LOGAN, Utah — Four events between 1820 and 1830 are an intertwined series that led to the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder David A. Bednar taught on Sunday, Jan. 11.
Speaking at the annual Joseph Smith Memorial Devotional in Logan, Utah, the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to thousands at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. He was accompanied at the event by his wife, Sister Susan Bednar.
“Join me on a journey of history and testimony,” Elder Bednar invited as he began. “My purpose is to emphasize a supernal series of miraculous experiences that took place in young Joseph Smith’s life.”
He testified that the following four events happened:
- Joseph Smith spoke with God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Joseph Smith received gold plates from the angel Moroni and translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God.
- Joseph Smith received priesthood authority and keys from John the Baptist and Peter, James and John.
- Joseph Smith reestablished upon the earth the Church of Jesus Christ in its fullness and truth by divine direction.
“These episodes are interrelated and build upon each other,” Elder Bednar said.
Elder Bednar used video clips of him testifying of these events over his 21 years serving as an Apostle of the Lord. These clips were compiled from his messages delivered in general conferences, MTC devotionals, mission leadership seminars, historic site dedications and his social media posts. The videos show how each of these four events supported one another and prepared Joseph Smith to lead the Church after it was organized on April 6, 1830, in Western New York.
‘The Times of Restitution of All Things’
The first video Elder Bednar showed included excerpts from his April 2025 general conference message, “The Times of Restitution of All Things.”
“The appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith, the translation and coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of priesthood authority and keys were necessary prerequisites to the organization of the Lord’s restored Church,” he said.
The First Vision
While in upstate New York in the fall of 2025 to rededicate the Hill Cumorah, Elder Bednar recorded various videos later published to his social media channels in which he testified of the events that took place there.
Among those videos was one recorded in the Sacred Grove.
“I testify that what occurred here was not imagined. It was not symbolic. It was real. God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith,” Elder Bednar said in the video.
Then Elder Bednar testified in the same video that Heavenly Father answers individuals’ prayers today when they “ask in faith, with determination to act.”
The Book of Mormon
The writings from gold plates Joseph Smith translated and published as the Book of Mormon are the word of God, Elder Bednar said.
“It stands as tangible evidence that the Restoration is real and that Jesus Christ lives.”
Elder Bednar played another video from last fall at the Hill Cumorah.
“The Book of Mormon is true. It is a second witness of Jesus Christ, brought forth by a prophet of God, and it stands as a testament to the reality of the Restoration,” he testified in the video.
Sister Bednar shared her testimony that Emma Smith was a “critical witness and helper during the translation of the Book of Mormon.”
Sister Bednar said Emma’s sacrifices to support the Prophet Joseph made it possible for the Book of Mormon to come to light.
“Her practical support and her consistent testimonies make her one of the most authoritative and essential witnesses to how the translation actually happened,” she said of Emma.
Elder Bednar shared his testimony of the Book of Mormon as recorded at the 2005 Seminar for New Mission Leaders at the Provo Missionary Training Center in June of that year.
“You could take a team of the brightest people on the earth, as large a team as you might like to assemble, with all of the support staff, all of the latest and greatest technology and all of the assistance that you can imagine, and such a team could not produce anything even approximating a tiny portion of the Book of Mormon,” he said.
Restoration of the priesthood
Elder Bednar’s third point was that the Church acts under God’s authority through His restored power of the priesthood.
“In fulfillment of prophetic promises regarding the restitution of all things in the latter days, ancient prophets and apostles returned and personally bestowed priesthood authority and priesthood keys upon Joseph Smith,” he said.
Church becomes official
The priesthood’s restoration enabled Joseph Smith to then officially organize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830.
“Under divine direction, he established the Lord’s Church once more upon the earth — built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone,” Elder Bednar said.
The events described had to happen in their proper order, Elder Bednar taught. And each supports the other, he said.
“All of these events truly did happen. The Lord used Joseph Smith to restore His Church to the earth,” he said.
Young adults reflect
Many young adults who attended the devotional stayed after its conclusion to talk with each other about what they had learned.
Von Sorensen recently finished his first semester at Utah State University after returning home from his mission.
“It’s something special,” he said. “Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we live as missionaries. ... I feel like I need to bring that back.”
Specifically, Sorensen said he felt that he needs to share his testimony with greater frequency “and find ways to talk about Jesus more” than he has since the conclusion of his mission in Ecuador.
Christian Kennedy said his testimony of Elder Bednar as an Apostle strengthened as he felt the Holy Ghost throughout the devotional.
“What meant a lot to me was what the Spirit taught me,” he said. “Even though I might have witnesses or testimonies of certain things such as the Book of Mormon, why can’t the Lord add more?”
Kennedy said this learning pushes him to study the life of Joseph Smith more and to gain a stronger testimony of him as a Prophet and to study daily the Book of Mormon.
Libby Checketts said she felt an increased understanding of how the Lord has helped prophets overcome their weaknesses to accomplish great things and that He can do the same thing for the rest of His children as well. She said this encourages her to be more willing to share her testimony with others.
“I feel like he gave a really good example of sharing his testimony,” Checketts said of Elder Bednar. “I want to be able to do that more and share my testimony in more natural ways, in a more powerful way and with more confidence.”
Emmeline Rees said she felt comforted by recognizing that Joseph Smith experienced challenges of mortality and that Heavenly Father helped him overcome his weaknesses when he strived to do the work God had chosen him to do.
“I gained an understanding that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God,” she said.
