(This Story appeared in The Daily Herald on Monday, June 26, 2000 and was printed on page A2)
By Steve Cameron

Now here comes the sort of statement that might leave me open to accusations
of being just a little too soft and fuzzy.

Or, on the other hand, might brand me in some people's eyes as impudent or
downright irreverent.

In other words, this time I've got a chance of hearing it from folks at both
ends of the spectrum and several stops in between.

Nonetheless ... I think Gordon B. Hinckley is cool.

Honestly, now, I've tried and tried to come up with a more literary or
dignified description of the LDS Church president on the occasion of his 90th
birthday celebration.

Couldn't do it.

Besides, most of the truly profound phrases have been turned already. Who am
I to match mighty sentences with ecclesiastical leaders and political
powerhouses?

Besides, cool is the best.

See, President Hinckley has managed to project an air of deep spirituality
and firm moral direction -- all while managing to retain that great sense of
humor and a tone which seems to say, "Thanks for all the praise, but the real
work is done way over my head.

"And by the way, I'll be opening in Vegas on the 15th."

Please understand, as a non-Mormon who's lived in Utah less than four years,
I've gotten what amounts to a crash course in LDS customs, history, theology
and so forth.

I expected to see and hear a lot of various church leaders, no doubt, but
President Hinckley caught me totally off guard.

First of all, he must have some sort of bionic metabolism.

The man just turned 90 and he's off jetting through time zones and across
continents like a kid. Take your eye off the prophet for a heartbeat and
--boom! -- he's opening a temple in Fiji.

Or Scotland.

Or in Larry King's backyard.

By now, absolutely nothing would surprise me about Gordon B. Hinckley
--including the possibility that he might come knocking on our door some
night looking to share some cookies and a helping of the gospel.

You know, I'm sure a lot of lifetime Mormons get knocked on their heels a bit
by President Hinckley's unique blend of style and substance.

I know some of our neighbors were mighty surprised to find the prophet on CNN
-- then swapping one-liners with the media during a remarkable appearance at
the National Press Club in Washington.

But if President Hinckley's demeanor has remained folksy and relaxed, his
message has been delivered worldwide with amazing determination.

Imagine, here's a man born prior to World War I who writes a book, "Standing
for Something," that comes across more in tune with the here and now than
your 6 o'clock news.

He's also correct, of course.
No matter what a person's faith, it's impossible to argue with the notion
that every one of us -- LDS, Catholic, Buddhist, whatever -- should indeed
stand for something.

It isn't hard to make the case that Gordon B. Hinckley will be remembered as
one of the most important religious leaders of the 20th century.

And beyond.

To me, the fact that he has made such a positive impact on millions of people
-- and done it while seeming divinely inspired yet still so very human --
stamps him as someone uniquely ...
What?
Well ...
Cool.