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By Janet
Peterson
Two
years ago, Meridian invited me to contribute a monthly
article to their “Around the Table” column. I’ve since
written a couple of dozen articles about the importance
of eating dinner at home. Here’s one more reason (and
my favorite) to cook at home: the prophet himself cooks!
Prior
to the broadcast of President Gordon B. Hinckley’s 95th
birthday “Celebration of Life” concert, KSL Television
aired an interview conducted by Carol Mikita with four
of his children: Elder Richard G. Hinckley, Kathleen Walker,
Virginia Pearce, and Clark Hinckley.
Elder
Richard G. Hinckley said, “People ask all the time what
he eats, where he eats, and who fixes his meals. He does.
He fixes it. He goes home generally for lunch and fixes
a little soup and then goes back and comes home at night
and fixes a little something to eat.”
Elder
Hinckley then described one of his father’s dishes. “He’ll
open a can of oysters and put them in some skim milk,
put in a little pat of margarine and a little pepper and
salt and say, ‘Isn’t this delicious?’ “ [1]
President
Hinckley hasn’t always been handy in the kitchen as his
wife, Marjorie, cooked for the family. Their travels and
responsibilities often took President and Sister Hinckley
away from home where they literally dined around the world:
England, Switzerland,
Egypt, India,
Malaysia, China,
Korea, Argentina,
Brazil, Ghana,
South Africa---to name only a few countries
they visited together. Many times, though not on a traveling
assignment, the Hinckleys were guests at one dinner or another. Sister Hinckley
noted in a letter: “Tonight we go to a dinner at the Lion
House honoring E. W., and from the looks of the calendar
we will be well fed all week.” [2]
But
as Sister Hinckley’s health declined in recent years,
President Hinckley began to cook more. Food was brought
in to their home at times as well. Now, on his own, President
Hinckley himself—at age 95—“fixes a little something to eat.”
A
long-standing tradition for all five Hinckley children
is gathering at their father’s apartment for lunch one
afternoon each week. Jane Dudley, in a telephone interview,
said that the family has held this weekly lunch for years.
They’ll usually eat a salad or soup or “whatever is in
his refrigerator.” She added with a laugh, “You better
have a good excuse why you can’t come!” [3] Virginia Pearce commented that their father “fixes”
lunch for them—and sometimes it can be very interesting! [4]
If
the prophet, who would have every excuse, including age,
not to cook at all, can “fix a little something to eat,”
then perhaps, the rest of us, can follow his example in
this endeavor—as well as in the many other ways in which
President Hinckley humbly yet boldly leads the Church,
inspiring each of us 12 million Latter-day Saints to “do
a little better”. [5]
[1] . Transcript of
Carol Mikita interview, KSL Television, July 22, 2005.
[2] . Marjorie Pay Hinckley, Letters
(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2004), 155.
[3] . Telephone interview
with Jane H. Dudley, August 10, 2005.
[4] . Transcript of
Carol Mikita interview, KSL Television, July 22, 2005.
[5] . Gordon B. Hinckley, “How Can I
Become the Woman of Whom I Dream?” Ensign,
May 2001, 93.
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