>>> REVEREND BILLY GRAHAM, AN ICONIC AND BELOVED EVANGELIST
HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 99.
NBCS RON MOTT LOOKS BACK AT HIS
REMARKABLE LIFE.
>> GOOD IS SAYING TONIGHT, I LOVE YOU.S SAYING TONIGHT, I
LOVE YOU. NO MATTER WHAT YOUVE DONE, HOW
BAD YOUVE BEEN, I LOVE YOU. >> Reporter: AS A MODEL OF.
>> Reporter: AS A MODEL OF FAITH, FEW REACHED BILLY GRAHAM.
>> THERES A WAY OUT.
>> Reporter: THROUGHOUT HIS
LIFE, GRAHAM PREACHED LIVE TO
210 MILLION PEOPLE IN 185
COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES. >> THERES ONLY ONE ROAD TO
HEAVEN.
HEAVEN.
>> Reporter: HE WAS CALLED THE ELVIS OF EVANGELISM TO THE THE
ELVIS OF EVANGELISM TO THE GENERAL MOTORS OF CHRISTIANITY.
BORN IN THE FINAL DAYS OF WORLD
WAR I, HE WAS RAISED DURING THE
DEPRESSION ON HIS FAMILYS NORTH
CAROLINA DAIRY FARM.
HE WAS A SELLER OF BRUSHES, ONE
OF THE BEST THE FULLER BRUSH
COMPANY HAD EVER SEEN.
>> UNTIL HE FINDS GOD.
>> Reporter: BUT GOD WOULD
BECOME HIS GREATEST PITCH.
>> MAN HAS A WILL OF HIS OWN.
>> Reporter: ORDAINED IN 1939,
HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
EVANGELISTS TO TEMPER FIRE AND BRIMSTONE WITH NEW-AGEFIRE AND
BRIMSTONE WITH NEW-AGE TOLERANCE.
TOLERANCE.
>> DONT SAY ITS A WHITE MANS RELIGION.AY ITS A WHITE MANS
RELIGION. ITS A WORLD RELIGION.
>> Reporter: HE EMBRACED ANOTHER
REVELATION, MASS MEDIA.
FIRST ON RADIO AND THEN
TELEVISION.
TELEVISION.
>> THE GIFT OF GOD. >> Reporter: GRAHAM ELEVATED
SPIRITUAL REVIVALS FROM PARKING
LOT TENTS TO SATELLITE-BEAMED
CRUSADES.
CRUSADES.
HIS INFLUENCE STRETCHED FROM THE SINFUL TO THE POWERFUL. FROM THE
SINFUL TO THE POWERFUL. ADVISING 12 PRESIDENTS,
INCLUDING A VISIT WITH PRESIDENT
OBAMA IN 2010.
>> I LOVE THEM ALL, REGARDLESS
OF POLITICS.
OF POLITICS. >> Reporter: GEORGE W. BUSH
DUBBED HIM AMERICAS PREACHER.
IN 1996 GRAHAM WAS GIVEN THE
HIGHEST HONOR CONGRESS CAN
BESTOW A CIVILIAN, THE
CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
>> WE ARE A SOCIETY POISED ON
THE BRINK OF SELF-DESTRUCTION.
>> Reporter: BILLY GRAHAM
CONTINUED REACHING AND PREACHING
TO THE MASSES WELL INTO HIS 80s.
IN 2005, HE HELD WHAT WAS BILLED
THE FINAL AMERICAN CRUSADE.
AND WEAKENED BY PARKINSONS AND CANCER, HIS MESSAGE WASONS AND
CANCER, HIS MESSAGE WAS UNCHANGED.
UNCHANGED.
>> DEEP INSIDE WE NEED SOMETHING ELSE.EP INSIDE WE NEED SOMETHING
ELSE.
AND THAT SOMETHING ELSE CAN BE BROUGHT ABOUT BY JESUS. CAN BE
BROUGHT ABOUT BY JESUS. >> Reporter: IN NOVEMBER OF
2013, REVEREND GRAHAM CELEBRATED
HIS 95th BIRTHDAY AND RELEASED A
VIDEO DESCRIBED AS HIS FINAL
SERMON.
SERMON.
>> THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER, FATHER GOD, IS THROUGH HIS SON,
JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST.
>> Reporter: AT HIS SIDE FOR SIX
DECADES OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL WAS RUTH, HIS WIFE OF 60 YEARS.
>> TODAY, I WANT TO HONOR HER
AND TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE HER
AND TELL YOU WHAT A WONDERFUL
WOMAN SHE HAS BEEN.
>> Reporter: BUT IN JUNE 2007,
THE WOMAN BILLY CALLED HIS LIFE
PARTNER, DIED.
PARTNER, DIED. >> IM GOING TO ASK --
>> Reporter: EVEN AFTER HER
DEATH, THROUGH HIS WORDS AND HIS
MINISTRY, GUAM CARRAHAM CARRIED
OFFERING MILLIONS A CHANCE FOR
NEW LIFE.
NEW LIFE.
ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS BELIEVE.
>> REMEMBER THAT GOODD LOVES YOU
>> Reporter: RON MOTT, NBC NEWS, NEW YORK.er: RON MOTT, NBC NEWS,
NEW YORK.
>> MUCH MORE ON NBC AND NBCNEWS.COM. ON NBC AND
NBCNEWS.COM.
AND TONIGHT ON "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS."NIGHT ON "NBC NIGHTLY