President Hinckley

I just thought I should tell you of the one time I actually came close to President Hinckley. It was such a powerful experience I have never forgotten it. It was while I was serving a mission in South Africa. Pres Hinckley was coming to a conference center that was very far away from where we were, and my comp and I were on foot. However the other 2 elders that lived with us had a car and we hitched a ride with them. None of us had ever been within a hundred miles of the Prophet so we wanted to make sure we got good seats. We invited all our investigators, but they were all extremely poor and without transport, none could come. So we left early in the morning for an evening meeting and made a day trip out of it. The whole time I was teeming with anticipation for what this meeting would be like. We got there 3 hours early since there was unusually light traffic, and were the first there. I was so happy thinking that I was going to sit in the front row....alas, the entire front 2 rows were reserved for media....this was the first time a prophet had set foot on this continent in a very long time. So I willingly took the first row I was allowed to sit in and passed the time chit chatting with those around me. At length the time came, the 5000 seats in this makeshift hall were filled and I decided to look down, I think I had to tie my shoe. Anyways, at this time I felt like I was blasted by an ocean wave, literally. The feeling smashed over me more powerful than anything I had ever felt in the presence of any person. It was a powerful wave of the spirit, thats the only way I can describe it, and it plowed through us all the minute he entered the room. My heart burned so powerfully within me that it was all I could do to keep my composure. I was atleast 20 yards from him, security was a BIG issue, and the lights in the room so bright he asked to have them turned off so he could see us. I dont remember anything else said really or anything else that happened. I had known for years he was a Prophet. But the conviction that entered my soul that day was something totally different, like encasing already solid concrete in Titanium. President Hinckley IS Gods prophet. I dont believe it, I know it, and Im thankful for that knowledge, and Im going to miss him.