 |
In a statement, church spokesman Eric Hawkins wrote that Monson died at 10:01 p.m. in his home in Salt Lake City, surrounded by family.
Monson had been at the helm of the 16 million-member Mormon church for nearly a decade and will be remembered as much for his personal ministry as for his aversion to grand pronouncements.
He was a traditionalist without a bold agenda whose presence as a church leader faded as he aged. In recent years, he remained quiet as the church grappled with issues like ordaining women and baptizing children of gay couples.
"Today I join those of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others who mourn the passing of LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson," said U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R), Idaho, in a statement. "He was a great leader, a kind man who spent more than half a century in service to others through his responsibilities in the Church. His focus was ‘the one,’ and he shared that love and kindness whenever he spoke. He was a man of humility, energy, action and intelligence, and those who came in contact with him never forgot it. His was a life to celebrate, and he has left a wonderful legacy of example and service."