President Hinckley Celebrates 90th Birthday

On 23 June in the Conference Center, the stage was set for a party. Every seat was filled. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square were in their places. Thousands of flowers bedecked the rostrum. House lights were turned low. The scene was complete when President Gordon B. Hinckley stepped into the spotlight at the podium, wearing a tuxedo adorned by colorful leis sent by Hawaiian, Tongan, and Samoan Saints.

“This celebration is not about me,” he began, even though the evening was in honor of the Church President’s 90th birthday. He said it was a “gift to the community.”

As part of the gift, President Hinckley selected some of his favorite music for the program, including a repertoire of opera, hymns, folk, and contemporary pieces. Individual performers included soloists Michael and Vanessa Ballam, Ariel Bybee, Gladys Knight, Stanford Olsen, JoAnn Ottley, and Robert Peterson; directors Robert C. Bowden, Barlow Bradford, Craig Jessop, Jerold Ottley, and Mack Wilberg; and violinist Jenny Oaks Baker.

“You’ll never hear anything better than that!” President Hinckley said in concluding the program, which had brought the house to its feet. Sister Knight then joined President Hinckley at the podium and led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you,” he said, becoming emotional when the 21,000 guests sang to him. “It’s worth living until 90 to have something like this.”

Thousands of other guests were simultaneously singing happy birthday because the program was broadcast to meetinghouses throughout North America and Europe.

Before his birthday celebration President Hinckley received the news that his book, Standing for Something, made Publisher’s Weekly’s top 10 best-seller list for religion books. Released through Random House, the 193-page book draws on many of President Hinckley’s experiences.

Gladys Knight joins President Gordon B. Hinckley at the Conference Center podium to lead the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday.” (Photo by Stuart Johnson.)