This past weekend Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to speak at the Arcadia Stake Conference, and I was fortunate enough to see him both at the Saturday night adult session and the Sunday morning session where he called a new stake presidency. It was a powerful, moving experience. This is the same man who taught me about the "The Grandeur of God" in the fall of 2003 and who spoke of "Broken Things to Mend" this past April. (You can read the articles at www.lds.org). In countless speaches Elder Holland has touched me more than any other living person. I know that he is a true apostle of Jesus Christ.

Since there is so much that he said, I can't possibly write it all here. Instead I have chosen two things he said that I want to tell you all about. I took good notes and wrote furiously to capture every word I could, and so the quotes are accurate, with elipses marking words or phrases I missed.

On Sunday morning, he spoke of a miracle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is that Apostles like Elder Holland could come to places like Arcadia not knowing anybody in the area and then choose in a matter of days a person to replace the current Stake President. That could only happen, he says, through revelation. Revelation, and Elder Holland "do[es] not take that word lightly", happens all around us in this Church.

The real miracle, however, is that the old Stake President can leave "power" and hand the keys over to a new one with out disturbing the system. Now that is a miracle. Elder Holland challenged us to find any other organization where that could be true. Name any other organization where without election, without campaign, a leader can be "released" from responsibility and new one "called" and there be no problems. If you did that in Oracle, Elder Holland said, "there would be blood in the parking lot." If you did that with any other group, there would be picketing and recounting, but it happens without incident weekly in this Church. What a miracle.

Hearing that made me realize what a wonderful thing our lay ministry is. It is amazing that we can make a voluntary unpaid clergy support a world wide Church. The leaders don't seek leadership, and when they a new leader is called they step down cheerfully. The Bishop one week could be the Nursery teacher the next. That is amazing, and it is only the introduction to Elder's Holland's Sunday address.

On Saturday, his speach was more intimate and more personal. He spoke on the power of one, the significance of individuals no matter how unknown. And he spoke of the 96 year old Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. Of President Hinckley, he said, "He is a sick and tired man, and we weep to see his courage ... he comes to work every day, and he comes early and stays late ... and we pray for him ... I love President Hinckley ... I have seen him weep. I have seen him sob ... about ... the members of this church. He prays for them, and then he sobs ... The Lord is going to have to take President Hinckley, he is not going voluntarily."

Elder Hinckley went into more detail, describing the loss of his wife, and how he comes home each night and picks out which can of soup he is going to eat and then cries over his wife. He longs to be reunited with her, but he will not until he has fulfilled his work here. I want you to know that I know President Hinckley is a prophet of God. A prophet- and I do not take that word lightly.

I also know that Elder Holland is a prophet. I have heard his prophet words and blessings. I have seen him respond to revelation. I bear testimony of the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.