Bednar as a Boy

David Allan Bednar was born June 15, 1952 in Oakland, California.  This month he celebrated his 63^rd birthday.  He was raised in San Leandro, California by his LDS mother Lavina Whitney Bednar who was a descendant of strong pioneer heritage and his Catholic Father Anthony George Bednar.  Although his dad was not a member when he was a child, he was constant in attending church with his family, helping with Church functions, and supportive when it was time for Elder Bednar to serve a mission. 

Throughout his youth, and even from the mission field, Elder Bednar would ask his father, “Dad, when are you going to be baptized?” The answer was, “I’ll join this Church when I know it’s the right thing to do.”  Years late, after Elder Bednar’s mission and after he was married and living far away from home, his father called on a Wednesday to ask, “What are you doing Saturday? Can you be out here (In California) to baptize me?” Elder Bednar baptized, confirmed, and ordained his father.  He says of that phone call and the question from his father:” I honestly believe that’s why I was born.  Not to teach him, but to assist him in learning about the restored gospel.” 

Patrice thoughts

When David A Bednar was in his mission training, he became enlightened how President Harold B Lee could answer all three hundred missionaries’ questions. He did this all with his scriptures, and this inspired Bednar to teach through his scriptures.  My first semester at Rick College, David A Bednar started his devotion telling us to hold our scripture up and then the place them in our lap, for we were going to use them.  Bednar said, “You and I bear the Responsibility to become people of integrity and honesty-people who are true and trustworthy when one is watching and when no one else is around.” He wanted to teach the students how valuable the scriptures should be to us. We were encouraged to bring our scriptures every Tuesday to the devotions. As a recent convert, I was touch on how strongly he felt about the Lord’s work in his scriptures.

April's thoughts

This is a touching story about extending invitations one by one and what happens when we do. I got goosebumps when I watched this and I know Elder Bednar is an apostle of the church. I can tell by the way he speaks that he loves everyone and wants to see us get closer to our Heavenly Father. I have a testimony that His church was built one by one and that we can continue to build His church one by one. We should never think that we as an individual do not have the power to make a difference because we do. I believe that.

David A. Bednar:

Conversion