Elder David A. Bednar was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 2, 2004. He was born on June 15, 1952, in Oakland, California, and served as a young full-time missionary in southern Germany.
Following his mission, he met Susan Kae Robinson while playing flag football at a home evening activity. They married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, and are the parents of three sons.
Elder Bednar received a bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s degree in organizational communication from Brigham Young University. He earned a doctorate in organizational behavior from Purdue University.
He was an assistant professor of business management at Texas Tech University and associate dean for graduate studies and professor of business management in the College of Business Administration at the University of Arkansas.
In 1997, he began his service as the president of Ricks College and continued in that role during its transition to Brigham Young University–Idaho. His tenure concluded when he was called to the apostleship in 2004.
Prior to his call as an Apostle, Elder Bednar served as an Area Seventy, Area Authority Seventy, regional representative, twice as a stake president and as a bishop.
In honor of his 73rd birthday today, here are nine quotes from Elder Bednar in the past year.
1. The purpose of the house of the Lord
“We do not come to the house of the Lord simply to enjoy the beauty of the structure. We come here to learn about the Father’s plan, the Savior’s Atonement, and to establish and strengthen a covenant connection with the Father and the Son.”
— Layton Utah Temple dedication, June 16, 2024
2. Yoked to Christ
“Jesus Christ taught, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you’ (Matthew 11:28-29).
“There’s an extra measure of power. We are invited to become yoked with Christ. This is not some abstract idea, just some lovely thought. It is a spiritual reality that we can be yoked with Him, and He will pull with us. And then we will have capacity to do things we would never be able to do in our own strength.”
— Fiji stake conference, May 25, 2025
3. A testimony of Jesus Christ’s New Testament Church restored
“I witness that God, the Eternal Father, is our Father. I testify and witness that Jesus Christ is the Father’s Beloved Son and His Only Begotten in the flesh. He is our Savior and Redeemer.
“And I joyfully witness that the Father and the Son appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, thus initiating the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and contains the word of God. Priesthood authority to represent the Savior and act in His name again is found on the earth. And The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s New Testament Church restored.”
— “The Times of Restitution of All Things,” April 2025 general conference
4. Create a successful marriage
“You do not find the marriage you want to have. You create it. Often the assumption is that if you just find the right person, then that guarantees happiness. But that is not true. A marriage is an opportunity to create the home and happiness you hope to have.”
— “The Family Is Ordained of God,” BYU–Idaho devotional, March 9, 2025
5. Helping young people to learn, act, serve, become
“A specific skin color, nationality, social class, religion or other factors do not make one individual better than or superior to another.
“I represent a faith with approximately 18 million members living in more than 175 nations. My intent today is to share with you briefly what our faith does around the world to empower our youth and young adults. Our Church focuses on helping young people to learn, to act, to serve and to become.
“An example of a principle we teach our youth is that all people are your brothers and sisters. Of course, including young people who are different from you or disagree with you.”
— International Dialogue of Civilizations and Tolerance Conference, Feb. 19, 2025
6. A miraculous progression of innovations and inventions
“An important aspect of the fulness that is available to us today is a miraculous progression of innovations and inventions that have enabled and accelerated God’s work of salvation and exaltation: from trains to telegraphs to radios to automobiles to airplanes to telephones to transistors to televisions to computers to satellite transmissions to the internet to artificial intelligence — and to an almost endless list of technologies and tools that bless our lives. All of these advancements are part of the Lord hastening His work in the latter days.”
— “Things as They Really Are 2.0,” Nov. 3, 2024
7. The deadly spiritual disease of pride
“May I suggest that if you or I believe we are sufficiently strong and stalwart to avoid the arrogance of pride, then perhaps we already are suffering from this deadly spiritual disease. Simply stated, if you or I do not believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we are vulnerable and in spiritual danger. In the space of not many days, weeks, months or years, we might forfeit our spiritual birthright for far less than a mess of pottage.
“If, however, you or I believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we consistently will do the small and simple things that will protect and help us become ‘as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us]’ (Mosiah 3:19). ‘Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble’ (Alma 32:16).”
— “In the Space of Not Many Years,” October 2024 general conference
8. Believe Christ
“Too many believe in Christ, but they do not believe Him. They don’t believe what He said, because they only think, ‘It applies to everyone else, not me.’ It applies to you, each of you, individually.”
— Youth devotional in Huancayo, Peru, Aug. 23, 2024
9. Covenant connection
“We can more fully recognize the importance of pledging our willingness to come unto the Savior, take upon ourselves His name and strive to strengthen the covenant connection we have with the Father and the Son.”
— 2024 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, June 21, 2024
