“Sunday Sermon”
Moses instructed Joshua, his military commander, to prepare the Israelites for battle against Amalek and his people. While Joshua fought in the plains, Moses oversaw the battle from a hill top. “I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.”
Aaron and Hur accompanied Moses. Whenever Moses raised the rod, “Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”
As the battle raged, Moses became weary with fatigue. His legs became weak. His arms grew heavier and heavier. He could no longer hold up the rod of God.
Aaron and Hur quickly intervened. They rolled a large stone to where Moses was struggling to stand. They put the stone under Moses and had him sit down.
Then, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses, one on the left and one on the right. They each took an arm and held it up so Moses could raise the rod of God. “His hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”
Because of Aaron and Hur, the Israelites were victorious. (Ex. 17:8-13)
This story is a fitting analogy of the role of counselors in the church. There are twice as many counselors in the church as there are presidents. Counselors are crucial to success.
The president of a church organization is often the “show horse,” the one out in front in the limelight. Counselors are often the “work horses” behind the scenes.
Counselors are indispensable. They are advisors. They are sounding boards. They provide a listening ear. They handle difficult assignments and hard tasks. They prevent the president from doing something rash or going off in the wrong direction.
The role of president is a very heavy one. As with Moses, sometimes the awesome responsibilities are overwhelming. Like Aaron and Hur, counselors “lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” of the president. (D&C 81:5)
(See: Gordon B. Hinckley, “In Counsellors There is Safety,” Gen. Conf. Oct. 1990)
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