In 1930, Lee was called as president of the LDS Church's Pioneer Stake in Salt Lake City.
He became the youngest stake president in the church, at that time, when he was set apart.
The 1929 Great Depression in the United States left more than half of its members without jobs.
He established a welfare program to aid members in distress that became a model emulated by the entire LDS Church.
As part of the program, he helped organize the Pioneer Stake bishop's storehouse in 1932.
The storehouse provided members with basic food necessities.
Bishop's storehouses remain part of the church's welfare program today.
In 1936, Lee became managing director of the Church Welfare Program.
Although he also pursued a political career, he began full-time church service when he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1941.

Lee served on a committee to streamline church organization and functions.
For two decades Lee studied the subject and prepared proposals.
 Lee was the chairman of the Priesthood Correlation Committee under LDS Church president David O. McKay.
The committee restructured church organization in the 1960s, including labeling the children's and women's organizations as auxiliary to the priesthood organization.

According to some historians, Hugh B. Brown petitioned McKay to rescind the policy of excluding people of African ancestry from the priesthood.
However, McKay had not felt spiritual impressions that the time was right to do so.
Historians observe that Brown continued to seek to reverse the ban "administratively", but Lee was among those who noted that it was a matter of God making his will known through revelation.
In December 1969, Lee initiated a release to church leaders, signed by Brown and N. Eldon Tanner, both serving as counselors in the First Presidency, a statement that supported equal opportunities for civil rights, and that indicated priesthood policy would not change until God revealed it through revelation.

When McKay died in 1970, Joseph Fielding Smith became church president and Lee was called as First Counselor in the First Presidency.
He continued to gain practical experience for what was expected to be a long presidency of his own, given the fact that he was twenty-four years younger than Smith.
 In 1972, Smith died and Lee became the church's president.
 Later that year, he organized the Jerusalem Branch and presided over the church's second area conference, held in Mexico.
In 1930, Lee was called as president of the LDS Church's Pioneer Stake in Salt Lake City. He became the youngest stake president in the church, at that time, when he was set apart. The 1929 Great Depression in the United States left more than half of its members without jobs. He established a welfare program to aid members in distress that became a model emulated by the entire LDS Church. As part of the program, he helped organize the Pioneer Stake bishop's storehouse in 1932. The storehouse provided members with basic food necessities. Bishop's storehouses remain part of the church's welfare program today. In 1936, Lee became managing director of the Church Welfare Program. Although he also pursued a political career, he began full-time church service when he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1941.
Lee served on a committee to streamline church organization and functions. For two decades Lee studied the subject and prepared proposals.  Lee was the chairman of the Priesthood Correlation Committee under LDS Church president David O. McKay. The committee restructured church organization in the 1960s, including labeling the children's and women's organizations as auxiliary to the priesthood organization.
According to some historians, Hugh B. Brown petitioned McKay to rescind the policy of excluding people of African ancestry from the priesthood. However, McKay had not felt spiritual impressions that the time was right to do so. Historians observe that Brown continued to seek to reverse the ban "administratively", but Lee was among those who noted that it was a matter of God making his will known through revelation. In December 1969, Lee initiated a release to church leaders, signed by Brown and N. Eldon Tanner, both serving as counselors in the First Presidency, a statement that supported equal opportunities for civil rights, and that indicated priesthood policy would not change until God revealed it through revelation.
When McKay died in 1970, Joseph Fielding Smith became church president and Lee was called as First Counselor in the First Presidency. He continued to gain practical experience for what was expected to be a long presidency of his own, given the fact that he was twenty-four years younger than Smith.  In 1972, Smith died and Lee became the church's president.  Later that year, he organized the Jerusalem Branch and presided over the church's second area conference, held in Mexico.
Harold B. Lee