At President Howard W. Hunter's funeral, President Thomas S. Monson, the prophet's second counselor, said: "Last Friday morning God touched President Howard W. Hunter, and he slept. Left behind was his pain-tormented body and worldly cares as our most traveled General Authority bid mortality goodbye and commenced yet another assignment in his eternal journey."

President Monson said further: "His final words were not a sermon of length nor a detailed code for our conduct, but rather, a divine message from his heart to our hearts. It is powerful. It is penetrating. It is memorable. To those who were attending him, he said simply, `Thank you,' and then was gone."President Monson noted that words of condolences and expressions of sympathy have come "from high places, from humble cottages and from this land and other lands."

He reflected on his long-time association with President Hunter and referred to the Church assignments they worked on together, calling them "treasured memories." He remembered President Hunter as one who effectively taught the admonition, "Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved." (See D&C 87:8.)

President Monson said that when he spoke to a large group of young adults at BYU's Marriott Center just a month ago, his message was on the life and ministry of President Hunter. "I told them of Sir Thomas More, a statesman and author of an earlier period - one who suffered isolation and scorn because of his steadfastness in cleaving unto his beliefs," President Monson said. "A book and a film, each entitled A Man for All Seasons, tell the story of his life. I said to those young people, `Today, amid the conflicts of our time and the turbulence we frequently encounter, we reach out for one such. Our Heavenly Father provided for us a "man for all seasons." His name is President Howard W. Hunter. He is our prophet, seer and revelator. He is an island of calm amidst a sea of storm. He is like a lighthouse to the mariner who is lost. He is your friend and my friend.'

"In my message, I described President Hunter as a legend - even a life - of virtues. I chose to speak of six such virtues from his life: courtesy, humility, deliberateness, love, scholarship and loyalty.

"Like the Master, Howard W. Hunter grew from humble beginnings to a magnificent mission to the entire world. He, too, `increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.' (See Luke 2:52.)

President Monson said President Hunter's mission was marked by monumental events. "The World Conference on Records and the expansion of family history work, his leadership of the Twelve, his pioneering efforts in bringing to fruition the BYU Jerusalem Center and the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii, his dedication of the Orlando Florida and Bountiful Utah temples are but a few. . . .

"How pleased he was that there had been an upsurge in temple activity since his presidential proclamation to live more Christlike lives and to be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people. . . . A holy man, Howard W. Hunter, signed his message with his long and fruitful life."