LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley is in Australia, tonight--his first visit to that part of the world, since becoming the church's leader 2 years ago. In the last few days, he's also visited New Zealand. He'll return home, Saturday. Before leaving for his 'downunder' tour, Religion Specialist Duane Cardall interviewed President Hinckley. Duane, what did you talk about?

Mainly, the 150th anniversary of the Mormon pioneer trek west to Utah. It seems appropriate that he would be the church's leader during this sesquicentennial year because of his obvious appreciation for the pioneer story:

Gordon B. Hinckley has long championed the Mormon pioneer story. The setting for this interview is one he preferred--a cemetery in Florence, Nebraska, once called Winter Quarters, where as many as 600 Latter-day Saints were buried who would never cross the plains.

((PRES. GORDON B. HINCKLEY, THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS: "ITS WONDERFUL TO BE ON THIS SACRED GROUND, THIS BURIAL GROUND, THIS PLACE WHERE THERE WAS EXPERIENCED MUCH SADNESS, GRIEF."))

President Hinckley says the Mormon pioneer story is worth remembering.

((HINCKLEY: "WE GAIN APPRECIATION BY DOING SO. WE GAIN STRENGTH TO FACE THE FUTURE WHEN WE LOOK TO THE PAST."))

So what of the future as this sesquicentennial celebration proceeds?

((HINCKLEY: "WE HAVE TREMEMNDOUS OPPORTUNITIES. WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT COVERED WAGONS. WE DON'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEMS THEY FACED."))

Our problems, he says, are different. Social problems. Drugs, pornography, the breakdown of the family.

((HINCKLEY: "WE MUST MAINTAIN THE SOLIDARITY OF OUR FAMILIES AND THAT'S A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY, A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE."))

What are his feelings for the man who led the pioneers west?

((HINCKLEY: "DO I RESPECT BRIGHAM YOUNG? I THINK HE WAS A TREMENDOUS PIONEER. A MOSES OF OUR DAY, LEADING ISRAEL TO A PROMISED LAND." REPORTER: "HAS HE RECEIVED ADEQUATE RECOGNITION IN THE WORLD AMONGST HISTORIANS FOR WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED?" HINCKLEY: "HE HAS RECEIVED MUCH RECOGNITION, BUT NOT ADEQUATE IN MY JUDGEMENT. I THINK HE'LL GROW IN STATURE AS THE YEARS PASS."))

((REPORTER: "IS SALT LAKE CITY STILL THE RIGHT PLACE AND WILL IT CONTINUE TO BE? HINCKLEY: "OH, SALT LAKE'S A WONDERFUL PLACE. IT REALLY IS. A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE. THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE LIVE IS GENERALLY GOOD. WE HAVE PROBLEMS...OF COURSE WE HAVE PROBLEMS. AND THOSE PROBLEMS ARE INCREASING AS SALT LAKE CITY BECOMES MORE OF A GREAT METROPOLITAN CENTER. BUT ITS STILL A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE WITH WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES."))

President Hinckley sent off the wagon train in Nebraska and he'll welcome the participants when they arrive in Salt Lake City on July 22nd. Along the way, he hopes he'll have opportunity to ride along:

((HINCKLEY: "I'M GOING TO MEET THEM IN WYOMING AND I THINK THAT MAYBE I'LL CLIMB ABOARD FOR A LITTLE DISTANCE."))

President Hinckley said he has no desire do the entire three-month pioneer trek. He said, there's simply too much work to do and he hopes to accomplish a lot during those three months. His current trip to Australia is an example.