Go Forward With Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley

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Summary: A man with alot of power, but little stomach for using it
Review: Gordon B. Hinckley is an interesting man who has had great influence on the LDS Church. Primarily a marketing guru, the book details the role he played in his early years working with Stephen L. Richards and J. Rueben Clark and others as an up and coming man in the church. He sufficiently impressed his superiors that they called him to be an assistant to the apostles and eventually an apostle.

As a young apostle, Hinckley spent much of his efforts on the missionary program. It appears that he deferred to the elder apostles on matters of doctrine and interestingly played little role in some of the more colorful disputes that took place in the church during the sixties. While Harold B. Lee, Joseph Fielding Smith and Hugh B. Brown were trying to reign in Ezra Taft Benson's crazy political doctrines, Gordon B. Hinckley was apparently a non-entity (no mention of those events in Dew's book).

As a senior apostle, Gordon B. Hinckley had tremendous influence as ailing older Presidents and Apostles relied heavily on him to be essentially the cheif administrative officer of the church. Eventually becoming President himself, Gordon B. Hinckley continued his role as primarily an adminstrator and marketing guru.

Gordon B. Hinckley will not be remembered as someone who made contributions in Mormon doctrine. Sometimes, in the book, you almost sense a Gordon B. Hinckley who doesn't really believe in anything other than the organization. After reading the book, I feel I understand Gordon B. Hinckley as a capable administrator, a loyal member of the organization, but anything but a dynamic leader who actually stands for anything.

I cannot think of a single revelation that Gordon B. Hinckley has made. He has spent millions on temples, and has worked tirelessly on public relations pursuits for the church, but an inspired leader? Even with the author's best spin, I don't think so.

Sometime in the future, I look forward to a biography on Gordon B. Hinckley that has the intention of telling his story, not selling his church.

Rating:
Summary: A "Must Read" for Latter-day Saints
Review: Sheri Dew details the life of Gordon B. Hinckley with exaustive research and then relates the facts with eloquent prose. You'll learn more about his family, his travels, his ability to handle tough assignments. You'll receive better insight on his character, his humility, his work ethic, and his sense of humor. This biography does what any good biography should do: Inspire you to do a little better, try a little harder, and believe a little more.

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Summary: To read this book is to love G. B. Hinkley
Review: The lives of Gordon B., and Marge Hinkley are well learning of and emulattong. Dew puts a very human face on this our Prophet.

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Summary: Where to start with this one
Review: There is some good biographical information in this book if you are interested in Gordon B. Hinckley. However, much of this biography is about the Mormon church and the role he played in it.

Gordon B. Hinckley, as stated in the book, got his big opportunity to impress his uppities by trying to help Mormon boys avoid the draft and the fighting in Korea (insert national anthem here). Since missionary work took precedence over the fight against communism (let others die for their country), a concerted effort was made to try to keep Mormon boys from having to serve.

Appointed to the big twelve in the early 60's, Gordon mostly spent his time marketing for the church. He played important roles in battling "liquor by the drink" in Utah and stopping the ratification of the "Equal Rights Amendment." He also filled in for senile prophets when their capacity to rule declined.

If you are into suffering from congenital disciplitis, this book is for you, though there are probably more dynamic leaders out there who might give you more wisdom for the money you shell out to be in Gordon's inner sanctum.

And I say this in the name of Sonia Johnson, amen.

Rating:
Summary: Very informative and inspirational
Review: Very inspirational. At once shows that a prophet is just a man, yet also shows that Gordon B. Hinkley is no ordinary man. An amazing account of how the Lord prepares a person from the beginning of their life, over the course of many generations, to be his voice on earth and lead his church.