First Presidency Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary

A decade after being called to lead the Church, President Gordon B. Hinckley and the counselors in the First Presidency, President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust, discussed in a news conference many of the challenges and achievements within the Church during the last 10 years and expressed continued optimism for the future.

President Hinckley remarked that several significant things have blessed the lives of members and others since the day he became the 15th President of the Church.

He mentioned the announcement and success of establishing the Perpetual Education Fund, the construction of the Conference Center, the distribution of more than 50 million copies of the Book of Mormon in the last 10 years, and the allocation of a considerable amount of funds for humanitarian aid to those in need.

President Hinckley spoke briefly about the traveling he has done since 1995. He has traveled to more than 70 nations and logged more than one million miles (1.6 million km).

“It becomes very tiring, very wearisome, but it’s very faith promoting,” he said. “When you get out among the people and see their strength and their capacity, their devotion and their love, it’s a wonderful thing, really. You just can’t believe it until you experience it, and it’s tremendous.”

President Hinckley praised his counselors as men of wisdom, faith, and devotion, saying he couldn’t find any two men better suited to serve with him.

President Monson and President Faust spoke of their admiration for the work President Hinckley does.

“He is a man of vision who does not take counsel from his fears,” President Monson said. “He plans, he prepares, he prays, then with that prophetic influence which comes to him … he moves forward with faith.”

President Hinckley said he was not concerned about what he and his counselors will be remembered for. “We just do our very best today and leave the rest for whatever happens,” he said.

1995 to 2005 at a Glance

3 million	Increase in membership from 9.1 million to 12 million
87	Temples dedicated, rededicated, or announced
19	Additional languages into which all or part of the Book of Mormon has been translated, reaching 106 total languages
641 million	U.S. dollars provided in humanitarian assistance, including $105 million for emergency response in 111 countries
98,763	Wheelchairs donated to people in 95 different countries
40	Countries where clean water systems have been installed
1 million	Miles (1.6 M km) President Hinckley has traveled to visit more than 70 countries

First Presidency Time Line

March 12, 1995	First Presidency is set apart.
September 23, 1995	The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issue “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
February 28, 1996	International Church membership surpasses U.S. Church membership.
April 6, 1996	President Hinckley announces plans to construct the Conference Center.
May 27, 1996	President Hinckley becomes the first Church President to visit mainland China.
November 2, 1996	The First Presidency announces the establishment of Latter-day Saint Charities.
April 5, 1997	The office of Seventy is added to the call of Area Authorities, a part-time regional leadership position created two years earlier.
October 4, 1997	President Hinckley announces plans to build smaller temples.
November 1997	Worldwide Church membership reaches 10 million.
January 1, 2000	The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issue “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” a declaration of their apostolic witness of the Savior.
April 1–2, 2000	First general conference is held in the new 21,000-seat Conference Center.
March 31, 2001	President Hinckley announces the establishment of the Perpetual Education Fund.
June 27, 2002	President Hinckley dedicates the rebuilt Nauvoo Illinois Temple.
January 11, 2003	First-ever global leadership training meeting is transmitted by satellite in 56 languages to more than 97 percent of the Church’s priesthood leaders.

Deseret Morning News contributed to this report.

President Gordon B. Hinckley (center), President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency (left), and President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, have served together in the First Presidency for 10 years.

Since President Hinckley became President of the Church, 87 temples have been dedicated, rededicated, or announced. (Photograph by Ravell Call; courtesy of Church News.)