What Elder Bednar said in the April 2023 general conference

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Sunday morning session of the April 2023 general conference. He taught how we can learn and come to abide in Jesus Christ. The text below is a summary of his speech.

Summary of Elder Bednar’s speech

Jesus Christ makes the same invitation to everyone as he did to the prophet Enoch: “you will remain in [M]in the e [E]u, in you; so walk [C]friend” (Moses 6:34). “The word ‘abide’ means to keep fixed or stable and to persevere without yielding.”

To abide in Christ is to continue steadfast and unwavering in devotion to the Redeemer and His holy purposes, taking His yoke upon us through covenants and ordinances, strengthening the covenant bond with the Father and the Son, feasting on the words of Christ, preparing to partake of the sacrament and serve the children of God.

In the Book of Mormon, Alma compared the word to a seed that must be planted and nurtured, with “the word” being the life, mission, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (see Alma 33:22–23). “My beloved brothers and sisters, is the Word in us? Are the truths of the Savior’s gospel written on the fleshly tablets of our hearts?”

Walking with the Savior is about obeying God’s commandments and remembering and honoring the covenants that connect us to the Father and the Son. “If we remain in Him, He will remain in us. And as we walk with Him, we will be blessed to bear much fruit.”

Who is Elder Bednar?

• Elder David A. Bednar has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly 18 years, being ordained and set apart on October 7, 2004.
• He served as president of Ricks College during the institution’s transition to BYU—Idaho and stated, “The creation of BYU—Idaho was one of the most important educational events of the Restoration.”
• He met his wife, Sister Susan Robinson Bednar, after returning from his mission in Germany and while playing flag football (a much less aggressive type of football) during family home evening at BYU. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, and are the parents of three children.

What has Elder Bednar been up to recently?

Read more: Speeches given by Elder Bednar in general conferences; or follow him on Facebook, Instagram e Twitter.