Thousands pack funeral for Mormon leader

Starting Thursday, mourners came in droves for a chance to walk by Hinckley's open casket. The church said 57,443 people attended two days of a public viewing — some standing in line for up to five hours to walk past the casket.

Hours before the funeral began, lines stretched out of Temple Square, where free tickets were distributed, and onto the sidewalk. Some people spent the night in freezing weather to get a pass, and volunteers distributed hot chocolate.

"There's nowhere else on Earth I'd rather be at this moment, even if it's freezing," said Michelle Miller of Salt Lake City, who was waiting to get in.

Politicians from Utah, Idaho, California, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Mormon, attended the service.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose father once served in the church's highest leadership, and his wife, Anne, also attended.

In a final gesture, mourners waived white handkerchiefs as Hinckley's coffin left the conference center, repeating a gesture he often used to greet the crowds wherever he appeared.

Hinckley was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, alongside his wife. His successor is expected to be named this week.

Belief in reuniting with family
Many called the occasion bittersweet, saying they were sad for themselves, but comforted in their belief that the church president had been reunited with his wife, Marjorie, who died in 2004.

A ceremony performed inside Mormon temples binds families together for time and all eternity, said Jana Riess, a Mormon convert and the Cincinnati-based co-editor of "Mormonism for Dummies."

"I don't want to be too cliche, but this idea that Mormons hold fast to their eternal families makes an enormous difference in how they feel about death," Riess said.

Mormons also differ from other Christians in their belief that heaven will not be a place of rest, but one where the work of the church and individuals will continue — something Hinckley often mentioned in his speeches to members.

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