PALMYRA, New York — Lucy Nelson came to a youth and young adult devotional with Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Sept. 20 expecting to hear prepared messages.
The 21-year-old convert of three months, who drove more than an hour with a group of Latter-day Saint students at Cornell University, was pleasantly surprised — and appreciated it more — when Elder Bednar and other Church leaders invited and responded to questions from the audience.
“I like that he approached it through questions so we could have our voices heard and feel like Heavenly Father is always listening to us,” she said.
The youth and young adult devotional was one of three devotional events with Church leaders in Palmyra in the days leading up to the Sept. 21 rededication of the Hill Cumorah Historic Site.
A devotional for adult members on Sept. 19 featured Elder Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy who serves as Church historian and recorder and executive director of the Church History Department, and Elder Hugo E. Martínez, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Church History Department. They were accompanied by their wives, Sister Jennifer S. McKay and Sister Nuria Martínez.
Elder Bednar and his wife, Sister Susan Bednar, were joined by the McKays and Martínezes at the aforementioned youth and young adult devotional the following evening.
A third devotional with the same group of Church leaders was held on Sunday morning with local senior and sister missionaries at the Sacred Grove.
Youth/young adult devotional
Hundreds of youth and young adults gathered at a Palmyra meetinghouse to learn from Elder Bednar and other Church leaders.
After extending the love of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Bednar explained his reasons for a question-and-answer format.
“You need to be listening for what is not being said. The Holy Ghost will bring thoughts to your mind and feelings to your heart, and it will not necessarily be what we are talking about,” he said.
“You may have come with a question in mind or a concern in your heart. If you are acting in faith, then during the course of the night, you will receive impressions and thoughts that will be the beginning of an answer to something that you may be very concerned about. Let us see if we all can exercise our faith to participate in a truly revelatory experience.”
The audience submitted questions through text messaging, and the Church leaders and their wives responded as invited by Elder Bednar.
Questions were asked about repentance and talking to the bishop, how to avoid temptations and have a stronger connection with heaven, how to receive personal revelation, how to make scripture study a priority, how to bear testimony and more.
Nelson sat next to her friend Lea Seo, a 23-year-old returned missionary, who came with thoughts about how she might better utilize her time.
“With some of the words that were said, I felt like it reemphasized the point that I need to reevaluate my time and priorities,” she said.
Jacob Fisher, a 31-year-old returned missionary and graduate student at Cornell, was “struck” to hear a bishop stand and talk about how much he loves helping people repent.
“Of all the things a bishop has to do with all his time, the administrative stuff is probably not nearly as exciting as when he has somebody who just wants to repent,” he said. “Talk about faith in Christ and repentance — that is the most happy thing a bishop ever gets to do."
Fisher also appreciated Elder Bednar’s characterization of sin as “woundedness.” “It is not something to be ashamed of; it is just something you need help with,” he said.
Bowe Hawkins, an 18-year-old from the Boughton Hill Ward of the Palmyra New York Stake, submitted a question that wasn’t selected, but he said he liked the questions that were addressed and the “simplicity” of responses by Church leaders.
“I realized it is really all so simple,” said Hawkins, who plans to serve a mission in the near future. “That really helped me.”
Isabelle Anderson, a 16-year-old from the Bath Branch in the Palmyra stake, also submitted a question that wasn’t selected but said she still felt she received the inspiration she needed. “I need to focus more on doing good,” she said.
Sunday morning in the Sacred Grove
On the morning of Sept. 21, Elder Bednar, Elder McKay and Elder Martínez and their wives gathered with missionaries serving at the New York and Pennsylvania Historic Sites in the Sacred Grove.
After a choir of sister missionaries sang all four verses of “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer,” Elder Bednar reflected on a conversation he had with President Gordon B. Hinckley 25 years ago when members were excited about having 100 dedicated temples. President Hinckley told Elder Bednar it was “the greatest season in the history of the restored Church.”
Said Elder Bednar of the Church today having 208 dedicated houses of the Lord and 382 total, including those under construction or announced worldwide: “Now you cannot keep pace with the number.”
In the Sacred Grove, where the Restoration began with the First Vision, Elder Bednar bore his witness of the Savior and testified that the Lord is hastening His work all over the earth, as evidenced by the growth of membership and temples worldwide.
“This work is accelerated, it is hastened, it is directed by the living Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “I witness He is alive. I witness He is our Savior and our Redeemer. And I witness that the Father and the Son appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, and that was the beginning of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in this latter-day dispensation.”
Sister Jocelyn Rosales, of Richmond, Virginia, said a devotional in the Sacred Grove with an Apostle was a once-in-a-lifetime experience she will never forget. She was inspired to hear Elder Bednar testify about this being the greatest season in the history of the Restoration.
“That was my favorite part because we get to be a part of this great work,” said Sister Rosales, who will soon leave the historic sites to serve in the Colorado Denver South Mission. “It’s so amazing to know that even if it’s just a small contribution, we are still making a difference and helping out.”
Sister Jada Anderson, who will go on to serve in the Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission, called the morning devotional an “amazing experience.”
“There was just a strong spirit of peace and revelation,” she said.
Her companion, Sister Kirsten DeGraffenried, heading to the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission, felt Heavenly Father’s love and received the “spiritual energy to keep going.”
“It made me feel grateful and inspired to be part of the Lord’s work and to be a representative of Jesus Christ at this time,” she said. “It made me want to be a part of [the Lord’s work] even after the mission.”
Elder Ryan Harris, a senior missionary, said it strengthened his faith and testimony to be in the presence of one of the Lord’s Twelve Apostles.
“Jesus is the Christ, and His Apostles do represent Him,” he said.
Elder Bednar encouraged the senior missionary couples to return home after their missions, renew their relationships with their families and then consider returning to the mission field. Elder Harris said he and his wife are already contemplating serving another mission after their current assignment concludes.
Devotional for adults
On the evening of Sept. 19, adult members in the Palmyra area gathered for a devotional with Elder McKay, Elder Martínez and their wives.
In his remarks, Elder McKay used events from Joseph Smith’s life to teach the doctrine of Christ.
Focusing on repentance, Elder McKay read from various accounts of the First Vision, highlighting that Joseph was deeply concerned about his own salvation and the forgiveness of his sins. He noted that several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants start with or include the phrase “Thy sins are forgiven.”
“Joseph sought forgiveness,” he said. “Forgiveness is not bestowed whimsically. It is bestowed upon those who repent and ask for forgiveness, which is what Joseph did regularly.”
He invited members to adopt the same pattern and have more “confidence in the presence of God,” as President Russell M. Nelson has taught.
“If you want direction from God, if you want answers from heaven, then you ought to be clean before Him,” he said. “That will increase and make clearer the communication from heaven. In that condition, you will be confident in His presence.”
Elder Martínez spoke of bringing his own family to visit the historic sites and how it strengthened their testimonies of the restored gospel and the Prophet Joseph Smith.
“I can testify today more than ever that I know these things are true,” he said. “This is the true Church of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Debbie and Jason Johnson, a Latter-day Saint couple visiting from Bulverde, Texas, were inspired by the message of seeking daily repentance.
“I want to put it to the test and really seek forgiveness. I think that only good things will happen as I seek that humble repentance each day,” Debbie Johnson said.
Added Jason Johnson: “The idea that all of those revelations came after Joseph repented was such an amazing insight and such a great example.”
