Pres. Hinckley dedicated his life to church

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.