Hinckley was awarded ten honorary doctorate degrees, and in 2004 the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush.

He also received the Boy Scouts of America's highest award, the Silver Buffalo, and served as chairman of the Church Boards of Trustees/Education.

[8] Hinckley returned to the United States in 1935 after completing a short tour of the European continent, including preaching in both Berlin and Paris.

Hinckley's responsibilities included developing the church's fledgling radio broadcasts and making use of the era's new communication technologies.

One of the projects Hinckley oversaw in the late 1930s was development of the church's exhibit for the Golden Gate International Exposition.

[11] Hinckley's background in journalism and public relations prepared him well to preside over the church during a time when it has received increasing media coverage.

He had learned to use new technology to spread the word of God, developed positive relationships with people of other faiths, and studied and written works of Church history.

[24] His first trip there in the spring of 1960 lasted two months and involved going to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines.

After his call as an apostle, Hinckley continued to be a leader in the missionary department, with Boyd K. Packer serving as one of his key aides.

[33] Also in 1962, Hinckley was involved in the negotiations that lead to the LDS Church purchasing the shortwave radio station WRUL.

[35] In late 1963, Hinckley made another tour of the Philippines, Japan and South Korea, this time bringing not only his wife but also their 10-year-old daughter.

In the spring of 1964, the Improvement Era published a series or articles on the church in Asia and identified Hinckley as president of the "Hawaiian-Oriental Missions.

[37] In India, he went to Madras and then Coimbatore, where Hinckley met Paul Thirithuvodoss, who had written to the church headquarters to ask for baptism.

[39] They then proceeded to Frankfurt, where they stayed in the home of Ezra Taft Benson, who presided the European Mission, and his wife, Flora.

He served on the church's executive committees for temples, missionary work, welfare services, priesthood, and the military.

[4] Hinckley oversaw other significant building projects, including the construction of the Conference Center and extensive renovations of the Salt Lake Tabernacle.

In November 2000, Hinckley spoke to the youth of the church and gave them six traits to work on, named the "Six Be's" (Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be True, Be Humble, Be Prayerful), which were first introduced in his New York Times Bestseller Standing for Something[73] and later expanded on in Way to Be.

On March 31, 2001, Hinckley announced the creation of the Perpetual Education Fund, an endowment that provides loans to students in developing nations.

He also noted, "It may even be that [the Lord] will hold us responsible if we try to impede or hedge up the way of those who are involved in a contest with forces of evil and repression.

On June 23, 2006, his 96th birthday, Hinckley participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, for a new building that was to be named in his honor.

[79] One of Hinckley's last public appearances was on January 4, 2008, when he offered the prayer at the rededication of the Utah State Capitol.

[80] His final public appearance was a week before his death, the dedication of the Garden Park Ward building on January 20, 2008.

[82] He traveled nearly a million miles over a lifetime to more than 160 countries, as he met with church members and dedicated meetinghouses and temples.

Hinckley was a good subject for the study, as the annual addresses were meticulously recorded and transcribed; in addition, he did not smoke, drink, sing, or engage in other activities that would put unnatural strain on his voice.

The press release put forth by the White House stated: "Gordon B. Hinckley ... has inspired millions and has led efforts to improve humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and education funding across the globe.

In 1996, Hinckley received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr.[87] On January 27, 2008, Hinckley died at the age of 97 while surrounded by family in his Salt Lake City apartment.

The Deseret Morning News reported that Hinckley had just gone through a treatment of chemotherapy a few days earlier, and had "worked until the very end.

[90] Funeral services were held on February 2, 2008, at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, which was attended by tens of thousands.

[93] In 2012, a 50-year longitudinal study of the development of Hinckley's voice, based on addresses he gave at BYU, was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[94] Hinckley's teachings as an apostle were the 2017 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday Relief Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes.