Local Mormons have met the church president's recent death with mourning but also reflection on his life of service.

Thomas S. Monson, the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Tuesday at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was 90.

David Patten, Mormon bishop for the Houma-Thibodaux area, never met Monson but saw him speak at conferences. He said Monson encouraged church members to grow their faith through working and helping others.

"One of the main effects that he had on me was his quiet dignity," Patten said. "He did what he knew to be right. He did it consistently, and he didn't seem to get tired of it. He just loved the Lord. It's an example I try to follow."

Mormons regard the church president as a prophet.

"He receives revelations from God for the church as a whole," Patten said. "It's a role with a lot of responsibility."

A new president will be selected after Monson's funeral Friday. Although saddened by the loss, Patten said he has faith that the right successor will be chosen.

Monson was ordained a bishop at age 22, serving a congregation of over 1,000 members. That included about 85 widows, whom he'd care for and visit.

He became president in February 2008 and helped grow the church's membership to more than 16 million people worldwide.

In addition, he was on the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America for over 48 years.

Thibodaux resident Monica Stock, who is active in the local Mormon church, said Monson was a man of integrity and humility. He was never unkind and encouraged unity among different faiths, she said.

Stock said the church president is an example of God's authority and love on earth. For her, Monson was a role model.

"I saw in this man somebody who quietly lived the gospel," she said. "He preached from the pulpit about how to follow the life of Jesus Christ, and he did it. To me, when you live a sermon, it's much more effective than if you just speak a sermon. It inspired me to want to live my life so people could see what I believe."

Stock's husband, Greg, leads nine Mormon congregations, including in Houma-Thibodaux and New Orleans.

Greg Stock said he'd heard Monson speak many times, read his articles and met him briefly at a leadership conference.

"He was a large man, and he had a large presence," he said. "He was always smiling, always looked on the bright side of life. He had a love for the vulnerable people – children, widows, the poor."

Greg Stock said Monson inspired him to show kindness and compassion and work hard.

"We've lost a great leader," he said. "We rejoice in the way he lived his life and the example he set. We have good memories of him, and he enriched our lives. There's no bitterness about it. We're thankful to have had him. He had a tremendous capacity to work and to labor, and we'll miss that. The legacy he left is a positive one."

-- Staff Writer Bridget Mire can be reached at 448-7639 or bridget.mire@dailycomet.com. Follow her on Twitter @bridget_mire.