Sister Hinckley unable to attend LDS General Conference
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The woman who has been at President Gordon B. Hinckley's side through "storm and sunshine" did not attend general conference with her husband for the first time in his 46 years as a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Marjorie Pay Hinckley collapsed "with weariness" while traveling home with him from a January temple dedication trip to Ghana that included stops on the islands of Sal off the coast of western Africa and St. Thomas in the Caribbean.
"She's had a difficult time ever since. She is now 92 years old, a little younger than I am," President Hinckley said Sunday at the conclusion of the church's two-day general conference. "I guess the clock is winding down, and we do not know how to rewind it. It is a somber time for me."
"She is the mother of our five gifted and able children, the grandmother of 25 grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren," he said. "We've walked together, side by side, all these many years, co-equals and companions through storm and sunshine."
The chair she traditionally occupies in the Conference Center amid church leaders sat conspicuously empty this weekend, prompting questions about her absence. In the past, she has been by President Hinckley's side as he enters and leaves the conference. The couple usually delight the crowd with smiles and waves.
President Hinckley, 93, did not mention a specific illness or whether his wife has been hospitalized.
The Hinckleys will have been married 67 years on April 29.
Sister Hinckley frequently travels with her husband to temple dedications and regional conferences. He often has her at the pulpit next to him. She has shared her testimony of the gospel far and wide, he said Sunday, noting she has received letters of appreciation from all over the world.
"We continue to hope and pray for her and express from the depths of our hearts our appreciation for all who have attended her and looked after her and for your great faith and prayers in her behalf," President Hinckley said.
E-mail: romboy@desnews.com
