Gordon B. Hinkley, the man 12 million people consider a prophet, died Sunday at age 97. He was known throughout the world for his expanionist ideas and willingness to make public appearances.

Mr. Hinkley was President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 13 years. During that time, the church grew from 9 million to 12 million members worldwide. It is the 4th largest church in the United States, surpassing the Lutherans.

Mormonism leaped into the national spotlight with the emergence of Mitt Romney as a viable presidential candidate. Romney is an active member of the LDS (Mormon) church.

President Hinkley was the descendant of Mormon pioneers. His grandfather traveled with a Mormon wagon train from Illinois to Utah.

Hinkley's leadership in the church reflected his pioneering ancestry. During his tenure, he was a guest on Larry King Live and 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace. He changed the church logo to emphasize the name Jesus Christ. He designed and built more Mormon temples than any other president in the church history. He attempted to mainstream the Mormon faith into the Christian faith.

Despite his efforts; the Catholics, Baptists, and Methodists, publicly declared Mormonism to be a cult. Those declarations have not hindered the growth of the Mormon church.