Doctrine and Covenants 81:1

President Harold B. Lee:

“As I thought of the role of President Tanner and myself as [President Joseph Fielding Smith’s] counselors, I thought of a circumstance in the life of Moses, when the enemies of the church in that day were just as they are in this day. They were threatening to overcome and tear down and to stop the work of the church. As Moses sat upon a hill and raised the rod of his authority, or the keys of his priesthood, Israel prevailed over their enemies; but as the day wore on, his hands became heavy and began to droop at his side.

“And so [Aaron and Hur] held up his hands so they would not be weakened and the rod would not be lowered. He would be sustained so that the enemies of the church would not prevail over the saints of the Most High God. (See Exod. 17:8–12.)

“I think that is the role that President Tanner and I have to fulfill. The hands of President Smith may grow weary. They may tend to droop at times because of his heavy responsibilities; but as we uphold his hands, and as we lead under his direction, by his side, the gates of hell will not prevail against you and against Israel” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 153).

In the April 1994 general conference of the Church, President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was then serving as First Counselor in the First Presidency, acknowledged that President Ezra Taft Benson, the President of the Church at the time, was “suffer[ing] seriously from the effects of age and illness and [had] been unable to fulfill important duties of his sacred office.” Then President Hinckley explained:

“When the President is ill or not able to function fully in all of the duties of his office, his two Counselors together comprise a Quorum of the First Presidency. They carry on with the day-to-day work of the Presidency. In exceptional circumstances, when only one may be able to function, he may act in the authority of the office of the Presidency as set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 102, verses 10–11” (“God Is at the Helm,”Ensign, May 1994, 54).

Doctrine and Covenants 81:1–2

Handbook 2:

“Jesus Christ holds all the keys of the priesthood pertaining to His Church. He has conferred upon each of His Apostles all the keys that pertain to the kingdom of God on earth. The senior living Apostle, the President of the Church, is the only person on earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys” (Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 2.1.1).

Doctrine and Covenants 81:3

President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“[A counselor] is an assistant to his president. …

“As an assistant, the counselor is not the president. He does not assume responsibility and move out ahead of his president.

“In presidency meetings, each counselor is free to speak his mind on all issues that come before the presidency. However, it is the prerogative of the president to make the decision, and it is the duty of the counselors to back him in that decision. His decision then becomes their decision, regardless of their previous ideas” (“In … Counsellors There Is Safety,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 49).

Doctrine and Covenants 81:5

Elder Marvin J. Ashton:

“In Doctrine and Covenants 81:5, the verse might be interpreted as the Lord’s urging Frederick G. Williams to provide strength to the weak (‘succor the weak’), provide encouragement to those who are exhausted or discouraged (‘lift up the hands which hang down’), and to give courage and strength to those with feeble knees and fearful hearts” (“Strengthen the Feeble Knees,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 70).