Teachings of the Living Prophets David Allen Bednar

Born June 15, 1952 in Oakland CA. Youngest of 3 children by 15 years. Served a mission to Southern Germany. Married Susan Kae Robinson, 20th March 1975 in the Salt Lake Temple. Baptized his father shortly after his sealing. Parents of three sons. BA at BYU in Communications. MA at BYU in Organizational Communications. PHD at Purdue in Organizational Behavior.

Taught at U of Arkansas and Texas Tech. Director of Management at U of Arkansas. Bishop in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Stake President twice in Arkansas. President of Ricks College (transitioned it to BYU-Idaho). Regional Rep and Area Seventy. Apostle on 2 October 2004 (replaced Neal A. Maxwell).

David Bednar and his future wife, Susan, were in the same student ward David Bednar and his future wife, Susan, were in the same student ward. One Monday night their family home evening groups got together to play a game of flag football. Susan was on the receiving end of a long pass by Elder Bednar (who was a high school quarterback) and caught the ball. He was very impressed by her catch!

Elder Bednar remembers: “During my training before my mission, we went to the solemn assembly room in the Salt Lake Temple. President Harold B. Lee was there to answer questions from about 300 missionaries. He stood there in his white suit, holding his white scriptures. He answered every question from the scriptures, or he said, ‘I don’t know.’ I sat there and thought that I would never be able to know the scriptures the way he did, but my objective became to use the scriptures in my teaching the way that I saw President Harold B. Lee do it. That desire is the genesis of all my scripture study.”

Who knows him? Met him? Associated with him?

“To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.”

“The gospel of Jesus Christ encompasses much more than avoiding, overcoming, and being cleansed from sin and the bad influences in our lives; it also essentially entails doing good, being good, and becoming better.”

“The enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.”

“If today you are a little bit better than you were yesterday, then that's enough. And, if tomorrow you are a little bit better than you were today, then that's enough.”