This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley remembered Pope John Paul II as "an extraordinary man of faith, vision and intellect" Saturday on the first day of the church's 175th Annual General Conference in downtown Salt Lake City. Mormon leaders at the two-day conference returned to familiar sermon topics: the importance of kindness, the contributions of missionary work, the value of tithing and the enticements of evil. The 94-year-old Hinckley, who also reflected on his 10-year leadership of the church, warned about the dangers of gambling, mentioning the lure of Internet poker.