Tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley

Since President Hinckley passed away earlier this week, I've been thinking alot about the many things that I have learned from him. I am grateful for his unwavering faith, his compassion and his endless optimism. I am so grateful for this great man and for the incredible life that he lived!

This is a quote that I heard him share many years ago. I had it posted on my wall on my mission and it really helped me to get through those tough times.

"Life is like that--ups and downs, a bump on the head, and a crack on the shins. It was ever thus. Hamlet went about crying, "To be or not to be," but that didn't solve any of his problems. There is something of a tendency among us to think that everything must be lovely and rosy and beautiful without realizing that even adversity has some sweet uses. One of my favorite newspaper columnists is Jenkin Lloyd Jones. In a recent article published in the News, he commented: Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . . Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." --President Gordon B. Hinckley