

Dr Flake is LDS

This article was refreshing in your reporting and description of a Latter Day Saint Funeral. With love and self gained knowledge we try to follow the directions from our Prophet! Thank you for your honesty and non judgemental statements.

My gratitude to Ms. Flake on one of the most respectful and accurate treatments of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I have seen in the media. With the free reign that so many pundits have given themselves when it comes to bashing the Mormon faith (which would mean the end of their careers were they to so malign other religious groups), it's so refreshing when we encounter a commentator who "gets it".

This is an astonishingly apt and profound observation of Mormon life. At the age of 9, I attended my first funeral, a Mormon funeral, in 1945. Kathleen Flake's current view would have applied in basic principles just as fully then as now. Many thanks for a remarkable description/analysis.

Professor Flake, a practicing Latter-Day Saint, put into words, the feelings and sentiments of her Mormon brothers and sisters. Well done.

Very poignant description, makes one want to be part of such a simple system.

It's about time someone in the media can deliver a report of something related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and not only do something as basic as correctly represent the name of the Church (which surprisingly few seem to be able to do), but to give a respectful review of events. Pres. Hinckley would be esteemed among the most honorable of all men the media could ever find, if the broad media wasn't so hesitant to give any credit to the Church. Kathleen Flake deserves the highest regard for her accurate and enlightening article "How to Bury a Prophet". All other media organizations will find much higher credibility among millions if they will report accurate and unbigoted information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kathleen Flake, thank you for the sweet way you have reviewed the life of Pres. Hinckley and given respect to this kind and honorable man.

Professor Flake,

Your students should know how fortunate they are to have an unbiased professor of religion to tell it like it is. I'm impressed that you look through all the biases that normally accompany religion and you see the doctrines for what they are, instead of trying to find errors of man to justify one's own beliefs.

Thank you for your thoughtful study and research that enabled you to present such an accurate and genuine piece.

Thank you for writing a very nice article..it is kind and thoughtful and you have showen Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley a lot of respect and his family too.

A great article. Thank you

Such a touching and insightful article. I think of all the writers about the Mormon people you have most clearly shared their feelings and beliefs. It is at once human and profound.

Thank you. The article was moving and thought provoking. Of all the articles written about the Mormons this one shared their feelings and beliefs in an understandable and respectful way. Thank you for the tasteful and intimate look into the heart of a people.

It's nice to see articles like this that focus on the common, tangible results of living the LDS faith. The power that it creates within people to change and live better lives should be highlighted more by media than obscure, misunderstood, and sometimes unofficial doctrines.

That was refreshing to read. Thank you.

Thank you for a very well written and insightful article. It was a beautiful funeral. One of the most tender moments to me during the service was when daughter Virginia Hinckley said: "Our father was adorable". I believe she spoke for all who knew this good man.

Wow! One of the most accurate articles I've read on or about LDS people.

With all biases aside, this article is very ... respectful and insightful. I have to say that it's even poetic. Very wonderfully written, Dr. Flake. If I were the chief editor, I will definitely assign you a super major article.

And you are right, the church is NOT forever. So are temples. LDS temples will NOT be in heaven. Our human minds are just too finite to imagine anything greater than what the temples actually does and represent.

Again, Dr Flake (interesting last name by the way), a job well done!

Dear Professor Flake,

Thank you for the kind and accurate portrayal of the funeral. To those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Hinckley was a dear friend and model of behavior. I believe you captured this well in your article. What we also would encourage people to realize is that the greatness of his character came because of being a devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. It is as simple as that. All of us, as members, strive to follow Jesus Christ. We hope that someday those who think we are not Christians will realize that the true definition of "Christian" is measured by God in terms of our conduct. It is by that standard that we applaud all people of all religions who are living good lives. We invite all to come unto Christ. Thanks again for the sweetness of your comments.

Thank you, Kathleen, for this article. You touched on some very good points. Your article is very worthy of President Hinckley. I'm sure his family appreciates your comments as well as all of those who grew to love this man.

Great article! A balance and accurate representation of what the Church and its members practice... Truly, the family is meant to be forever and the Church is given to help achieve that end.

I am so glad to know about Gordon B. Hinckley..he is a very important person for People around the World. I Never saw him..but i do know he is a Prophet.. Thanks Lord for that !

"What they don’t say is that the church is not forever."

This is the by-line that happened to struck me on this article.

I believe that the Church is forever as Family is forever. The Church and family is a hallowed institution, and I believe that this is the reason why God calls a prophet to guide the whole church and family to live by the gospel culture that the Lord Jesus Christ have always loved to emphasize, "Love your neighbors and you love yourself, or love your enemy".

The greatest gift that our Heavenly Father have given to mankind is live life as mortal beings subject to tests. We can only survive to be mortal beings when we have our family with us, love them, care for them, and cherish every moment of time that we spend together with them. This is fulcrum of our faith, thus, the Church and the family.

Thank you for this wonderful article.

Beautiful. Just beautiful. A touching and accurate representation of the Church of Jesus Christ and its doctrine. This article is exactly as President Hinckley would have wanted it

Thank you, Dr. Flake.

Beautiful. Just beautiful. A touching and accurate representation of the Church of Jesus Christ and its doctrine. This article is exactly as President Hinckley would have wanted it

Thank you, Ms. Flake.

Dr Flake's description is accurate in my experience. Personally, my wife died in December. She had a young African American and her grandchildren sing instead of the tabernacle choir at her funeral. One of her son's provided the Eulogy, and a former lay bishop spoke as well. President Hinckley's funeral was sweet and impressive, but i would not have traded those who spoke or sang at her funeral with any of those that participated in Hinckley's.

Fascinating article. Thank you. It's refreshing to read an article that doesn't mischaracterize the LDS faith.

Wonderful article. Thank you for your eloquent words.

Thank you for the nice article. Gordon B. Hinckley was an extraordinary man, his legacy of faith will help us all for generations to come.

The youth of the church in Utah paid tribute to him by wearing Sunday best to school the day after he passed away. That was a very respectful and a big statement for a 97 year old man, a prophet, who influenced so many generations for good.

Those who fight against the church are largely unknown and have little respect. Skeptics will no doubt continue their efforts to undermine the faith, but it is still true!

Excelent article. Thank You.

Great Post Dr. Flake! I couldn't have explained it better myself.