Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited victims Tuesday, Sept. 30, of a deadly mass shooting that took place at a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Sept. 28, in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Along with his wife, Sister Susan Bednar, and Elder Allen D. Haynie, a General Authority Seventy and United States Northeast Area president, and his wife, Sister Deborah Haynie, Elder Bednar visited members recovering in local hospitals from injuries sustained during the attack.
Four people were killed and eight more injured after a shooter rammed a pickup truck into the side of the church and started shooting people inside. The shooter also poured out gasoline and set the building on fire, according to police and eyewitnesses.
Elder Bednar described the victims’ resolve as “remarkable.”
“It has been very tender to hear the episodes of what took place, how they responded and the might and many miracles that occurred during this episode,” Elder Bednar said in a press release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Elder and Sister Bednar also visited the destroyed chapel where the attack took place. There he met with and thanked local and federal law enforcement members for their work.
Meeting with ‘faithful members’
He also spoke to members of the Grand Blanc Ward.
“If I were to highlight just one lesson from this incredible day, it is that the devotion of these faithful members makes me want to be more devoted. And the faithfulness of these good people makes me want to be more faithful,” Elder Bednar said in a social media video posted Tuesday night.
Elder Bednar said he spoke to the people about Jesus Christ. And in speaking to members, he found that they have the capacity — because of the eternal perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ — to learn lessons in tragedy that prepare them for eternity.
“This is no easy task to see beyond the immediate separation, the injury, the anguish — even the separation through death — but to have that capacity to be firm and steadfast, a foundation that’s been established upon the Lord Jesus Christ, they’re benefited, they’re blessed, and it is evident in their walk, their talk and in the spirit that they exude,” Elder Bednar said.
Elder Bednar invited “any and all who might hear this conversation” to continue to pray for these “good people.”
“They have experienced a lot, they have been richly blessed” he said. “They yet have much to experience and work through. But with our prayers, with their faith, the influence of the Holy Ghost, these people will continue to be firm and steadfast and true.”
Church statement from President Oaks
This one-day visit from Elder and Sister Bednar follows a statement about the shooting from President Dallin H. Oaks, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, made on Monday, Sept. 29.
“The awful tragedy that took place in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sept. 28, reminds us of our sacred responsibilities as followers of Jesus Christ,” the statement reads. “We mourn with our members who have lost loved ones, and we join in prayer for comfort with others around the world who are suffering from similar tragedies. We all seek answers and understanding in the wake of trauma, shock and grief. We are grateful to all who are reaching out with service, prayers and words of support during this difficult time.”
Bishop Jeffrey Schaub, bishop of the Grand Blanc Ward, said in a video released Sept. 29 that he knows people around the world are praying “for our ward and for our families.”
“It is the most significant time in my life where I have felt the love and prayer of other people,” Bishop Schaub said.
