The Life of Elder David A. Bednar

By: Liz Anderson, Kortney Barnes, Torie Lee & Michelle Neville

Background History

Date of birth/ current age: Born on June 15, 1952. He turned 60 this month.

Place of birth: Oakland, CA.

Education: BYU with a BA in communication in 1976, MA in organizational communication in 1977 also from BYU, then a Doctorate in organizational behavior in 1980 from Purdue.

Family: He married Susan Kae Robinson in the Salt Lake City Temple on March 29, 1975. They have three sons and have been married for 37 years.

Career

Occupationally: From 1980-1984 he was an assistant professor of management in the Sam M Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. He then became an assistant professor of management at Texas Tech University from 1984 to 1986. He then returned to Arkansas where he became the associate dean for graduate studies in the Sam M Walton College of Business from 1987 to 1992. In 1994 he received the Burlington Northern Foundation Award for excellence in teaching. He then became the president of Ricks College from 1997 to 2004 where he oversaw and managed the transition to a four year university. He also published several books.

Apostleship and Church Callings

Apostle: He was sustained as a member of the Twelve on October 2, 2004 (he was the youngest man to be named to the Twelve since Dallin H Oaks in 1984), and then was ordained as an Apostle on October 7, 2004 by President Gordon B Hinckley. He is currently the youngest member of the Quorum.

Callings: Bishop, Twice as a Stake President, and an Area Seventy

Mission: Served a full time mission in southern Germany

Hobbies and Interests

In high school, Elder Bednar was the quarterback on the football team.

He enjoys sports and is a particular fan of the Razorbacks basketball team at the University of Arkansas.

He enjoys writing and has authored many articles and books.

Holding up our Faith

“I went into Primary one Sunday,” he says. “They had invited me. I decided to wear red suspenders. I thought that I would somehow use them as an object lesson. So I got in the Primary room, took off my coat, and said, ‘Now, boys and girls, the bishop has these red suspenders. How are the scriptures like my red suspenders?’ And one little boy raised his hand and said, ‘The scriptures hold up our faith in Jesus the same way your suspenders hold up your pants.’ I said, ‘That is exactly right.’ The little boys in the ward started wearing red suspenders, and the little girls had red bows in their hair.” –Elder David A. Bednar

The story of the Red Suspenders

The Bednar Family Shares

Sister Bednar says of her husband: “People who know him well would say that he’s tough but tender. He’s competent and compassionate. He’s driven yet discerning. He’s faithful and fearless. He has a great capacity to lead and the wisdom to follow.”

Jeffrey, the youngest, says, “Since I was little, Dad taught me to set goals and exercise faith.” Jeff also says: “I want people to know that he is an ordinary man who can do extraordinary things because of the strength of the Lord. He is a living witness of the enabling power of the Atonement.”

Michael says: “It seems that faith has driven out fear in my dad. He is always optimistic. No matter what goes wrong, he always says, ‘Things will work out.’ When it was hard for me during my mission, he told me to work hard and success would come. And he told me when the success came to remember that God gave it and that I did not earn it.”

“Watching With All Perseverance”Elder Bednar’s Witness to Parents of the Book of

Mormon

Meaningful Teachings

During General Conference of October 2009, I took careful notes of Elder Bednar’s talk on, “More Diligent and Concerned at Home.” Noticing the attacks that family face Elder Bednar gave three suggestions for us to follow to have Christ-centered home. Number 3 was being consistent. I loved the example that he gave of his own family while trying to have scripture study.

“Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.”

The example that Elder Bednar gave actually reminds me a lot of my family growing up and the struggles to keep the routine of trying as a family to have spiritual experiences. Just like the painting above one brush stroke can seek unimportant but with many brush strokes makes the beautiful picture. I know raising the future generation will not be easy, but it will be worth it by being consistent.

Shared by Michelle Neville:

Meaningful Teachings Continued

For the 2008 General Conferences, Elder Bednar gave a two part talk about prayer. This was very meaningful because it allowed us to realize that the teachings are ongoing, that the things we were taught by Elder Bednar in the April conference needed to be implemented and could be strengthened by the teachings of the October conference. These two talks were about meaningful prayer. In his April talk entitled “Ask In Faith” he taught us that simply saying our prayers is a very different thing from engaging in meaningful prayer; he then reviewed three examples of asking in faith in meaningful prayer: ask in faith and act, after the trial of our faith, and not my will, but thine, be done. He stated “prayer is a privilege and the soul’s sincere desire.” In October, his talk was entitled “Pray Always”, he began by saying that he wanted to further discuss three additional principles that can help our prayers be more meaningful. The fact that his talks within the last year were on the same subject shows how in tune with the spirit he is, and should strike us as something important the Lord needed us to hear. He again reviewed three examples of meaningful prayer: prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our doings, prayer becomes more meaningful as we express heartfelt gratitude, and prayer becomes more meaningful as we pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart. Elder Bednar testified of the power of meaningful prayer, and with love he told us that as we counsel with the Lord in all our doings that we will be lifted up at the last day. –Torie Lee

Personal Experiences

When I think of Elder Bednar I am amazed of his boldness to lay out the gospel as it is. He has been a great example to me in living the gospel through his teachings and examples. One of the General Conference talks that really impressed me was the talk he gave in October 2006 as a new apostle “And Nothing Shall Offend Them.” I remember first hearing about the talk from my family over the dinner table and how powerful it was; so later I read the talk. It was powerful to read the talk and know this Apostle was not afraid to let church members know what they are missing because they were offended. Elder Bednar said: “Let me make sure I understand what has happened to you. Because someone at church offended you, you have not been blessed by the ordinance of the sacrament. You have withdrawn yourself from the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Because someone at church offended you, you have cut yourself off from priesthood ordinances and the holy temple. You have discontinued your opportunity to serve others and to learn and grow. And you are leaving barriers that will impede the spiritual progress of your children, your children’s children, and the generations that will follow.” Many times people would think for a moment and then respond: “I have never thought about it that way.” During this talk I have learned that I can choose to be offended instead of reacting to others. It has helped me to have a strong determination to stay active and help my family keep to the standards of the Gospel. -Michelle Neville

Lessons Learned

"There are some things that are nice. There are a few things that are absolutely necessary," Elder Bednar said of career accomplishments being lower in priority to family.

And that was never more obvious than when he was serving as a stake president in Arkansas. During one priesthood leadership meeting held on a Saturday, he felt prompted to invite an elders quorum president to go to a championship basketball game in which both had sons playing on opposing teams. A few months later, the other man's son was killed in an accident. At the hospital, the other man hugged Elder Bednar and, in tears, said, "I am so glad that we were able to go to that basketball game.“

This story just shows how in tune with the Spirit Elder Bednar is. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have been able to feel prompted to help that man. We can follow his example of being in tune with the spirit by keeping the commandments and keeping our thoughts and actions pure so that the Spirit CAN stay with us. –Kortney Barnes

Works Cited

http://www.lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/what-are-prophets/bio/david-a-bednar?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2005/03/elder-david-a-bednar-going-forward-in-the-strength-of-the-lord?lang=eng&query=%22in+the+strength+of+the+lord%22

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/watching-with-all-perseverance?lang=eng&query=watching+with+all+perseverance

David A. Bednar, "More Diligent and Concerned at Home, " Ensign Nov. 2011

David A. Bednar, "Nothing Shall Offen Them," Ensign Nov. 2006

http://www.gapages.com/bednada1.htm http://www.lds.org/church/leader/david-a-bednar http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/ask-in-

faith?lang=eng&query=*+(name%3a%22David+A.+Bednar%22)

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/pray-always?lang=eng&query=*+(name%3a%22David+A.+Bednar%22)