President Gordon B. Hinckley, the fifteenth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints passed away at the age of 97 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA at 7:00 p.m. on January 27, 2008. He died at home, with his family gathered around his bedside. 

President Hinckley was set apart as the President of the Church on March 12, 1995. Since then, he has been a beloved prophet to church members for assiduously leading the Church through changes that would leave its members better equipped to deal with the challenges of the modern world.

President Hinckley expressed on many occasions his deep and special love for the Asian people. Before serving as the President of the Church, he served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and then in the First Presidency, during which he was assigned to preside over the Asia area for many years. During the 1960’s, he visited Asia 21 times, sometimes traveling for one month before returning to Salt Lake City.

Two temples in Asia—the Taiwan Taipei Temple and the Hong Kong China Temple were dedicated by him in 1984 and 1996 respectively. Cambodian people enjoyed the fruit of restored gospel since 1996 when he dedicated the country for the preaching of the gospel. In 2000, Saints in Indonesia, Malaysian, Singapore and Thailand had the opportunities to listen to his inspired counsels. No matter where he went, he mingled with Saints and shared his pure love.

During his tenure as President of the Church, numerous inspired achievements highlighted his selfless service. He directed a redesign of the Church’s logo with Jesus Christ’s name prominently featured to accentuate the Latter-day Saints’ central belief in Jesus Christ. He reiterated the importance of the family by issuing "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," written in conjunction with other members of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles. He accepted interviews from members of the media to help bridge goodwill relations with the public. He started the inspired initiative to have 100 temples in operation before the end of the year 2000. He cared about the poor and so launched the Perpetual Education Fund and expanded humanitarian relief efforts. He also traveled extensively, sharing his testimony and strengthening the faith of church members in more than 60 countries.

President Hinckley laid the foundation for the significant growth of the Church in the Asia Area and will be affectionately remembered by all Saints for his many, valuable contributions to the Church and the world.