Seamless Transition

The bishop of our ward was released today and a new bishopric was called. The previous bishop is moving out of state, hence the change. Sacrament meeting was especially meaningful for me, as a member of the congregation, to see this transition take place. During the meeting, one of the members of the stake presidency related a conversation he had with a friend of another faith. This friend was quite shocked to learn that during such a leadership change, there is neither jockeying for position nor resistance by the congregation to adapt to new leadership.
I consider it one of the great miracles in the gospel of Jesus Christ that each member may, individually and personally, receive a witness by the power of the Holy Ghost that such a change is inspired.
Personal revelation is one of my favorite principles of the gospel, and I testify that in our meeting today, I felt and knew for myself that the new bishop had indeed been called of God. I know very little about this new bishop; in fact, we have never once had a conversation, but by the Spirit I felt a personal ratification of his call, and could, in all sincerity sustain him as the man the Lord had chosen. What a miracle! What a blessing! And so the work of the Lord goes forward in a similar manner all over the world.
As the stake president gave his closing remarks on the meeting, he taught a beautiful principle. He taught that only as we sustained this new bishopric could his time of service be truly meaningful. He needs our prayers just as much as we need his inspired leadership. The two work in tangent with one another, and neither our success as a ward, nor his success as bishop can be separated.