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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at a worldwide devotional for younger adults from Brigham Younger College–Idaho on Sunday, November 3, 2024. Photograph courtesy of BYU–Idaho.All rights reserved.
On Could 3, 2009, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered a speech from Brigham Younger College–Idaho, titled “Things as They Really Are.” He stated then, “I elevate an apostolic voice of warning in regards to the doubtlessly stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining affect of some sorts of our on-line world interactions and experiences upon our souls.”
Fifteen years later, throughout a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults on Sunday, November 3, 2024, Elder Bednar shared “Issues as They Actually Are 2.0” from the identical campus in Rexburg, Idaho, providing apostolic steerage for residing the gospel in a brand new technological context.
He reminded listeners that “neither digital improvements nor speedy change in and of themselves are good or evil,” however should be positioned in their correct context of the everlasting plan of happiness.
Every innovation has potential for each “limitless perils and untold potentialities,” Elder Bednar stated, quoting President David O. McKay.
He then posed the identical two inquiries to younger adults that he addressed in his unique speech:
- Does the use of numerous applied sciences and media invite or impede the fixed companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?
- Does the time you spend utilizing numerous applied sciences and media enlarge or limit your capability to stay, to like, and to serve in significant methods?
Synthetic Intelligence
One technological instrument that has emerged since Elder Bednar’s unique speech is synthetic intelligence (AI).
AI, meant to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving skills, has “the potential of advancing information, bettering our high quality of life, facilitating communication and connection, enhancing private studying and development, and fostering creativity and innovation.”
Mentioned Elder Bednar: “AI additionally has the potential to obscure our true identification as sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, distract us from the everlasting truths and righteous work vital for non secular development, engender pleasure and a diminished acknowledgment of our dependence upon God, and distort or substitute significant human interplay.
“It’s a set of pc equations that may deal with you as an object to be acted upon, in the event you let it,” he warned. “Please don’t let this know-how entice you to turn into an object.”

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BYU–Idaho President Alvin F. Meredith III instructs attendees to carry up their units to point out they’re able to be taught. This custom was began by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when he was president of the college. Photograph courtesy of BYU–Idaho.All rights reserved.
Elder Bednar inspired Latter-day Saints to do two issues as they navigate the intersection of spirituality and know-how:
- Establish gospel ideas that may information their use of synthetic intelligence.
- Try sincerely for the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the non secular present of revelation.
Elder Bednar additionally invited listeners to evaluate the doc “Principles for Church Use of Artificial Intelligence,” distributed by the Church earlier this year.
The ideas inside can “present a powerful basis upon which you’ll construct your private safeguards towards the perils of inappropriate know-how utilization,” Elder Bednar stated.
Moral Agency
One of Elder Bednar’s key warnings was associated to ethical company, “the flexibility and privilege to decide on and to behave for ourselves in methods which are good, sincere, virtuous and honorable.”
“The basic functions for the train of company are to like each other and to decide on God,” Elder Bednar stated. “The very objective of the Creation and of our mortal existence is to see in the event you and I’ll select and act to turn into what the Lord invitations us to turn into.”
Nevertheless, misuse of synthetic intelligence applied sciences can have a detrimental impact on our ethical company, inflicting us to turn into “brokers to be acted upon.”

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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at a worldwide devotional for younger adults from Brigham Younger College–Idaho on Sunday, November 3, 2024. Photograph courtesy of BYU–Idaho.All rights reserved.
Elder Bednar echoed President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to “assume celestial,” warning that AI solely has the flexibility to “assume telestial.”
“Regardless of how refined and elegant AI know-how finally could turn into, it merely can by no means bear witness of the Father and the Son, reveal the reality of all issues, or sanctify those that have repented and turn into baptized,” Elder Bednar taught.
“As we’re smart, protect and train our ethical company to like God and serve our brothers and sisters, and take the Holy Spirit for our information, we will keep away from deception and prosper spiritually in the difficult and blessed occasions in which we stay,” he stated.
Righteous Work
The origin of this discuss, Elder Bednar stated, got here from a devotional he delivered in January 2024 titled “Think about the Wondrous Works of God.” There he described the significance of work in our non secular progress.
Work fulfills the “overarching objective of Heavenly Father’s plan,” which is “to supply His spirit youngsters with alternatives to be taught,” Elder Bednar stated in that devotional.
He echoed that message right here, telling younger adults that “the divine capacities to create and work belong uniquely to every of us as sons and daughters of God.” He warned, nevertheless, that “overreliance on AI know-how will trigger us to turn into spiritually slothful and shallow.”
For example, Elder Bednar pointed to the benefit of utilizing AI to generate a sacrament assembly discuss or Sunday Faculty lesson, bypassing a possibility to develop spiritually by way of righteous work.
“The target just isn’t merely producing or presenting spectacular content material,” he stated. “Quite, it’s working and turning into what God intends and yearns for us to turn into.”
By means of centered, sustained and righteous work, Latter-day Saints can turn into extra devoted disciples, obtain private revelation, and strengthen their ongoing conversion to the Lord.
On the finish of the devotional, Elder Bednar reiterated the significance of residing in a method that invitations the Holy Ghost into our lives.
“I bless and promise you to know that as we glance unto the Savior in each thought and look for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we shall be blessed to stroll in the meekness of the Lord’s spirit and have peace in Him,” he stated. “And we’ll ‘doubt not, concern not,’ and discern the reality of all issues, even issues as they are surely.”

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Susan Bednar, spouse of Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks at a worldwide devotional for younger adults from Brigham Younger College–Idaho on Sunday, November 3, 2024. Photograph courtesy of BYU–Idaho.All rights reserved.
Changing Concern with Religion
Elder Bednar’s spouse, Susan, centered her remarks on overcoming concern by way of Jesus Christ, addressing three questions submitted by younger adults in a earlier devotional:
- How can I substitute concern with Christlike love and religion?
- How can I keep sturdy after I really feel so weak?
- How can I be taught to belief God?
She drew from her personal private expertise and scriptural insights in answering these questions, particularly Isaiah 41:10.
“Concern thou not; for I’m with thee: be not dismayed,” reads the start of the verse. Sister Bednar pointed to the account in Luke 24 of the resurrected Savior strolling with the disciples on the street to Emmaus.
“I consider Jesus walks with you and me on our journey by way of life greater than we’ll ever know,” she stated. “He’s with us.”
Addressing the following half of the verse, “For I’m thy God: I’ll strengthen thee; yea, I’ll assist thee,” Sister Bednar shared a private expertise of driving to the hospital in Salt Lake Metropolis to be together with her cousin, whose husband had undergone open coronary heart surgical procedure.
There, witnessing her cousin’s husband bear a blood transfusion drop by drop, she was reminded of the drops of blood the Savior shed for her.
“By some means, and in a method that I don’t absolutely perceive or comprehend, Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice offers us power and assist to do laborious issues. We’re blessed to do issues we don’t assume we will do,” she stated.

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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his spouse, Susan, greet younger adults on the shut of a worldwide devotional on Sunday, November 3, 2024. Photograph courtesy of BYU–Idaho.All rights reserved.
“I’ll uphold thee with the correct hand of my righteousness,” the ultimate half of Isaiah 41:10 reads. Sister Bednar defined that “the correct hand is called the covenant hand.”
Sister Bednar associated the scripture to the account of Jesus strolling on the water. Peter needing to hitch him exterior the boat. When Peter loses his give attention to the Savior, he begins to sink and cries out for Jesus to save lots of him. “And instantly Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him…”
“And I actually consider that he’ll catch us, too,” she stated.
She testified, “He walks with us, he strengthens us, He helps us. And we will belief that He’ll uphold, maintain, and assist us as we keep in mind our covenant reference to Him.”

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Younger adults arrive to a worldwide devotional with Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at Brigham Younger College–Idaho on Sunday, November 3, 2024. Photograph courtesy of BYU–Idaho.All rights reserved.