His non-church employment came as a result of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He applied for officer training at the naval recruiting office but was rejected because of a history of allergies. So, to contribute to the war effort, he worked as the assistant superintendent of the Salt Lake Union Depot and Railway Co. Later he became assistant manager of mail and express traffic for the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. He was also president and director of a local company, Recording Arts Inc. He returned to church employment in 1944, following a visit with Elder Stephen L. Richards.

A humble man, President Hinckley often struggled with feelings of inadequacy.

"I look back at myself as a shy and bashful boy — freckle-faced and awkward," he once told a Church News reporter.

When he was called as an assistant to the Twelve in 1958, he said in a conference address, "Humbly I seek the blessings of the Lord. I am overwhelmed with a sense of inadequacy."

When appointed to the Quorum of the Twelve in 1961, he said, "I am subdued by the confidence of the Lord's prophet in me and by the expressed love of these, my brethren, beside whom I feel as a pygmy."

But President Hinckley found strength in this philosophy: "I believe that simple faith coupled with prayer and effort, even though our talents may be meager and our opportunities limited, will yield rewarding results."

In 1981, President Hinckley was called to serve as a counselor in the First Presidency. During that time, he assumed the bulk of the First Presidency's responsibilities, since all three members of that presidency were experiencing poor health. In November 1982, he became second counselor to President Spencer W. Kimball after the death of President N. Eldon Tanner, who had been the first counselor. He subsequently was called as first counselor to President Ezra Taft Benson and President Howard W. Hunter, before being sustained as president of the church in 1995.