New bishopric at church.

Another seamless transition. Former bishop had been serving for five and a half years. One of his counselors is the new bishop. The other counselor is released to sit with wife and kids during sacrament meeting. The new bishop's counselors are great guys. It was easy to raise my hand to sustain them.

Some of you may not know that we do not have a paid ministry in the church. Just as I was called out of the congregation to serve as Relief Society president when I lived in Fort Worth, all teachers and leadership are called by inspiration and serve until the Lord has somebody else in mind to serve in that calling. The only compensation any of us receive is the love, faith, prayers, patience, and cooperation of our brothers and sisters in the congregation.

There isn't money enough in the world to pay someone to serve as bishop, stake president, RS president, or in my case, Primary worker. Sometimes we struggle to understand why we have a particular calling or how best to serve in that calling. Sometimes we may wonder why someone is serving in a particular calling, especially if they are breaking hearts rather than healing them.

I've had bishops who were obviously inspired when it came to me and mine. I've never had one I felt was just phoning it in. I've certainly had one or two who stepped on my pride. (You'll notice that I'm still here, in the church.) I've had a couple who exercised tough love with our family, and I bless their names.

With almost every calling comes an eventual release. The prophet would be one exception. The stake patriarchs would be another. These good brothers will juggle heavy church responsibilities with employment and family life. They will be stretched and shaped by the hand of God. Their lives will never be the same. And they, and we, will be all the better for it.