LOGAN, Utah — Four events from 1820 to 1830 are an intertwined series of events that led to the founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder David A. Bednar taught Sunday, Jan. 11.
Speaking at the annual Joseph Smith Memorial Devotional in Logan, Utah, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed thousands of people on the Dee Glenn Smith spectrum. He was accompanied by his wife, Sister Susan Bednar, to the event.
“Join us on a journey of history and testimony,” Elder Bednar began. “My purpose is to highlight a series of wonderful miraculous experiences that occurred in the life of young Joseph Smith.”
He testified that the following four events occurred.
Joseph Smith spoke with God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith received the 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, Peter, James, and John. With divine guidance, Joseph Smith re-established the perfect and true Church of Jesus Christ on earth.
“These episodes are interrelated and build on each other,” Elder Bednar said.
Elder Bednar used video clips testifying to these events during his 21 years of service as an Apostle of the Lord. These clips are compiled from messages delivered at general conference, MTC devotionals, missionary leadership seminars, historic site dedications, and social media posts. The video shows how each of these four events supported each other and prepared Joseph Smith to lead the Church after it was organized in Western New York on April 6, 1830.
“The era of restoration of all things”
The first video Elder Bednar showed included an excerpt from the April 2025 general conference message, “The Time of Restoration of All Things.”
“The appearance of the Father and Son to Joseph Smith, the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of priesthood authority and keys were necessary prerequisites for the organization of the Lord’s restored Church,” he said.
first vision
In the fall of 2025, while traveling to upstate New York to rededicate the Hill Cumorah, Elder Bednar recorded various videos testifying to the events that occurred there, which he later published on his social media channels.
Some of those videos were recorded in the Sacred Grove.
“I testify that what happened here was not imaginary. 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.
Elder Bednar then testified in the same video that today, when people ask in faith and with determination to act, Heavenly Father answers their prayers.
book of mormon
The gold plates, translated by Joseph Smith and published as the Book of Mormon, are the words of God, Elder Bednar said.
“This is concrete proof that the Restoration is real and that Jesus Christ is alive.”
Elder Bednar played another video taken at Hill Cumorah last fall.
“The Book of Mormon is true. It is the second witness of Jesus Christ brought to us by the prophets of God, and it is a testimony that the Restoration is real,” he testified in a video.
Sister Bednar testified that Emma Smith was “an important witness and collaborator in the translation of the Book of Mormon.”
Sister Bednar said Emma’s sacrifice in support of the Prophet Joseph made the Book of Mormon possible.
“Thanks to her practical support and consistent testimony, she has become one of the most authoritative and important witnesses to how translation actually happened,” she said of Emma.
Elder Bednar shared his testimony of the Book of Mormon recorded at the 2005 New Missionary Leadership Seminar held at the Provo Missionary Training Center in June of that year.
“You can have as big a team as you want, with all the brightest people on the planet, all the support staff, the latest and greatest technology, all the help you can imagine, and you can’t produce anything even close to a small 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 the power of the restored priesthood.
“In fulfillment of the prophetic promise of the restoration of all things in the latter days, the ancient prophets and apostles returned and personally bestowed priesthood authority and priesthood keys on Joseph Smith,” he said.
church recognized
The restoration of the priesthood allowed Joseph Smith to formally organize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830.
“Under God’s guidance, he reestablished His Church on the earth, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as its chief cornerstone,” Elder Bednar said.
Elder Bednar taught that the events described must occur in proper order. And each supports the other, he said.
“All of these events actually happened. The Lord used Joseph Smith to restore His Church to the earth,” he said.
young people reflect
Many of the young people who participated in the devotional stayed afterward and talked with each other about what they had learned.
Von Sorensen recently completed his first semester at Utah State University after returning from a mission.
“It’s special,” he said. “Lately, we’ve been thinking a lot about how we live as missionaries. … I feel like we need to bring that back.”
Specifically, Sorensen said that since he ended his ministry in Ecuador, he has felt the need to share his testimony more often and “find ways to talk about Jesus more.”
Christian Kennedy said his testimony that Elder Bednar was an apostle was strengthened because he felt the Holy Spirit through his devotions.
“What meant so much to me was what the Spirit told me,” he said. “If I have a witness or testimony about certain things like the Book of Mormon, why can’t the Lord add more?”
Kennedy said this study inspired him to study more of Joseph Smith’s life, gain a stronger testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet, and study the Book of Mormon daily.
Libby Checketts said she felt a growing understanding of how the Lord helped prophets overcome their weaknesses to accomplish great things, and that the Lord will do the same for the rest of God’s children. She said this makes her more willing to share her testimony with others.
“I think he set a very good example of sharing his testimony,” Checketts said of Elder Bednar. “I want to do more of that and share my testimony in a more natural way, in a more powerful way, and with more confidence.”
Emmeline Reese said she was comforted by knowing that Heavenly Father helped Joseph Smith overcome his weaknesses as he experienced challenges in mortality and strived to fulfill the work God had chosen him to do.
“I understood that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God,” she said.
