David A Bednar | With the Power of God in Great Glory | Oct 2021 General Conference | Faith To Act

With the Power of God in Great Glory
(1 Nephi 14:14)

By Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Honoring covenants arms us with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

I pray that the Holy Ghost will enlighten and edify all of us as we consider together the marvelous work of salvation and exaltation in the dispensation of the fulness of times.

Moroni’s First Visit to Joseph Smith
Approximately three years after the First Vision, on the night of September 21, 1823, young Joseph Smith was praying to receive a remission of his sins and to know of his state and standing before God.1 A personage appeared at his bedside, called Joseph by name, and declared “he was a messenger sent from the presence of God … and that his name was Moroni.” He explained “that God had a work for [Joseph] to do”2 and then instructed him about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Significantly, the Book of Mormon was one of the first topics addressed in Moroni’s message.

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and the great tool of conversion in the latter days. Our purpose in sharing the gospel is to invite all to come unto Jesus Christ,3 receive the blessings of the restored gospel, and endure to the end through faith in the Savior.4 Helping individuals to experience the mighty change of heart5 and bind themselves to the Lord through sacred covenants and ordinances are the fundamental objectives of preaching the gospel.

Moroni’s introduction of the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith initiated the work of salvation and exaltation for individuals on this side of the veil in the dispensation of the fulness of times.

Continuing his instruction to Joseph, Moroni next quoted from the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, with a little variation in the language used in the King James Version:

“Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

“… And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”6

Our purpose in building temples is to make available the holy places wherein the sacred covenants and ordinances necessary for the salvation and exaltation of the human family can be administered, for both the living and the dead. Moroni’s instruction to Joseph Smith about the vital role of Elijah and priesthood authority expanded the work of salvation and exaltation on this side of the veil and initiated in our dispensation the work for the dead on the other side of the veil.

In summary, Moroni’s teachings in September of 1823 about the Book of Mormon and the mission of Elijah established the doctrinal foundation for the work of salvation and exaltation on both sides of the veil.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
The lessons Joseph Smith learned from Moroni influenced every aspect of his ministry. For example, at a solemn assembly held in the Kirtland Temple on April 6, 1837, the Prophet declared, “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”7

Almost precisely seven years later, on April 7, 1844, Joseph Smith delivered a sermon known today as the King Follett Discourse. He declared in that address, “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.”8

But how can preaching the gospel and seeking after our dead both be the single greatest duty and responsibility God has placed upon us? I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith was emphasizing in both statements the fundamental truth that covenants, entered into through authoritative priesthood ordinances, can bind us to the Lord Jesus Christ and are the essential core of the work of salvation and exaltation on both sides of the veil.

General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021

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