The members' faith in the Brethren as living Apostles and prophets not only provides the needed direction but also clearly sustains those leaders in their arduous chores. There is more to it than this, however. Sustaining them also means that we realize those select men are conscious of their own imperfections; each is even grateful that the other Brethren have strengths and talents he may not have. The gratitude of the Brethren for being so sustained thus includes appreciation for members' willingness to overlook the imperfections of the overseers. The faithful realize the Apostles are working out their salvation, too, including the further development of the Christlike virtues. Serious discipleship requires us all to be "on the way to perfection" rather than thinking we are already in the arrival lounge.

Lorenzo Snow said of the Prophet Joseph Smith's minor imperfections that he marveled how the Lord could use him, anyway, even with those imperfections. This gave Lorenzo Snow hope that the Lord might be able to use him, too, even with his imperfections.

However, even with the awareness of the imperfections in each other, we should not let our own weaknesses go unchallenged or unremoved, even though we need time and long-suffering in which to eliminate these weaknesses or to make them into strengths.