great week will see you next sunday. (man) think about it. a man who brings the word of god to more people than any other person in history. (george h.w. bush) a humble farmer's son who helped change the world is a spiritual gift to all of us. (man) would you welcome, please, evangelist, author, educator... ...one of the most influential men in the world. billy graham! dr. billy graham. billy graham. [applause] [applause] (man) who was this man who could preach like this? (billy graham) i cannot save anybody. i'm just an ordinary messenger of the kingdom of god. (larry king) he was a giant. you won't see his likes again. he was unparalleled in my judgment.

(brit hume) i think presidents reached out to him because they wanted what he had... none of us were in on those one-on-one sessions... the bible says that every one of us are important to god. dr. graham and dr. king on the same platform sent a very powerful message. (billy graham) there is no excuse ever for bigotry. we are to love as god loved us. (franklin graham) it was a very tense time. he was really criticized, but my father never backed down. (mel graham) he was always willing to take a risk when it was for the right reason. (billy graham) is there an answer? yes, there is an answer! (charles gibson) you always knew with graham... it was about the message and not about the man. who is this unique person that comes across the pages of history. jesus said, "follow me. "come and change the world with me."

[newscaster] this is 42nd and broadway, new york city, overlooking times square. abc tv news cameras are on the scene to report history as it's made in this culmination of sixteen weeks of the billy graham new york crusade... what a thrilling and wonderful sight this is. i wish that those that were sharing the service by television could see what i see. [narrator] billy graham was affectionately known as america's pastor. he had quickly become a national sensation. you say, "but billy, i'm different. "i don't think religion takes with me. "i don't think i'm the kind..." [narrator] but his unlikely journey began far from the glaring lights...

every afternoon billy came through the door, "mother?!" those were his first words, and i knew billy was on the premises. [narrator] as a boy growing up on a north carolina dairy farm billy's childhood was about as ordinary as it gets. (morrow graham) he read every tarzan book, and then he would go down in the woods, and he would try to act out some... [chuckling] didn't work too well. he and melvin worked on the dairy farm. melvin loved the hard work. billy frank really didn't like to do physical work. never did. (melvin graham) my brother was interested primarily in two things; that would be baseball and girls. i'm not sure which order. i was just a carefree kid having a big time doing everything else that every other high school kid was doing. i didn't care anything about god or religion or hell or the devil or anything else. [narrator] even though billy had grown up in church

as a teenager he only attended reluctantly. when traveling evangelist mordecai ham came to town it was no surprise that billy wanted nothing to do with it. (billy graham) when mordecai ham came to charlotte i thought it was some sort of big circus or a big emotional event, and i didn't have any thoughts about ever going. [narrator] but a few weeks into the three-month-longevival billy frank's curiosity got the best of him. he hopped on a friend's old pickup and set out to get a glimpse of the fighting preacher. i'd never seen such a large crowd attending a religious meeting; i think, three or four thousand people, and it made a great impression on me, and i decided i wanted to go back the next night and then the next and then the next. you cannot be justified by your own filthy rags and your own works. it's what christ has done for you and will do in you... (billy graham) by that time i was coming under conviction that i was a sinner,

that i needed redemption myself, that i needed christ in my heart. i was a church member, but i still knew that something was lacking. i knew that i didn't have that personal relationship with christ. one night when the invitation was given i just said, "lord, i'm going," and it was on the last verse of the last song that they sang, and about four hundred people went forward the night i did, and when i stood there i thought to myself, "what a fool i'm making of myself "in front of all my friends here." i went up to my room that night, didn't feel any different, and i remember kneeling down; it was a full moonlight night, and i'd never knelt before. i never prayed like that before, and i said, "lord, i don't know what's happened. "i don'tnow whathis means, "but whatever it means i would appreciate your help." (morrow graham) there was a definite turn in his life.

we knew then that the lord had really gotten a hold of him. his emphasis became more on what the preacher had been preaching and wanting to know where he could go and learn something about the bible. [narrator] billy's new-found interest along with his love of sunshine and the great outdoors eventually led him to enroll in the florida bible institute. while there he experienced a calling he couldn't deny. i just felt god was speaking to me, and he said, "i want to use you," and i put up all the arguments i could that i was not capable, didn't have the proper education, but god was calling me, and i knew that. so, i got on my knees right there, and i said, "lord, i'll go where you want me to go, "and i'll be what you want me to be." and i said, "i'm yours." [narrator] opportunities to speak at local churches slowly emerged

including one that had a profound effect on billy graham's ministry. (billy graham) my first sermon in a sort of a big church was the first baptist church of venice. i preaed on a sunday morning, and the church was filled; they didn't know me from adam. i gave an invitation at the end of my talk for people to come forward, and i'd never done that before, and eleven people came. i'll never forget that, and... i was so moved in my own heart that i said, "lord, maybe you have given me a gift that i didn't know "that i can give an invitation "and people will come to christ." and i began to give invitations after that.

[billy graham preaching] and the scripture says in 2 corinthians that "he was made sin for us who knew no sin." [narrator] in 1945 billy joined youth for christ as an evangelist, traveling over a million miles during the next four years... (billy graham) and today, fears, problems... ...but in that awful hour when god turned his back... ...but i know the answer to your problem today... [narrator] the opportunities for billy graham continued to increase in city after city, but he soon faced a dilemma that threated to derail his emerging ministry. (franklin graham) there was this debate going on within his friends that began to question scripture and were questioning why my father believed in the bible to be the holy inspired word of god. (billy graham) arguments were that you couldn't really trust the scriptures, and that only the old-fashioned fundamentalists

could trust the scriptures. and i began to think, "well, perhaps they're right. "maybe this bible isn't as authoritative "as i thought it was." and i remember how disturbed i was by that, because i'd always believed in the bible. [narrator] the very foundation of billy's faith was shaken. he agonized over the dilemma knowing that he could not move on until the issue was settled once and for all. [narrator] still to come on an extraordinary journey... (charles gibson) there has always been a hunger for faith in this country and for answers. (narrator) but billy's search for answers uncovered deeper uncertainties... (billy graham) i went through a terrible struggle intellectually about the bible. (morrow graham) he says, "but i've run out of sermons. "i have no other sermon to preach." [narrator] and later, billy graham endures the perils of stepping out in faith... (billy graham) it's almost impossible to understand how many threatening letters we got...

>> it was a little after7:00 p.e rescue efforts are now underway. brian has made his way to the scene and joins us as we look at pictures. what can you see there? >> good evening. right now you see nothing in the east river. from our understanding the helicopter crash site has floated down the east river because of the current. it is now around east 34th street.

you cannot see the helicopter in the water at this point. we understand the helicopter went down near east 90th. i'm standing on east 88th. one witness saw one person of board the helicopter come out using a raft to get to safety. that witness also said they did not see anyone else come out. they describe the crash as the helicopter landing on its side and flipping ove for about a minute and a half no one came out of the water. that is according to witnesses. they called 911. they sent in a dive team and marine unit between 88th and 90th street. there's a stream of fdny ambulances and fire trucks and from our understanding the scene may have drafted down the river in terms of the helicopter crash. that is where people are setting up along the east 34th.

we're trying to figure that out. as to how many people were on the helicopter, we cannot confirm that number. we have one eyewitness saying someone came out of the helicopter onto the raft. more as we get it. >> o'brien, you're the sam for us. we will continue to check back in with you. we will keep you updated on this breaking story. rried eternal co. friends and associates were raising doubts about the authority of scripture. (billy graham) the arguments were that you couldn't really trust the scriptures, and i remember how disturbed i was by that because i'd always believed in the bible. [narrator] but billy continued to study and pray. the summer of 1949 would bring him to a watershed moment. (billy graham) i remember many years ago

i went through a terrible struggle intellectually about the bible, and i was concerned and worried and battling with myself, and i remember going out in the moonlight, out in the forest, and i took this bible, and i said, "lord, i don't understand all about this bible. "there are many things i cannot explain." and i remember laying the bible out on a stump, and i said, "lord, this is your book. "i'm going to accept it by faith "like i accepted the lord jesus christ by faith, "and he saved me "and changed me and transformed me, "i'm accepting this as your word by faith." [narrator] it was a decision that billy would later say gave him a lasting, unassailable strength... (billy graham) i remember i used to prepare my sermons by getting a little outline and then tearing up a bible and pasting them

under those different points, and i just kept quoting the scriptures and saying, "the bible says..." and it had its own built-in power, and god honored it. the bible says, "i am the lord. i change not!" [narrator] it was 1949... just weeks after billy's doubts about scripture were put to rest. evidence of his new confidence presented itself in los angeles under the big tops of two ringling brothers circus tents. (billy graham) when we started in those meetings in the tent at washington and hill street i had this tremendous experience in which i'd experience the authority of the scriptures, and i went there and quoted the scriptures. i believe this sincely from the depthof my heart... (billy graham) e etings began to gather a little momentum during those first three weeks. (william martin) and then one night in what is one of the pivotal events in billy graham's career he showed up at the tent, and the place was overflowing with newspaper reporters.

(billy graham) i said, "what has happened? why are you all here?" and one of them said, "you've just been kissed by william randolph hearst." and he showed him a piece of paper that looked like it had been torn off a wire service machine, and there were two famous words on it, "puff graham." (billy graham) you know, i never met mr. hearst. i never had any correspondence with him in my whole life. whatever the reason it certainly started a chain of events that i never dreamed. (william martin) and then that followed by associated press, united press, international news service. soon afterwards stories in time, life, newsweek, and billy graham became nationally known. after that the tent was expanded. people standing outside, and the revival went on another four weeks which placed something of a burden on billy graham. he says, "but i've run out of sermons. "i have no other sermon to preach." (william martin) his friends were coming in and giving him sermon outlines and giving them ideas,

and it was having quite an effect on him, but at the same time his ministry was just burgeoning. (morrow graham) after the committee had told him he could not close the meeting, he said, "i prayed to the lord with the open bible on the bed "and told him that i was weak "in the flesh, "but he was great and strong in the spirit, "and if i'm to continue here "you will have to give me your message for these people." and he said the lord did just that. i don't know where he got this, but it was powerful. people hadn't seen anything like this. [billy graham preaching] israel wandered further and further from god into idolatry... [narrator] one night, a reluctant spectator, louis zamperini, joined the crowd. he had gained fame as a track star, but during world war ii he was captured and mercilessly tortured. though he returned home a hero he was filled with bitter rage and had turned to alcohol to drown his pain.

billy graham just happened to quote the right scriptures, and he said the right things. it really stabbed me in the heart, and i realized what i had to do... [billy graham preaching] and the question in that day will be "what did you do with jesus? "have you trusted christ jesus as savior?" (louis zamperini) it all hit me at one time before i got to the main aisle and there i made my decision. i knew when i turned to the right i knew it was all over, and it was. i got back there, accepted christ, and my life was completely changed, and it's been changed ever since. [narrator] after the stunning success of what became an eight-week-long revival nothing would ever be the same for billy graham. but he wasn't alone on this remarkable journey. there would never have been a billy graham without a ruth graham. [narrator] in 1940 billy had met ruth bell

while continuing his studies at wheaton college near chicago. the daughter of missionaries was known for her deep spirituality and mischievous fun. (billy graham) i was working on a furniture truck in the afternoons for fifty cents an hour. this man that ran the furniture truck began to tell me about this girl from china. he said, "she's the girl for you." well, i had my eyes already on another girl, but when i came out and saw her standing there he said, "that is ruth bell." at that moment i was in love, and not only in love, but something told me inside, "she'll be your wife." ♪ hey, hey (hey, hey) ♪ it's just a sunny day (morrow graham) he was so impressed by her he wrote home and said, "that is the girl i'm going to marry." (billy graham) i was frightened to death to ever ask her for a date, but i finally worked up enough courage to ask her to go at christmastime to the messiah, and so i took her to the messiah, and she was everything that i had heard about her.

(ruth bell gram) i remember when i was praying that night, and mind you, i didn't even know the man. i'd just been with him... for that one date. but i just prayed, and i said, "lord, if you will "let me share his life "i will consider it the greatest "honor possible." and umm, fortunately, i didn't know what lay ahead. i wouldn't have had the nerve to pray a prayer like that. [narrator] on a warm august night in 1943 billy and ruth were married in the quaint mountain town of montreat, north carolina. my mother loved my father, and my father loved and adored her, and it was a partnership. they were called together as a team. mother was the tether to dad's balloon. [narrator] soon after their wedding ruth began to experience the first of many separations as billy's demanding preaching schedule increased.

could you imagine saying "goodbye" to my father knowing that he's going to be gone not just for a week but for two months, four months, six months. i don't know how she did it. (billy graham) a lot of times i would go down this driveway here with tears in my eyes. i didn't want to go, because i knew it'd be several weeks or months before i'd see her. (gigi graham) there were times when she would go and take a jacket out of his closet and sleep with it so she could smell the smell, and for a young woman that's tough! [narrator] the motivation and strength for ruth's many sacrifices came from her own conviction. (ruth bell graham) for me it would have been very difficult to have him gone for so much of the time for any other reason than that of sharing jesus christ with people. [narrator] her commitment enabled billy to remain faithful to god's call as opportunities to reach people with the gospel grew beyond anything they could've ever imagined.

the bible from genesis to revelation points to christ... and the bible says you can have your sins forgiven... why? because we're sinners! we cannot solve our problems... and i believe, today, that the american people are hungry to hear the voice of god. (charles gibson) there has always been a hunger for faith in this country and for answers. he really brought that basic yearning and longing in people to the forefront. [narrator] that same hunger for faith in other countries led to international invitations that would take billy graham and his young team around the globe. little did they know their extraordinary journey would last almost six decades. (billy graham) sometimes i'd get so sick of seeing the name "billy graham" as though i'm the whole thing, and i know that it's a work of many people being used

of the lord and offering their special gifts to us. everybody thinks a crusade's pretty simple thing and it's... it's a huge endeavor. obviously, billy can't do all that ground work. my grandfather was very blessed to have people around him that shared the same passion to proclaim the greatest message ever. it was bill's love for evangelism and his call to the ministry that motivated all of us as a team, and he never took us for granted. (franklin graham) he had a burden and a call on his life to te the gospel message to as many people as he possibly could. he had preached to more people face to face than any other person in history. (billy graham) you never hear jesus saying, "i think," or "perhaps this is the way." [translation] he always said, "this is the way, the truth, and the life."

(cliff barrows) bill said, "i will go anywhere at any time at any cost "to preach the gospel." god took him at his word, and bill took god at his word. [narrator] not only was billy graham willing to go anywhere, he was also willing to use every effective communications tool available. no matter what your race, whatever color of the skin, god loves you. [narrator] on june 1st, 1957 , when viewers tuned in to abc they saw something on their small television screens they had never seen before, the first live telecast of a billy graham crusade. jesus christ died on the cross of his own volition. (kathie lee gifford) he knew how valuable media was. he knew how important it was to get his crusades on television then millions and millions-- exponentially-- people would see it. (tom brokaw) doc graham had all the qualities handsome as a movie star, he spoke in language everybody could understand.

television was a perfect medium for him. and i'm asking you, tonight, to make a clear-cut... (charles gibson) and he had this spark in his eyes that was visible. you kind of couldn't take your eyes off of him. [applause] [narrator] although he wasn't always behind the podium he was faithful to the message. are you criticized by coming on this show by the more...devout, saying, "what are you doing?" oh... there are a few people that criticize me, but i always tell them that christ went among the publicans and sinners, and i can come with jack paar... [laughter] the ten commandments can be broken in your heart by thought and intent, and that's the reason the bible says that everybody's a sinner. even ed is a sinner. that comes as quite a surprise. [laughter] jesus said, "if you look on "a woman to lust after her "in your heart you've already "committed adultery." i really have trouble with that one. [laughter] (billy graham) i'll tell you why. the bible says, "all have sinned," and that's the reason we need the forgiveness of god, and that's why christ died on the cross.

okay, i don't want to belabor you with this... phil, you know, you really blushed. [laughter] (gigi graham) daddy would accept to go on the secular programs, because he felt like this was just one more way that the gospel of jesus christ could be preached. and whether he was on larry king live or meet the press or any show that he did that was non-religious in any way he never got off message. what is your purpose? he said, go into the whole world and proclaim this message... that god loves people, that he's interested in people; he wants to help them in their present situation, and he wants to save their souls. (billy graham) that's the reason it's so important to know the word of god. god loves you and that christ died for you, and that is what the evangelist... (charles gibson) you always knew with graham that it was about the message and not about the man. many of you, tonight, desperately need jesus christ. who is this unique person that comes across the pages of history the bible from genesis to revelation points to christ.

he was the son of god. he was the only one in the universe that could bear all of our sins. the human heart's the same the world over, and the gospel is the same. it hasn't changed at all, and people respond to it. i believe you are here by divine appointment. i belie this is your night with almighty god. i just love that he didn't try to overwhelm you with big words. it was so point blank you knew exactly what he meant. "god so loved the world "that he gave his only begotten son "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish "but have everlasting life." (billy graham) i also know that in the audience that almost everybody there has experienced loneliness. they've experienced sin that they're sorry for, and there are people there that are afraid

and they're people there that are hungry for something to believe in now. and from the cross god is saying to the whole world, "i love you. i love you. i love you. "i love you. i love you!" and all he asks us to do is to come and surrender our lives to him and believe in him and repent of our sins and change our way of life. and i'm going to ask you to do that. i'm going to ask you to do something that we've seen thousands of people all over the world do, and say, "tonight, i want jesus to come into my life." [applause] ♪ some people are predicting the possibility of a race war. it's not a problem in alabama alone it's a world problem wherever you have two races living.

is there an answer? yes, there is an answer! the answer is in the cross of jesus christ. and there is a possibility of spiritual brotherhood in christ alone. (robert kennedy) i have some very sad news for all of you... martin luther king was shot and was killed tonight. mr. graham, i believe that you've just been informed of the tragic death of dr. martin luther king, jr. yes, and uh, i was just informed about five minutes ago, and it comes as one of the greatest shocks of my entire life. there is no excuse, ever, for hatred. there is no excuse ever for bigotry and intolerance and prejudice. we are to love as god loved us. (bernice king) i think both dr. graham and my father were

trying to make the world a better place. (howard jones) billy and martin were friends, and a lot of whites damned billy for that. (billy graham) we demanded integration almost from the beginning of our meetings in the south. now today, it's almt possible for the present generation to understand what things were in those days and what it took to be that way... how many threatening letters we got, and how many threats against my family as a result of the stand that we took at that time. billy's first public acts against racial segregation took place at his crusades in the south during the early 1950s. at the time it was common practice for ropes to separate the white from the black sections. (cliff barrows) he walked into the crusade and they had ropes up. billy saw them... (billy graham) blacks were supposed to sit back of that and the whites would sit in front. i was appalled at it and decided that i had to speak out on it

and had to do something about it. i said, "no more of this." and i went to the head usher and asked him if he would remove the ropes, and he said, "no," he wouldn't. (cliff barrows) billy got up from the platform, and he walked down past the ushers and took the ropes down himself. (billy graham) and i remember that the head usher resigned, and there was quite a little flak about that. (narrator) in a 1956 article published in life magazine he wrote, "it is not sufficient to urge people to love their neighbor "unless we lead them also to the capacity to love. "christ gives me this capacity." (billy graham) we must meet christ. we must know him as our lord and our savior. (bernice king) his approach was more of trying to get people into the relationship with christ that that would transform their mindset and the way in which they lived so they would see people differently, and thus treat people differently.

(announcer) in new york mr. billy graham makes a dramatic denunciation... there's something wrong with human nature? what is it in the nature of men that causes men to have intolerance and racial intolerance? the problem with the world tonight is sin! (narrator) from eisenhower to kennedy to johnson and then nixon billy worked closely with all these presidents encouraging them to take steps to end racial segregation. (president bill clinton) almost fifty years ago my sunday school teacher to me to little ck to hearteps to ebilly graham's crusade. the schools were closed because of the little rock central high school immigration crisis. the white citizens' council in little rock tried to convince, even to pressure, billy graham and all of his people to preach to a segregated audience,

and he told them that if they insisted on that he would cancel the crusade and tell the whole world why. and when he issued the call at the end of the message thousands came down, holding hands, arm in arm, crying. it was the beginning of the end of the old south in my home state. "but the fruit of the spirit is love." "by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples "and that ye have love one to another." that is a supernatural love given to you by god when you receive christ. (narrator) billy's concern for racial equality extended to south africa during apartheid. he repeatedly refused invitations to visit unless the government would allow a non-segregated meeting. (billy graham) christianity is not a white man's religion and don't let anybody ever tell you

whether it's white or black. christ belongs to all people. he belongs to the whole world. his gospel is for everyone. (narrator) billy's love for people regardless of race or nationality would soon be tested. a trip behind the iron curtain incited a firestorm of criticism. mr. graham will receive your questions from the floor. yes, sir. (male reporter) do you feel that during your trip to the soviet union you were in any way taken advantage of by the soviet union? (female reporter) do you stand by what you said? (male reporter) the soviets have certainly made some propaganda out of your visit, has it not? i knew that i might be used for propaganda, but i felt the risk was worthwhile. (narrator) in 1982 billy graham visited moscow with intense media scrutiny and controversy, but more than twenty years earlier his first visit tohe communist nation could only be as a tourist.

though it seemed impossible his prayer was that someday he might proclaim the gospel behind the iron curtain. (viktor hamm) i believe that's where it started for dr. graham, a love for that part of the world, a part of the world that was suffering from all their hardships that communism brought. (dr. john akers) in countries like the soviet union the church virtually was shut down. everything that did exist was underground. (vicktor hamm) by definition a religious person was an enemy of the state. (president jimmy carter) in 1977 he went to hungary. the hungarian government said maybe a thousand showed up. the cia told me that hundreds of thousands of people

came forward to hear his message. (ruth graham) he began to penetrate those countries and those areas with the gospel of christ, and people came from far and wide to hear him when he knew that he was coming. (billy graham) god took your sin... (dr. john akers) there is a real sense in which the countries we visited in eastern europe were seen as a prelude hoping the door would open for an invitation to the soviet union. in 1982 that invitation came, but it was not an easy invitation. (narrator) billy graham was asked to address an international religious leadership conference on the perils of nuclear war, but it was common knowledge that these events were planned for propaganda purposes to benefit the soviet union and vilify the united ates. i'd already been to communist countries, but to go to russia to address a peace conference

which in those days looked like a betrayal of all that we stood for in america. (larry king) the anti-communist wave in america was enormous. (charles gibson) the world always seemed to be kinda poised on the knife-edge between peace and nuclear annihilation. (larry king) the tension between america and the soviet bloc was as tense as you could get without a bomb being dropped. (narrator) when billy arrived in moscow he would soon be the first western evangelist ever to be received by a member of the communist politburo. still, speculation and political questions dominated the headlines. but, when billy stood to speak before the audience of six hundred delegates his purpose for being there was abundantly clear. (billy graham) i speak to you today as a follower of jesus christ, declaring that everything i have ever been or am

or ever hope to be in this life or the future life i owe to the lord jesus christ. (melvin graham) he was fearless. he was bold. he was always willing to take a risk when it was for the right reason. let us call the nations of the world to repentance. uth graham) to be honest i don't think the commis knew what to do with him. (billy graham) the bible teaches that jesus christ was god's unique son sent into the world to take away our sins by his death on the cross therefore making it possible for us to be at peace with god. (viktor hamm) dr. graham was the only evangelical that was part of that scenario, and the local believers realized, "look at that... it's one of us." (dr. john akers) we were flying back from the soviet union after that first trip, and i remember him saying, "this may be the end of my ministry,

"but i believe in my heart that this was where god wanted us. "we'll leave the future in god's hands." there has been in this country some criticism of you for going to the moscow conference to the assemblage of religious leaders. why did you do it? (ruth graham) he was criticized severely even by evangelicals, but my father knew that god had called him to this. god had given him a burden for this, and he was not going to be dissuaded. (larry king) i think billy showed a lot of guts to go there and speak there. (billy graham) i looked on them as human beings in need of the forgiveness of god and in need of a relationship with christ, and that's how i preached to them. that's how i spoke to them, and that's how i witnessed to them. (dr. john akers) billy graham would say, and he said it a number of times,

"when jesus called us to go into all the world "to preach the gospel he didn't say, "'go into all the world except the communist countries.'" 'we went to china. he said, " i believehey need an oppornity "to ar the gospel as well." 'we went to china. so, i bring you greetings in the name of our lord jesus christ. (dr. john akers) the message that he preached was the same message that he's preached all over the world. (billy graham) down inside most of us feel that something is missing in our lives. we try to fill it in all sorts of ways, but only god can fill it. (dr. john akers) he's often said, "although cultures are different "and people are different in various parts of the world "the needs of the human heart are the same." (franklin graham) you could see that there was a revolution that was going to come because the people were wanting to be free, free to worship god. (melving graham jr.) the streets were just lined with people.

people were standing on everything they could stand on, rooftops, everywhere, and my uncle simply held up the bible, just held up the bible. they would hang from the trees or sit on top of walls or peer through windows just to hear... will you put up your hand now [translation] and say, "tonight, i'd like to make that commitment." (dr. john akers) i remember standing on the platform with boxes of the material that would give to new believers and just simply throwing it out to the thousands of people that were gathered there. there was no other way. (viktor hamm) i was interpreting for dr. graham, and we walked into that stadium... it was packed. that will never be forgotten. (president george h. w. bush) the moral awakening that billy helped to ignite starting here in america ignited hope and kept its embers burning in faraway places, behind an iron curtain. no question, billy graham with other messengers

who carried forth the word tipped the balance in the cold war in freedom's favor. mr. gorbachev, tear down this wall! (billy graham) i don't care what ideologies arise in the future... the ultimate winner is going to be the kingdom of god. (announcer) coming up... billy graham's life impacted the meek and the powerful... (charles gibson) the presidents reached out to him because they wanted what he had. (announcer) but when the public figure faced his final years what were his private thoughts? i've been asked so many times lately do i fear death? some of my closest friends and relatives and especially my wife

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that he gave his son, his only son, to die upon a cross. god took your sins and your sins and your sins and my sins and laid them on christ. (toby mac) jesus was always shocking people with how far he was willing to go with his love, and i think that's what billy graham understood well. he loved well whether he agreed with people or not. (cliff barrows) he would never hesitate whether it was a single person or just a small group or whether it was a large group he was always ready to share his faith in christ. (narrator) he was also simply a good friend and confidante, a trait valued by both the helpless and powerful. (charles gibson) i think presidents reached out to him because they wanted what he had.

i think his relationship was a comforter, a role of advisor. none of us were in on those one-on-one sessions that he may have had with bill clinton when he was in trouble or with lyndon johnson when he despaired over the war, or with george bush when he was about to send kids to war. while we weren't in on those sessions it's obvious that all of those presidents said very openly, "i can take such comfort from talking to billy graham." (narrator) whether for a private meeting or a national celebration every u.s. president since world war ii has found occasion and reason to call on billy graham. we recognize on this historic occasion that we are a nation under god. this faith in god is our foundation and our heritage. (narrator) billy was known for his warm heart and listening ear,

but his first meeting with a president, harry truman, did not end very well. my father was invited to come to the white house with some of his friends. after about twenty or thirty minutes of conversation i asked him could we have prayer? and he said, "well, i guess it wouldn't do much harm." (william martin) when they came out reporters were talking to billy graham, "well, what did the president say?" well, billy didn't understand at the time that you weren't supposed to talk about what the president had said when you visited with him, so he was telling all that he said... "and then," he said, "we had prayer with the president," and so, "would re-enact that?" and so daddy and his friends got down on the lawn. and they were all down on one knee, and they looked like a gospel quartet, and that picture was on newspapers all over the country the next day, and it just infuriated truman. the president never invited him back to the white house. it was a high profile blunder. billy would not make the same mistake when future presidents sought his counsel.

he soon became a trusted presence in the whe hous and a friend to many commanders in chief. when the president has to commit forces, somebody's son, somebody's daughter into battle it's very traumatic. he can't blame someone else. you don't form a committee. the burden is the president's, and i just welcomed the comfort given to me by billy graham. he was there. he was at my side, and it meant a lot to me. billy graham, the man, the preacher, the humble farmer's son who helped change the world is a spiritual gift to all of us. (gigi graham) daddy never set out to have a role as the chaplain to the presidents, but i think that he accepted that role.

he was really interested in them as people, not necessarily as the president but as individuals. very few people will tell the president about spiritual things and religious things or have prayer with him, and i felt that this was a way that god used me. jesus christ was the son of god! (rev. billy kim) i want people to know about billy graham other than he walked with the presidents and kings, but i want people to know the genuine billy graham is characterized in two things, humility and love for the lost people. (billy graham) you come by simple child-like faith like a little child would come to his father. (diane sawyer) the main thing when you meet him in person is that he will not take the oxygen out of the room,

th he simply listens to you from the very minute you walk in. (president george w. bush) the person i knew was the person that while famous was a humble man, was easy to know. he was the kind of person that could read you pretty well and was able to absorb your anxieties, and he was a calming influence in many ways. (charles colson) one of my favorite stories about billy graham is out of the memphis prison. they set up almost like a stadium inside the big prison yard and brought in the people from all the surrounding prisons. but when it was over i went up and said, "billy, whenever i preach in the prisons "i always go into the segregation unit, "because those who are in isolation can't come out," and all the aides were trying to pull dr. graham away from the crowds, and he said, "no, i want to follow chuck." and so we went into the segregation unit,

walked through from cell to cell, and the only way you could talk to them was through a little hole where you passed food through in this cold, dank, prison, concrete floor, billy graham sat there and spent about ten minutes leading that man to christ. he took longer with that man on death row that day than he had taken almost to speak. (cliff barrows) he would be visitingheattlefields and oftentimes the hospitals, and i remember one time there was a soldier they'd brought in. he was in a stryker frame. he'd been severely injured on the battlefield, and the only way bill could see him was to get down on his back and slide under that hospital bed and look at him, and as the fellow looked and saw mr. graham on his back, and billy looking at him and saying, "god bless you,buddy, let me pray for you,"

the tears coming down the soldier's eyes falling on bill... (kay arthur) when i think of billy graham i think of that awesome man of god that did not compromise. (billy graham) jesus did make it plain, and the scripture does make it plain that he is the way to know god. what he has done is he has ignited so many others to take that gospel. you look at franklin. jesus christ is alive, and he's here tonight. you see him picking the baton up and carrying it. there's a host of others that have seen what happens when you don't compromise the word of god or the gospel of jesus christ. so, the legacy lives on.

(anne graham lotz) i've never been in country where my father's influence has not been felt, because there are evangelism preachers all around the world who follow his example. he's their role model. he's their mentor. he's their teacher. he's their pastor, and they've not even met him. (gigi graham) i know that he's been put on a pedestal, but he was not perfect, and he would have been horrified with anyone saying he was perfect... but he was faithful to the gospel of jesus christ. i've been asked so many times lately do i fear death? no, i look forward to death with great anticipation. i'm looking forward to seeing god face to face,

and that could happen any day. i've found during the latter years of my life when i've had sicknesses and been in the hospital and so forth, there's a peace that just resides there and stays there that i cannot explain. everybody could have that same peace if they received christ as their savior. i know i'm going to heaven because of what jesus did on that cross. when jesus came he didn't come to live or even to teach,

he came to die on a cross, and on that cross he bore our sins and shed his blood for us. we're all sinners. he calls us to repent of our sins and to come to him by faith. jesus said, "i'm the way, the truth, and the life. "no man cometh to the father but by me." the only way to the father, father god, is through his son, jesus christ. you come to jesus tonight, and let him control your life and forgive your sins and give you assurance if you died you'd go to heaven. it'll change your life. some of my closest friends and relatives and especially my wife are already in heaven, and because of the hope we have in jesus

we can all be in heaven someday forever, but first, there must be a decision here and now in this life. in am the 4th chapter it says, "prepare to meet your god." are you prepared? have you opened your heart to jesus? have you repented of your sins? i'm going to ask you to do that today. this may be the last opportunity you'll ever have. this is the moment. tonight, i want jesus in my heart. you don't have long. you'll be in eternity, and the decision you make tonight may decide where you'll be. do you know christ?

are you ready? i do not offer you a dead christ. i offer you a living savior. i offer you a living christ. he is alive at this moment, alive!

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>> rescue efforts are underway this evening in the city's east river. the helicopter has crashed in new york. this happened just after 7:00 p.m. eastern time. a spokesman for the mayor's office said at least two people were killed in the crash. at least two were killed, one other person was rescued. divers are still in the water. video shows the helicopter landing in the water and tipping over. it's a euro copter