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Carole Mikita ReportingPresident Hinckley left on July 27th and returned home August 9th, a whirlwind tour of church business to conduct, but plenty of mingling with church members, some of them old friends.
President Hinckley traveled from Salt Lake City to Anchorage, Alaska, then on to Vladivostok, Russia and Seoul, South Korea. Latter-day Saints there were marking the 50th anniversary of their faith in their nation.
From culture to sports and tae kwon do, all ages and those of different levels of talent and skill had a chance to perform. And every region of the country was represented.
Following that meeting, President Hinckley was invited to a special dinner with church leaders.
Pres. Hinckley: "This is the best meal I've had in Korea since Brother Han bought a turkey on the black market (all laugh)."
From there, he traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, then onto Hong Kong. It was a truly spectacular site from Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island where 7-million people live. There is a harbor surrounded by skyscrapers, belonging to many international corporations. In the midst of the city sits a new building belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 13-story high-rise.
President Hinckley toured the building before the service, greeting rooms full of smiling Saints. After that, President Hinckley went to New Dehli, India, Nairobi, Kenya, and final stop, Aba, Nigeria.
President Hinckley got his first view of the new temple in a flyover and had an enthusiastic crowd of hundreds of church members waiting to greet him. The following day, President Hinckley joined thousands to watch more than 2-thousand children and young people perform.
At the conclusion there was a gift for President Hinckley, one that allowed him to join in the festivities for a moment.
There's much more to this tour. Please join us this Sunday, October 2nd for an hour-long special, "Gordon B. Hinckley: Among the Saints of the World." It airs at 1 pm, preceded by a special at noon "Joseph Smith: A Legacy of 200 Years".
