REXBURG, Idaho — For the second time in as many devotionals with young adults in Utah and Idaho, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles paused his instruction for an “intermission” — this time inviting attendees to reflect on the majesty of God’s creations with scriptures and three follow-up questions.
For his latest such intermission — during a Sunday, Oct. 30, evening devotional at Brigham Young University–Idaho — Elder Bednar took his listeners on a virtual journey to the stars and heavens as they viewed magnificent recent images of the universe from the James Webb Space Telescope and listened to latter-day revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Nine weeks earlier, he presented Part 1 of his two-devotional series on the statement “it is unreasonable to claim that faith in Jesus Christ is unreasonable.” During the Aug. 28 event at the University of Utah Institute of Religion in Salt Lake City, Elder Bednar also announced an intermission.
Both times, the mid-devotional pause provided a change of pace while teaching additional relevant facts. Elder Bednar emphasized that Joseph Smith was the Lord’s instrument in revealing “truly novel and revolutionary religious teachings in the dispensation of the fullness of times.”
During his “Part 2” devotional at BYU–Idaho, images from the Webb telescope were projected at the BYU–Idaho Center while attendees listened to scriptures from the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price and two sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
“I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name. …
“And worlds without number have I created; … and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:3, 33).
“He … ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth. …
“Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space —
“The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:6, 12-13).
“All kingdoms have a law given;
“And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
“And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:36-38).
“If there be bounds set to the heavens or to the seas, or to the dry land, or to the sun, moon, or stars —
“All the times of their revolutions, all the appointed days, months, and years, and … all their glories, laws, and set times, shall be revealed in the days of the dispensation of the fulness of times” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:28, 30-31).
Following the intermission experience where attendees saw what he called “the indescribable beauty of God’s endless creations” and listened to the words revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, Elder Bednar asked three questions:
- Was Joseph Smith influenced by the false traditions of his day?
- Are the concepts and ideas expressed in these revelations the product of a frenzied and deranged mind?
- Did the Prophet Joseph Smith merely guess right?
“The only way any person at any time anywhere in the world could have done what young Joseph Smith did and think what Joseph thought is with God’s help and inspiration,” said Elder Bednar, as he concluded the “intermission” and returned to the five points of his devotional message. “In my judgment, to believe that he accomplished all that he accomplished with his limited mortal capacity is unreasonable.”
Both the intermission and the entire devotional can be see on BYU-Idaho’s video streaming service. The link is https://web.byui.edu/videostreaming/devotionalcc — the intermission starts at the 41:35 mark.
