Elder Hinckley was born April 23, 1870, at
Cove Fort, Millard County, Utah to Ira Nathaniel Hinckley and Angeline
Wilcox Noble. He was named Arza Alonzo Hinckley but signed his name, and
is known in current Church writings, as Alonzo A. Hinckley. We might note
that Alonzo was a brother of Bryant S. Hinckley, who in turn was the
father of Gordon B. Hinkley, Apostle of the
Lord and President of the Church. Thus Alonzo is an uncle to President
Hinckley.
In 1867 the Hinckley family was sent by President
Brigham Young to Millard County to an area a
day's journey south of Fillmore and established Cove Fort as a way station
for travelers along the "Mormon Coridor". They became a large and prominent
family in the area. The Fort has recently been returned to the Church and
restored as a tourist attraction.
Elder Alonzo A. Hinckley married Rose May Robison
August 31, 1892 in the Manti Temple. Shortly after the marriage, he was called to leave her behind and serve in the Netherlands. The couple had fourteen children, the second of which was born during his Netherlands mission.
Prior to his call as a General Authority, Elder Hinckley
served as a Stake President for twenty-seven years, a calling his father had also held. At the time of his calling to the Twelve, he retrieved his patriarchal blessing, and for the first time, shared it with his family. Given over thirty years earlier, shortly after the time of his call as a stake president, the Blessing promised, "If you continue faithful in this calling, you will... be numbered with the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
After his release as a stake president, Elder Hinckley was called to serve as President of the California Mission, which service he was performing when he received the call to the Twelve.
Elder Hinckley was
ordained an Apostle October 11, 1934 at the age of sixty-four by President
Heber J. Grant, and sustained to the
Council of the Twelve Apostles. He served there but a scant two years when
he died in office.
Elder Hinckley died December 22, 1936 in Salt Lake
City, Utah.
