2020-10-10_Oct Conference Bednar
We Will Prove them Herewith David Bednar
Note: This is not a first reaction like the others. I lost the file. Changed editors and redoing this in a much shorter version.
Oral Presentation
Prays for Holy Ghost.
Teacher Profession. Key elements of his job were Teaching Grading and Evaluating. Tests were not the students’ favorite part of learning.
But Tests are an indispensable part of learning. Tests compare what we need to know with what we know. Tests provide a standard.
Tests are not found in the scriptures. Prove, try, examine are used. He uses these terms for the rest of the talk.
Pandemic has tried us. All of us will acknowledge the greatness of God. Psalm of David Examine Abraham 3 We will prove
Principle of preparation Principle of “pressing forward” in the faith of God
House of Order Scripture
The prophetic counsel of preparation.
Example of his food storage.
Those who opine on food supply and 72kits are not important.
Repeated admonitions to prepare.
Clarity on preparation is decades-long.
Just as challenging times reveal inadequacies in temporal preparedness, so too the maladies of spiritual casualness and complacency inflict their most detrimental effects during difficult trials. Preparedness Parable ten virgins.
Example Sam in law school. He “invested” time in reading his notes every day every week.
Effective and Timely preparation precede successful proving.
Primary pattern for development. Line upon Line.
What have we learned? What do we need to learn, [list]?
Example of the family of loss. He did not understand the timing of the loss of family. But he trusted Lord knew. They were all in testimony.
“Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanatiscim. Rather it is trusting our savior.”
Stand in holy places and be not moved.
Holland- If you could teach one thing what would it be? The middle ground options are being removed. Choose now.
Well Done though good and faithful servant. Earn that grade.
Referred to Scriptures
Abraham 3:25 Pearl of Great Price
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
Psalm 26:2–3 Old Testament
2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
3 For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
Doctrine and Covenants 98:14 Doctrine and Covenants
14 Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy.
Doctrine and Covenants 98:14
14 Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy.
2 Nephi 2:2 Book of Mormon
2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 Doctrine and Covenants
119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;
Doctrine and Covenants 38:30–31 Doctrine and Covenants
30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.
31 And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless—
Luke 2:52 New Testament
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Matthew 25:3–4, 6–11 New Testament
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
James 1:22–25 New Testament
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
2 Nephi 28:30 Book of Mormon
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
Haggai 1:5, 7 Old Testament
5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
7 ¶ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
2 Corinthians 13:5 New Testament
5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Doctrine and Covenants 105:6 Doctrine and Covenants
6 And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer.
2 Nephi 31:20 Book of Mormon
20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
Doctrine and Covenants 101:22 Doctrine and Covenants
22 Behold, it is my will, that all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places;
Doctrine and Covenants 87:8 Doctrine and Covenants
8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.
Matthew 25:21 New Testament
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Digging into the text
Likewise, tests in the school of mortality are a vital element of our eternal progression.
Interestingly, however, the word test is not found even one time in the scriptural text of the standard works in English. Rather, words such as prove, examine, and try are used to describe various patterns of demonstrating appropriately our spiritual knowledge about, understanding of, and devotion to our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan of happiness and our capacity to seek for the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement.
He who authored the plan of salvation described the very purpose of our mortal probation using the words prove, examine, and try in ancient and modern scripture.
Consider Abraham, psalmist David, and Section 98.
The year 2020 has been marked, in part, by a global pandemic that has proved, examined, and tried us in many ways. I pray that we as individuals and families are learning the valuable lessons that only challenging experiences can teach us. I also hope that all of us will more fully acknowledge the “greatness of God” and the truth that “he shall consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain.”4 Consider Jacobs Afflictions on Nephi’s and Lehi’s journey from Jerusalem. 2 Nephi 2:2
Two Principles
- Preparation
- Proving and Pressing Forward with Faith in Christ
As disciples of the Savior, we are commanded to “prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”
We also are promised that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.
“And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless.”
These scriptures provide a perfect framework for organizing and preparing our lives and homes both temporally and spiritually.
Our efforts to prepare for the proving experiences of mortality should follow the example of the Savior, who incrementally “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man”7—a blended balance of intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social readiness.
… We wanted to find out our grades on these unannounced tests. …We learned a great deal…We also laughed a lot.
The principles above are desire to serve, learning, attitude.
Some Church members opine that emergency plans and supplies, food storage, and 72-hour kits must not be important anymore because the Brethren have not spoken recently and extensively about these and related topics in general conference. But repeated admonitions to prepare have been proclaimed by leaders of the Church for decades.
Parable of Ten Virgins given
I have a friend … During the course of a semester, Sam invested time every day to review, summarize, and learn from his notes for each course in which he was enrolled. Effective and timely preparation precede successful proving.
Sam’s approach to his legal education highlights one of the Lord’s primary patterns for growth and development. “Thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.”
I invite each of us to “consider [our] ways” and “examine [ourselves], whether [we] be in the faith; [and] prove [our] own selves.”
Consider Haggai and 2 Corinthians.
Two questions
What have we learned during these recent months of lifestyle adjustments and restrictions? What do we need to improve in our lives spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually?
Example of the grieving family given.
Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on His name, and in His promises. As we “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men,” we are blessed with an eternal perspective and vision that stretches far beyond our limited mortal capacity. We will be enabled to “gather together, and stand in holy places” and “be not moved, until the day of the Lord come.”
That was a very dense paragraph of principles and scriptures.
“If you could teach these students just one thing, what would it be?”
There is no middle ground. Not making a choice is a choice.
“Choices have to be made. Not making a choice is a choice. Learn to choose now.”
Closing remarks, promise and testimony
The process of proving ourselves is a fundamental part of Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness. I promise that as we both prepare and press forward with faith in the Savior, we all can receive the same grade on the ultimate examination of mortality: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
I witness that God the Eternal Father is our Father. Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten and living Son, our Savior and Redeemer. Of these truths, I joyfully testify in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.