"This is the miracle of Church councils: listening to each other and listening to the Spirit! When we support one another in Church councils, we begin to understand how God can take ordinary men and women and make of them extraordinary leaders. The best leaders are not those who work themselves to death trying to do everything single-handedly; the best leaders are those who follow God's plan and counsel with their councils."

(M. Russell Ballard, "Counseling with Our Councils," Ensign, May 1994, 26)

"I watched the raising of your hands when President Monson was presenting the sustaining of the General Authorities of the Church, but particularly our prophet, and as I watched those hands and the enthusiasm with which you raised them, I thought, 'Here we are with all the blessings we have and the comfort that we have,' and I thought of some other such events that took place in the history of the Church. "In my mind's eye, I thought of the gatherings of our own family, which is scattered across America--in Georgia; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Pennsylvania; Texas; California; and here in Salt Lake City. Of those little families in whatever the setting might be, there in their home or in the chapel, I thought I could see some of those little ones being taught to raise their hands and to be in harmony, perhaps their parents teaching them what we were doing. When we raised our hands, we not only just did it in motion because it looks like everybody's doing it, but because we accept and we're bearing witness about the knowledge we have and the testimony we have that President Hinckley is our prophet and our leader. We not only raise our hands in saying we sustain but that we follow his direction, that we listen, that we counsel, that we pray about it, that we're mindful of what comes from the lips of the prophet."

(David B. Haight, "Sustaining the Prophets," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 35-36)