From The Salt Lake Tribune:
The Mormon faithful wiped away tears, hugged one another and quietly reminisced about President Gordon B. Hinckley this morning as the first of two days of planned viewings of the man they believe to be their “prophet, seer and revelator” got under way.
Michelle McAllister, a 21-year-old Weber State University student from Layton, was first in line to view Hinckley’s body, which was dressed in temple clothing and laid out surrounded by flowers in the Hall of the Prophets at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
She and friend Kelsey Cox, 19, of the Layton area, arose around 4 a.m. and braved freezing temperatures to be first in line. McAllister at one point resorted to putting her gloves on her feet to stay warm.
“This is ‘The Amazing Race’ for us,” she said. “We were the first team here.”
She and her friend talked of Hinckley’s optimism for the future and of the inspiration he provided to LDS young people. “He has been our prophet,” McAllister said.
Employees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were allowed in to the viewing starting at 7 a.m., and other mourners followed beginning at 9 a.m. Although the crowd was large and waits in line were long, people streamed steadily past the president, pausing only to lift children for a better view or to dry their eyes.