Hunter Dies: Shortest-Serving LDS President

Howard W. Hunter served as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for only nine months, from June 5, 1994, to March 3, 1995, the shortest presidency in the modern era of the church. Despite his brief tenure, Hunter's impact was significant. He urged all church members to make temple worship the central focus of their religious lives, a message that accelerated an already ambitious program of temple construction worldwide. During his presidency, he dedicated the Orlando Florida Temple and announced plans for several more. Hunter's emphasis on temple attendance increased the number of recommend holders across the church. He also called for greater inclusivity and kindness within the faith community, messages that resonated with members who saw him as a gentle counterpoint to more authoritarian leadership styles. Hunter had survived a hostage situation at a Brigham Young University devotional in 1993, when a man threatened him with a briefcase bomb, an incident he handled with remarkable composure.