Elder David A. Bednar - November 12, 2020
Elder David A. Bednar: Sisters and elders, we are so delighted to be able to participate with you in this worldwide devotional. Sister Bednar and I love you, and we appreciate your valiant and dedicated service. We pray for you every morning and every night. And I’m delighted to bring to you the love, the blessings, and the greetings of President Nelson, President Oaks, President Eyring, and of all of my associates in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We love you, and we pray for you.
Now the format for what we’ll do today is perhaps a little different than you may have experienced in other such devotionals. You may be viewing this in a variety of different locations. But perhaps the best place is in your apartment or wherever you live. If you had a chance to be at a table, as Susan and I are, and to have your scriptures close at hand—we’re not going to deliver prepared messages today. We want to talk about a topic and dig into the scriptures and to do that with you.
So, if you’ll get your scriptures, take just a moment to get prepared. You want to have some paper and a pencil or a pen to be able to write, or to take notes on your digital device.
But we’d give you this recommendation: please don’t write down what we say. Our objective today is to hear much more than Susan and I will say. It’s to be taught individually, personally, and powerfully by the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the ultimate teacher. And as we all act together, think of being all over the earth, but simultaneously we will be exercising our faith and acting in faith, thereby inviting the Holy Ghost to teach us personally and privately. So with your recording of what takes place today, make that what you’re learning from the Holy Ghost, not the things that Susan and I might say.
As we’ve prepared for today, we thought it would be instructive for all of us to focus on patterns of revelation. Sometimes we may think that there’s a single way that God sends messages to His children here upon the earth. There are multiple ways. And they’re not methods. They’re not means, but they’re patterns. We learn in the Doctrine and Covenants that the Lord will give to us a pattern in all things. So there are multiple patterns of revelation. And that’s the primary focus of our discussion together today.
We are all sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. When we attempt to communicate with Him, we call that prayer. And when He communicates with us, we call that revelation or inspiration. Now, one of the patterns of revelation that is often missed is what I would call not knowing beforehand. Sometimes we seem to think that, “I have to receive a revelation. I have to know that it’s revelation, and then I can go and do the things that have been revealed to me.” But I’m sure you’ve had the experience of not knowing exactly where to go, what to do, and finding out after the fact that you had been guided and directed all during an episode, but you had no idea that that was taking place.
I want to have Sister Bednar describe an experience that we had in the Philippines. And then we’ll focus on that for a few minutes and dig into the scriptures. Please.
Sister Susan Bednar: You know, revelation is always at work when we work together, because we’re not scripted. And I’m praying for the Holy Ghost to be with me so that I can tell a little bit about this experience so that it will make sense to you. Let me back up before the Philippines, just for a couple of minutes, to set the stage.
My husband always has a conference talk rolling around in his mind. And it’s truly amazing to watch these come forth as he thinks, as he studies, as he prays. And then often he will kind of talk about what’s in his mind and in his heart if we’re at a stake conference or perhaps in our ward. So he’d been thinking about “called to serve and assigned to labor” as missionaries. And he was speaking to our ward about this. And afterwards a man came up to him, and it was amazing what this man said.
With tears in his eyes, he said, “I just want you to know, Elder Bednar, that for 30 years I’ve been struggling, because I was assigned to go somewhere on my mission. But because of a health challenge, I had to come home. And I finished my service in another place in the United States.” And he said, “Your talk about ‘called to the work’ just took a burden and a load off of me that has been remarkable. And I’m so grateful that you were inspired to talk about this today in our sacrament meeting.”
Well, this started you thinking about this talk. And it wasn’t given until April, but in February of that year, we went to the Philippines. And we were flying back from the southern part of the Philippines, back into Manila. And if you’ve ever been to Manila, it is a huge, huge city. The traffic is terrible. I’ve never been in a place where the traffic is more congested and it takes longer to get around. Well, what was interesting to me is, that day, we made record time. Do you remember that?
Elder Bednar: I do.
Sister Bednar: We made record time from the airport to the area office area where they have an MTC, and a chapel, and a big auditorium. And we were going to do an all-member broadcast that night. So, we got there early, and we went into the area where we were going to do this broadcast. And we checked out the surroundings and where we’d be seated, and kind of went through the format of what we were going to do.
And when we finished, the area president said, “We still have some time. Would you like to meet with the missionaries at the MTC?” So we said, “Well, of course.”
So there was kind of an impromptu meeting of the missionaries at the MTC. And as Elder Bednar was there, he was talking about “called to serve and assigned to labor” to these missionaries.
And I thought, “This is kind of a strange thing to talk about.” Missionaries—they have their assignment, they just received their calls, they’re here in the MTC working. And it just seemed like a kind of a weird thing to be talking about.
Elder Bednar: Especially since we only had about 10 minutes to be with the missionaries. And if I only had 10 minutes, that wouldn’t seem to be the highest priority thing to talk to them about.
Sister Bednar: And that’s true.
And after the meeting, I said, “That was an interesting thing to talk about.”
And you said, “Well, I don’t know why I talked about it. I had no idea where that was coming from or why I was talking about that.” And you said, “It seemed kind of interesting to me too.”
And as we were walking out of the MTC to go to this auditorium, where we were going to have that all-countrywide broadcast, the MTC president grabbed you. And he said, “Can you come back in here to this room with me?” He said, “I have to tell you what happened.”
And when you walked back into the room, there was a young sister there who had been terribly troubled because her assignment had been to Peru, and then changed to the Philippines. And she was just burdened down with questions, with kind of, I don’t know, just a worry that she wasn’t going to be able to fulfill the mission that she’d been assigned to do in the place where she had assigned to do it. And you, in a one-by-one way, not knowing beforehand, addressed her fears, her worries, and the things that were troubling her, which I thought was remarkable. You didn’t know beforehand that she was there.
Elder Bednar: So, what do you think about this principle? Not knowing beforehand. How does that impact us in our individual spiritual lives? And specifically, how does it help a missionary to understand that principle of not knowing beforehand?
Sister Bednar: Well, I think if we’re being good, if we’re being obedient, [if] we’re asking and praying for the Lord’s help, then we can know that wherever we go and whatever we do, that we’re on His errand, that we’ve been called to teach, we’ve been called to testify, and He will bless us and open doors for us that we don’t know or understand. And a lot of times, you have experiences where you know immediately that you were guided beforehand. But that’s not always the case.
Elder Bednar: So I just need to be like Nephi. I will go, I will do, but I didn’t necessarily know in advance the things that I was to do.
Sister Bednar: Right. But Nephi said, “I will go . . . I will do . . . for I know.”1 He had faith that even though things didn’t work out for him the first few times, that he’d have heavenly help.
Elder Bednar: So, how has this principle helped you?
Sister Bednar: Well, I was just thinking about Elder Nash’s introduction that he gave. That he had watched me do something in Guinea. And we were in a hotel ballroom with quite a few people, members and nonmembers. And I just remember sitting there thinking, “I don’t really know what to say to these people.” And I was praying in my heart that I’d know what to do. And I got up, and I opened my mouth. And I remember teaching these children about the song, “I Am a Child of God,” and I explained to the people that were there investigating that we are all children of God. And I had taken French at BYU a very, very long time ago. And I could remember just enough to ask these children their names. And I just said, [SPEAKING FRENCH].
I gave each of them the microphone. I had them come up in front of the audience, and I had them each tell their names. And they loved being up front for one thing, but it brought a sense of settledness and a spiritual—
Elder Bednar: Power.
Sister Bednar: —power to the meeting that was amazing. And afterwards, as Elder Nash said, I had some little girls that came up. And I was drawing pictures on a sketch pad while you were talking to some of these other members. And they got up in my lap and gave me hugs. They were just beautiful children. And they had never seen a white person before. So they kept rubbing on my cheek to see if they could rub off the white that was on my face.
And I just loved being guided by the Spirit. And I didn’t know beforehand exactly what I was going to do in that meeting, but I recognized through the power of the Holy Ghost what I was to do. And then afterwards, that it helped me make a connection with the investigators and the people that were there.
Elder Bednar: Do you think you could have preplanned something that would have been as effective?
Sister Bednar: Well, if I had preplanned it, I probably would have felt better and more confident. But sometimes when you just let go, that’s when the Lord is able to work with you and help you the most.
Elder Bednar: Sometimes members of the Church, and missionaries in particular, will think, “Well, I don’t have to do anything. I’ll just be in the moment, and I’ll be inspired, and everything will be fine.” It takes inordinate work. You have to prepare; you have to plan. It’s not that you don’t plan, it’s that you’re willing to let go of whatever you had preplanned if that’s what the Holy Ghost guides you to do.
So please don’t make the mistake and think, “Well, I’ll just wing it.” Winging it is lazy. Winging it disqualifies you from having the companionship of the Holy Ghost when you’re teaching and testifying. So it does take an extraordinary work, and simultaneously the faith to let go and let the Holy Ghost direct how your work and preparation enables you to bless someone, to be an instrument in God’s hand in the very moment.
Sister Bednar: And this is a little bit off the subject. But can we back up? And I want to ask you a question: how you felt when the MTC president in the Philippines came out and got you, and you went back in to meet with that sister missionary.
Elder Bednar: Well—
Sister Bednar: Cause you had an extraordinary experience that I think you should share.
Elder Bednar: If you recall, when you and I looked at each other as we were leaving the stand, I said, “I have no idea where that was going.” And so it seemed pretty unusual. And I thought, “I don’t know if that was just me, because that’s something I’ve been thinking about.” And you don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it, but it just seemed very unusual. It was so reaffirming and so helpful to find out that, in fact, what I thought may have just been my own musings about a particular topic ended up being so perfect for this one sister. And that’s how the Lord works. It may be that you’re inspired to do or say something, and it’s for the benefit of just one person. And most of the time we never get to find out.
Sister Bednar: That’s true.
Elder Bednar: But every once in a while, we do. And on those occasions when you do, if you remember those, then you quit worrying about it all the other times when you don’t know exactly what was taking place.
Let me provide one additional example of not knowing beforehand. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve receive assignments to interview couples that are being considered for service as a mission president and a mission president’s wife and companion. Susan and I were leaving for an international assignment on a Tuesday. And I received the assignment to interview this couple on the Thursday before the Tuesday when we were going to leave on our international assignment. I told my secretary, I said, “We have got to get this interview scheduled and completed before I leave on Tuesday.” This was on a Thursday at about two o’clock.
So, I had given her that assignment. I was in my office. She’s situated not too far from where I am in another little office area. And the door between our two offices was open. And I was busy working on something, and I heard her ask this question to someone she was speaking with on the phone. She said, “Well, can you please tell me what you’re wearing?”
And I thought, “Well I hope she’s talking to her husband. That was really a strange question.”
And about five minutes later, she came in, and she said, “The couple that you need to interview will be here in about 30 minutes.”
And I said, “Now wait a minute. They don’t live in the state of Utah. They live quite a distance from here. How did you do that?”
She said, “Well, I called them. And they were in their car, and they were about 20 miles outside of Salt Lake City on the way to come to one of the temples in the Salt Lake Valley.”
And I said, “So I heard the question about ‘what are you wearing.’” I said, “What was that about?”
She said, “Well, I just wanted to know how they were dressed. They were on the way to the temple, and they were dressed in their Sunday best. And so I asked them if they would be willing to delay their attendance in the temple a little bit, so they could come and meet with you.”
And I said, “Are you kidding?”
She said, “No, so they’ll be here in just a short period of time.”
Now, did this couple have any advance notice about this? No. Were they being moved upon by the Holy Ghost? I absolutely believe that they were. And I don’t know how God does this. But that was all orchestrated in such a way that given the short amount of time that we needed to get them into an interview and find out some things about them, and my departure for an international trip—I’ve had so many experiences like that. They just are not a coincidence. People are being moved on by the Holy Ghost. But in the moment, they’re not consciously aware that that’s what’s taking place—not knowing beforehand.
So, sisters and elders, if I had to summarize one thing about this, it would be just be good. And go. Don’t just be good and sit and wait for God to tell you what to do. Be good and go. Do what you know you’re supposed to do, and you will be guided even though you may not recognize it consciously in the moment.
Now, if you have your scriptures, go to the Book of Mormon. And we’re going to go to 1 Nephi, chapter 4. And what I want to do is highlight a verse that I suspect you’ve read many, many times. But I hope it jumps out at you on the page now in a way that it may not have done in the past. 1 Nephi, chapter 4.
OK. I’m going to begin in verse 4. Now, we all know that Nephi and his brothers had been instructed and commanded to return to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass. And Laman and Lemuel are not real happy about this assignment.
Verse 4: “Now when I had spoken these words, they [his brothers] were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.
“And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.”2
Now the next verse is the one that we all know:
“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”3
That’s always where we stop. Look at the next verse:
“Nevertheless I went forth.”4
He didn’t just sit and wait for instructions. Not knowing beforehand precisely the things that he should do, he was moving. He went forth.
“And as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.”5
And you know the rest of that story.
I love the episode in the Old Testament about the children of Israel. They’re carrying the ark of the covenant. They come to the River Jordan. And they are promised that they will cross the River Jordan on dry ground. I think many of us think, “Well, OK, the water parts, and then they’re able to go.” If you’ll read that episode carefully, the water did not part until their feet were wet. That parallels precisely and perfectly what we just read here. And “I went forth.” The children of Israel went forth into the River Jordan, and then it parted.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a principle of action and of power.
Sisters, elders, please remember that sequence. First, we act in accordance with the teachings of Christ. Then, we are blessed with power. Sometimes we pray for power so we can go and do. Consider that it’s just the opposite. As we go and do the things that we have been instructed, commanded, admonished to do, then we are blessed with power. Faith in the Savior is a principle of action and of power.
What else comes to your mind about not knowing beforehand? Anything?
Sister: Well, I’ve just been thinking, this is a principle that was taught by Elder Eyring at BYU–Idaho. And then he ended up giving a conference talk about it called “O, Remember, Remember.” And it was just referenced in Come, Follow Me this past week or so. And the thing that I remember him telling the students when he talked to them about this principle—he said, “If you will pray at the end of every day to know where God has intervened in your life that day, you will realize that He has been guiding and directing you.”
And then in his conference talk, “O, Remember, Remember,” it was similar, but he added this.
He said, “At the end of every day, ask this question. Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch me, or my family, or my children today?”6
And then he suggested that we write it down. So I think if you do that at the end of every day, you will realize if you ask sincerely that were guided not knowing beforehand. But you can know sometimes afterward that you truly were guided.
Elder Bednar: So you may not consciously be aware of the inspiration in the moment.
Sister Bednar: Correct.
Elder Bednar: But you’ll have the help of the Holy Ghost as you reflect on your day and look back. And what President Eyring is suggesting is that you’ll see with new eyes, you’ll hear with new ears, and see God’s influence in your life, even in very simple and subtle ways.
Sister Bednar: Right. And it’s also affirming . . . it affirms God’s love for us that we recognize that He’s involved in the details of our lives. And sometimes, like I said, we know in a powerful way that that is so. Sometimes it’s just a little thing, and it’s subtle. And like you said, you have to pray for eyes to see and ears to hear.
Elder Bednar: Good. Now, sisters and elders, this is a pattern. It’s not the only pattern. It’s one of a multiplicity of patterns of how the gift of the Holy Ghost operates in our life and whereby we receive inspiration and revelation. You don’t always have to know beforehand. Be good. If some of you are not being good, you need to repent. And you need to do it now.
But if you’ll just be good—some of you are way too hard on yourselves. You think you have to be perfect at age 18 or 19. Just be good. You’re going to mess some things up. You’re not going to do it on purpose. And if you learn from a mistake, if you learn from something that goes wrong, that’s part of mortality. We are supposed to learn the good from the evil through the things that we experience. So don’t beat yourself up about that. And don’t expect the Holy Ghost to be walking side by side with you everywhere, giving you instructions about every step that you are to take. That would foster an unacceptable dependence.
Now, we want to be dependent on God, but we also have to trust Him. And He trusts us. So He’s not going to spell out every jot and tittle about every single thing all the time. Therefore, be good. Go, do, because you know. Go forth as Nephi did, just as the children of Israel did, and you are promised that you cannot go amiss. You will be guided and directed.
Well, shall we move to a new one? Or anything else that we’ve left out on this one?
Sister Bednar: No, I think a new topic’s great.
Elder Bednar: OK.
Sister Bednar: Thank you.
Elder Bednar: Another pattern of revelation is called repetition. Let me explain just a little bit about this before we jump into a scriptural episode.
In the mission field, you will teach the same principles over and over and over again. I recall many, many years ago when I was called as a general Church leader. At the time it was what’s called a regional representative. And we were being trained by then Elder Boyd K. Packer—excuse me—and Elder Neal A. Maxwell. And we were given the opportunity to ask questions, and so I raised my hand. And I asked, “What would you teach us about teaching? As we go throughout the Church, and as we’re testifying and teaching, what would you teach us?”
And Elder Maxwell gave a very simple answer. He said, “Don’t be afraid of repetitious teaching.” Now, I’ve learned a remarkable thing in the 16 years that I’ve served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. I can’t put a number to how many times I have shared the First Vision with individuals and congregations. I cannot accurately tabulate how many times I’ve borne testimony of the Book of Mormon and explained to people who don’t know anything about the Book of Mormon what it is and the impact it can have in their lives.
So, after you’ve done that for so long as a young missionary, throughout my life, for 16 years as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, you can begin to think, “Well, this is always the same.” Susan has helped me to learn that even though it’s the same, it is never the same. Do you want to expand on that a little bit?
Sister Bednar: Well, I have a journal. Well, I have many, many journals after 16 years. But I take a journal with me, and I will write down some of the some of the things that he says. And the thing that is amazing to me is that no matter how many times that he’s told the story, many times it’s in a different sequence. Or he adds something to it, and there’s something new. It’s subtle at times, but sometimes it’s like, “Whoa. You haven’t ever said that before.”
But the thing that is amazing to me is that you always share it with energy. You share it with the Spirit, and you have a connection with not only the Spirit but with the members and investigators that you’re talking to, because of your sincerity. I don’t know if you remember this or not, but we had a mission president talk to you and say, “I went out teaching with the missionaries. And when I heard them bear their testimony, it just sounds so rote.”
And I thought—
Elder Bednar: What does rote mean?
Sister Bednar: Well, maybe that doesn’t translate into other languages. But rote means mechanical.
Elder Bednar: Sounds memorized.
Sister Bednar: Memorized, yeah. And I’ve thought about that. How can you, as missionaries, teach and testify and do the same thing over and over, and make it so that it doesn’t sound mechanical or rehearsed? And if you ask with, I think, a sincere heart for Heavenly Father to bless you and help you with the Spirit, anything that you do with the Spirit is always better than if you’re just doing it on your own.
So, I love when you teach the gospel because you have an energy. And I don’t know if you pray for that energy to be able to express your feelings before you do it. But every person that I’ve watched in an audience or congregation that’s listening to you is always engaged with what you’re doing, because I don’t think for you it’s the 10,000th time that you’ve shared the Joseph Smith story or shared your testimony. It’s the first time. And I just admire you for being able to do that.
And I hope the missionaries, that you missionaries, will learn from that. That if you pray for the Spirit to be with you as you teach and as you testify, it won’t come across as something that is memorized or something that is mechanical. It will come through by the Spirit as something that is fresh and something that you truly know in your heart is true.
Elder Bednar: Now, sisters and elders, on page 6 in Preach My Gospel—you don’t have to go look that up. Just remember the reference. Remember we’re talking about repetition as a pattern of revelation. Listen to this statement by Hyrum Smith. It’s on page 6.
“Preach the first principles of the gospel—preach them over again; you will find that day after day new ideas and additional light concerning them will be revealed to you. You can enlarge upon them so as to comprehend them [more] clearly. You will then be able to make them more plainly understood by those [you] teach.”7
Now, elders and sisters, we don’t do this so that we benefit. But if we are doing all that we can to bless and help someone who is learning about the Church, we do benefit. Because it’s always the same, but, if we’re paying attention, it’s also always different.
President Packer always used to talk about the fact that you know you’re teaching by the Spirit when you learn something for the first time when you say it. Now, that doesn’t have to be the case in every episode of teaching, but it’s one of many indicators that we’re teaching by the Spirit. It’s kind of a “Whoa, where’d that come from?” And the answer is it came from the Holy Ghost. And it was something that hadn’t been as clear or hadn’t been connected, hadn’t been as well understood before, as it was before that particular episode.
So it would be easy for any of us to say, “Oh, I teach this so often. I’m getting tired of this.” Look for the remarkable opportunity. Elders and sisters, you may never again have the opportunity in your life as you do now as a full-time missionary to teach the basic principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ so many times in such a short period of time. And in that experience, you can see at a very young age how this statement by Hyrum Smith is true.
That’s one of the things, over these last 16 years—Susan has been so remarkable, because as she’s taking notes, she’s not writing down what I’m saying. She’s writing down what I’ve never said before. So in all these journals, we have all of these little nuggets.
That also is an example of another pattern of revelation—line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. We often think that revelation—”I need an answer.” We think there’s one answer, and it’s going to come quickly. And it’s just the opposite many times. We receive many answers over time instead of one answer all at once.
When we were together at BYU–Idaho talking to students, many times they would sound frustrated: “Well, I prayed, and I didn’t get an answer.”
And our response would often be, “Well, how long have you been praying about it?”
To think that you pray one time and the answer is just—all of a sudden, it clarifies everything. There are some instances where that occurs, but it’s also rare. Most typically, it will come gradually and incrementally over time, not all at once.
Now, I think there’s a phenomenal scriptural episode that, again, I think we read, and we don’t fully see all that we need to see. Please turn to the Joseph Smith—History in the Pearl of Great Price. And I want to begin this episode by kind of stating an explicit assumption. We’re about to read concerning the four appearances of Moroni to Joseph Smith. And my experience is, everywhere we go in the Church, people always say Moroni came and told Joseph Smith the same thing four times. That’s true, but it’s incomplete. Moroni did not say the same thing to Joseph Smith on each of the four occasions. So, we’re not going to read everything.
If you’ll go to the Joseph Smith–History, I’m going to begin in verse 29.
“In consequence of these things, I often felt condemned for my weakness and imperfections; when, on the evening of the above-mentioned twenty-first of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might know of my state and standing before him; for I had full confidence in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.”8
Now, verse 30 is the beginning of the first appearance of Moroni. And I’m not going to read everything. I’ll skip along, and kind of tell you where to go to keep up. Verse 30:
“While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.”9
Now, already we know about yet another pattern of revelation. There are heavenly messengers who deliver messages in person. That’s a pattern of revelation that’s happening here with Joseph. Verses 31 and 32 describe what he’s wearing. I’m going to skip that. Verse 33. This is very significant:
“He called me by name.”
“He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues.”10
Well, he then talks about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, talks to Joseph about the golden plates. And when you get over to verses 38 and 39, he’s talking about the priesthood and the coming of Elijah. Now, again, please go and make sure you read those, but we don’t have time to go through all of the substance of this. Now, go to verse 43, please:
“After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him; when, instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.”11
End of the first visitation of Moroni. Verse 44 is the beginning of the second appearance:
“I lay musing on the singularity of the scene, and marveling greatly at what had been told to me by this extraordinary messenger; when, in the midst of my meditation, I suddenly discovered that my room was again beginning to get lighted, and in an instant, as it were, the same heavenly messenger was again by my bedside.”12
Now, sisters, elders, pay attention to verse 45, please:
“He commenced, and again related the very same things which he had done at his first visit, without the least variation.”13
Now, did he say the same things? Yes. Is that where it ended? No. Watch what comes now.
“Which having done, he informed me of great judgments which were coming upon the earth, with great desolations by famine, sword, and pestilence; and that these grievous judgments would come on the earth in this generation. Having related these things, he again ascended as he had done before.”14
That is the end of the second visit of Moroni to Joseph Smith. Did he deliver the same message? Yes. Was it exactly the same? In part; he added to it. There was additional information in the second visitation about the latter days and the judgments that were coming. So, yes, it was the same. And yes, it was different. Line upon line, precept upon precept.
Look at the pattern of what Hyrum Smith said. It’s slightly different. He’s not delivering the same message, but the principle in this statement by Hyrum is what we’re seeing.
“Preach them over again; you will find that day after day new ideas and additional light concerning them will be revealed to you. You can enlarge upon them so as to comprehend them [more] clearly.”15
OK. Verse 46—this is the beginning of the third visit of Moroni.
“By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard. But what was my surprise when again I beheld the same messenger at my bedside, and heard him rehearse or repeat over again to me the same things as before.”16
Did he deliver the same message? Yes. Is that where he stopped? No.
“And added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. [Thus] he forbade me.”17
So now there’s an individual caution. First appearance: “Joseph there’s a work for you, and there’s a Book of Mormon, and there’s the priesthood.” Second visit: exactly the same thing, the judgments of the latter days. Third time: exactly the same thing, judgments of the latter days, now added “Joseph here’s a caution for you.” Line upon line, it’s being added upon.
All right, go to verse 47. Sisters and elders, I hope this isn’t putting you to sleep. If this doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what does. This is a phenomenal episode in the scriptures that shows us a lot about how revelation occurs. 47:
“After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.
“I shortly after arose from my bed, and, as usual, went to the necessary labors of the day; but, in attempting to work as at other times, I found my strength so exhausted as to render me entirely unable. My father, who was laboring along with me, discovered something to be wrong with me, and told me to go home. I started with the intention of going to the house; but, in attempting to cross the fence out of the field where we were, my strength entirely failed me, and I fell helpless on the ground, and for a time was quite unconscious of anything.”18
Verse 49 is now the fourth visit from Moroni:
“The first thing that I can recollect was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as before. He then again related [unto] me all that he had related to me the previous night.”19
Is the message the same? Yes. Is that it? No. Now watch.
“And commanded me to go to my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I had received.”20
I love the beginning of verse 50. What is Joseph’s two-word summary?
“I obeyed.”21
So what do we get now in this fourth visitation? A commandment. So think of the first appearance. Second appearance has added the judgments of the latter days. Third, an individual caution to Joseph. Fourth, a commandment to go and do.
Sisters, elders, it is not the case that the four appearances of Moroni to Joseph Smith were exactly the same. The core of the message each time was the same, but in each episode something additional was added. Line upon line, precept upon precept.
I wish I had the capacity to help you see and understand that it’s rare to get one answer quickly. They come line upon line, precept upon precept. And while you’re in the mission field, please capitalize on this opportunity to learn how, in repeating basic truths and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, your investigators will be blessed and so will you. Line upon line, just as Hyrum Smith foretold.
Sister Bednar, I got kind of carried away on that. What would you add?
Sister Bednar: Well, just that every investigator deserves for you to give it your best. When you teach and testify, they deserve your very best, that you’re guided by the Spirit, and that what you say and what you testify of truly comes from your heart.
Elder Bednar: Well, elders and sisters, we’re approaching the conclusion of our time together. Let me just extend an invitation. Then, Susan, any concluding comments in your testimony, and then I’ll bear mine. OK.
If we go back to where we began, there are many different patterns for receiving messages from our Heavenly Father by the power of the Holy Ghost. Hopefully you’ll begin to appreciate that. Don’t expect it to always come in the same way all the time. Maybe it comes rapidly; sometimes it will come gradually. Sometimes it will be very clear. Sometimes it will distill upon your minds as the dews from heaven. It will just come a little bit at a time, and it will be hard to even recognize some of the progress that’s being made in seeking the answer that you’re yearning for.
And most importantly, please don’t spend a lot of time worrying about “Is it me, or is it the Holy Ghost?” Anything you think, anything you say, anything that you do that is directed towards following the Lord Jesus Christ comes by the power of the Holy Ghost. It may be that it is the Holy Ghost bringing a remembrance of an episode in your life that helps you to see and learn something that’s very important.
All things denote that there is a God, and all good things come from Christ. So just be good. Do your best, not perfect. You can’t be perfect, but just do your best. And if your desires are sincere, if you are pressing forward, if you’re doing what you know you should do, you can have the absolute confidence that you will be guided and directed by the Holy Ghost. And you don’t need to think that in every moment you have to see it, recognize it, for it to be a revelation.
Sister Bednar, what would you add? And then please testify.
Sister Bednar: I was just thinking about one time when I was sitting in sacrament meeting—and that’s a prayer that’s the same. And it’s repeated every Sunday the same way. And I said “amen” at the end of the prayer. And then the bishop instructed the priest to say the prayer again. And I just think about that all the time when I’m in sacrament meeting, and I’m listening to a prayer that’s been repeated over and over, that I need to pay attention. And I need to think about those words, even though they’re said over and over and over, because those words are some of the most meaningful words in scripture, as we partake of the ordinance of the sacrament. And the promises that are made to us each Sunday, to me, are truly amazing.
So even though things are repetitive, and you go in your scriptures, and you read the same thing over and over, they can be fresh and new every time. And what makes it fresh and new is the Spirit of the Holy Ghost that’s teaching you and testifying to you of things that are true.
So, I’m just grateful to have been able to be here with Elder Bednar. It’s enjoyable to be your companion. I just would like to bear my testimony to you missionaries that I have a firm conviction in my mind and in my heart that the gospel is true. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us, that He hears and answers our prayers, not always on our timetable. And it’s always according to His will, but He hears them, and He answers them.
I testify that Jesus is our Savior and our Redeemer. I’m so grateful for Him. As we begin to celebrate Christmas soon, I can’t think of anything that brings me more peace than His peace that passes all understanding.
I express my witness and testimony of the Holy Ghost, that it’s real. That it’s a guide, a teacher, a testator, a comforter, and it can help us truly know the gospel, know it not only in our minds but in our hearts. And when that conviction comes in our hearts, and we know that it’s true, then we can teach and testify with that conviction.
I’m grateful to live on the earth in a day and time when God continues to speak to men on earth. I know that President Nelson is our prophet. And I have the distinct honor to be married to a man whom we sustain as a prophet, seer, and revelator as well. And I bear witness that what Elder Bednar has taught today is true. I wish you missionaries every good thing in your life now and in the future and testify to you that God loves you and that if you press forward and do your part, that He’ll always be with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Elder Bednar: Amen. Sisters and elders, I know you love your companions. But I just want you to know I really love my companion. And to be able to just sit at this table and talk about these truths with my wife, with all of you, has been a most edifying and remarkable blessing for me. I declare my witness that God, the Eternal Father, is our Father. I know, I testify, and I witness that Jesus the Christ is His Only Begotten Son. He is our Savior and our Redeemer. And I witness that He has risen. The tomb is empty, and the Lord, Jesus Christ, lives. This is the living Church of Jesus Christ, precisely because Jesus Christ is alive.
I witness that the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith, and that was the beginning of the Restoration of the gospel in this, the dispensation of the fullness of times. And I witness that that Restoration is ongoing, continues in this very day. All of us are participants in that ongoing Restoration.
As we conclude, I invoke this blessing upon you—that as you just do the simple things that you know you should do, and you strive to be good, a little better today than you were yesterday, a little better tomorrow than you are today, that’s enough. If you’ll just strive to do that, your confidence will wax strong in identifying and understanding patterns of revelation. They will become not comfortable, but you’ll become acquainted with those patterns. You’ll see them operate in your life, and that will bless you now, for the rest of your mortal lives, and throughout all eternity. In the sacred name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, amen.