2024 April General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session

“Be Still, and Know That I Am God”

Elder David A. Bednar
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Main Points

  • We can be still and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.
  • We can overcome external commotion – we can recognize the need to tune out the world’s distractions to achieve inner stillness.
  • We need to build on the Rock of Christ by strengthening our faith and spiritual foundation through Christ.
  • Sacred Times and Holy Places: Utilizing the Sabbath, temples, and homes as spaces for spiritual renewal.
  • Promise of Spiritual Stillness: Assurance that a life built on Christ’s teachings brings peace and the strength to face challenges.

Gospel Doctrine & Principles taught

Our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, Agency, The Holy Ghost, The Atonement, The Lord’s Covenant People, Covenants 

Scriptures

Psalm 46:10, Doctrine and Covenants 101:16, 1 Nephi 14:14, Doctrine and Covenants 101:16, Mosiah 18:9, Moroni 7:28, Mosiah 15:6–9, 2 Nephi 2:27–28, Moroni 7:28, Helaman 5:12, Ether 12:4, Moses 7:18, 21; Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46, Colossians 1:23; 2:7; 2 Peter 1:12; Doctrine and Covenants 59:9, Mosiah 18:30, 2 Nephi 31:20, Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 1:10 

Related talks: 

Look for Jesus Christ:

  • Testimony of Christ.
    • Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, our Mediator, and our Advocate with the Eternal Father and the rock upon which we should build the spiritual foundation of our lives.
    • God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.
    • I joyfully witness that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and the “rock” of our salvation. I so testify in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
  • Description of His Atonement.
    • True faith is always focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ—in Him as the Divine and Only Begotten Son of the Eternal Father and on Him and the redemptive mission He fulfilled.
  • Description of His relationship with us.
    • He is the ultimate source of the spiritual stillness of the soul that strengthens us to do and overcome hard things.
  • Words of Christ.
    • “Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.”
    • “Let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.”
    • “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day”

Inspiring Words & Phrases

  • The world grows increasingly noisy. … The distractions … can impair our ability to hear Him.
  • The Lord promises spiritual stillness … as we come unto Him.
  • A life built upon a foundation of Jesus Christ will not fall.
  • We can experience the peace of the temple in our homes.
  • Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, our Mediator, and our Advocate with the Eternal Father and the rock upon which we should build the spiritual foundation of our lives.
  • The foundation of our lives must be connected to the rock of Christ if we are to remain firm and steadfast.
  • The sacred covenants and ordinances of the Savior’s restored gospel can be compared to the anchor pins and steel rods used to connect a building to bedrock. Every time we faithfully receive, review, remember, and renew sacred covenants, our spiritual anchors are secured ever more firmly and steadfastly to the “rock” of Jesus Christ.
  • As the foundation of our lives is built upon the Savior, we are blessed to “be still”—to have a spiritual assurance that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.
  • The Lord provides both sacred times and holy places to help us experience and learn about this inner stillness of our souls.
  • On His holy day, our thoughts, actions, and demeanor are signs we give to God and an indicator of our love for Him. 
  • Every Sunday, if we will, we can be still and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.
  • In His holy house, if we will, we can be still and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.
  • The principal purposes of sacred time and holy places are exactly the same: to repeatedly focus our attention upon Heavenly Father and His plan, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement, the edifying power of the Holy Ghost, and the promises associated with the sacred ordinances and covenants of the Savior’s restored gospel.
  • Our homes should be the ultimate combination of both sacred time and holy place wherein individuals and families can “be still” and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior… only as we return to our homes with the spiritual perspective and strength obtained in [other] holy places and activities can we then sustain our focus upon the primary purposes of mortal life and overcome the temptations so prevalent in our fallen world.
  • Our ongoing Sabbath, temple, and home experiences should fortify us with the power of the Holy Ghost, with an ongoing and stronger covenant connection to the Father and the Son, and with “a perfect brightness of hope” in God’s eternal promises.
  • As home and Church are gathered together in one in Christ, we may be troubled on every side, but we will not be distressed in our minds and hearts. We may be perplexed by our circumstances and challenges, but we will not be in despair. We may be persecuted, but we will also recognize that we are never alone. We can receive spiritual strength to become and remain firm, steadfast, and true.

Lists

Things in modern life that seem to demand our attention:

  • Hectic pace
  • busyness 
  • noise 
  • diversions 
  • distractions 
  • detours

What does it mean to ‘be still’:

  • More than just not talking or not moving
  • remember and rely upon Him and His power
    • At all times
    • In all things
    • In all places
  • reminding us to focus upon the Savior

In Helaman 5:12, Christ is not the foundation – we are admonished to build our foundation on Him. Why a foundation:

  • The foundation is the part of a building that connects it to the ground.
    • A strong and reliable connection between the ground and a foundation is essential if a structure is to remain sturdy and stable over time. 
    • anchor pins and steel rods can be used to attach the foundation of a building to “bedrock.”
  • A strong foundation provides protection from natural disasters and many other destructive forces. 
  • A proper foundation also distributes the weight of a structure over a large area to avoid overloading the underlying soil and provides a level surface for construction.

The Lord provides sacred times and holy places to help us experience and learn about this inner stillness of our souls:

  • The Sabbath is a sacred time
    • to remember and worship the Father in the name of His Son
    • to participate in priesthood ordinances
    • to receive and renew sacred covenants
    • to worship the Lord during our home study
    • To worship the Lord as “fellow citizens with the saints” during sacrament and other meetings
    • To show our love to Him through our thoughts, actions, and demeanor
  • Meetinghouses and other approved facilities are holy places
    • of reverence
    • of worship 
    • of learning
    • dedicated by priesthood authority as a place where the Spirit of the Lord may dwell and where God’s children may come “to the knowledge of their Redeemer.”
  • The temple is a holy place
    • specifically set apart for worshiping 
    • specifically set apart for serving God 
    • specifically set apart for learning eternal truths
    • where we think, act, and dress differently from any other places that we may frequent.

What is the process of anchoring our soul to Christ?:

  • Faithfully receive sacred covenants
  • Review our covenants
  • Remember our sacred covenants
  • Renew our covenants
  • The anchoring process is incremental
  • The anchoring process increases in process of time
  • Gradually virtue begins to garnish our thoughts unceasingly
  • We become increasingly more confident in our relationship with God
  • The Holy Ghost becomes our constant companion
  • We become more grounded
  • We become more rooted
  • We become more settled
  • We become more established
  • We are blessed to have a spiritual assurance that
    • God is our Heavenly Father
    • We are God’s children
    • Jesus Christ is our Savior

Invitations/Challenges

  • I pray the Holy Ghost will enlighten each of us as we consider a higher and holier dimension of stillness in our lives—an inner spiritual stillness of the soul that enables us to know and remember that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.
  • This remarkable blessing (an inner stillness of soul) is available to all Church members who are striving faithfully to become “covenant people of the Lord.”
  • On His holy day, our thoughts, actions, and demeanor are signs we give to God and an indicator of our love for Him.
  • Our homes should be the ultimate combination of both sacred time and holy place wherein individuals and families can “be still” and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.

Blessings/Promises

  • Every Sunday, if we will, we can be still and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior.
  • As home and Church are gathered together in one in Christ, we may be troubled on every side, but we will not be distressed in our minds and hearts. 
  • As home and Church are gathered together in one in Christ, we may be perplexed by our circumstances and challenges, but we will not be in despair. 
  • As home and Church are gathered together in one in Christ, we may be persecuted, but we will also recognize that we are never alone. 
  • As home and Church are gathered together in one in Christ, we can receive spiritual strength to become and remain firm, steadfast, and true.
  • I promise that as we build the foundation of our lives on the “rock” of Jesus Christ, we can be blessed by the Holy Ghost to receive an individual and spiritual stillness of the soul that enables us to know and remember that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, Jesus Christ is our Savior, and we can be blessed to do and overcome hard things.

Stories:

  • During a temple open house, Elder Bednar led journalists on a tour, emphasizing the celestial room’s representation of heavenly peace. He asked for silence inside, allowing guests to experience its tranquility. Afterward, a journalist emotionally expressed awe at the profound stillness, highlighting the importance of overcoming external distractions to find inner peace. This reaction underscored the powerful impact of spiritual stillness.
  • In 1833, the Saints in Missouri faced severe persecution, having been driven from their homes in Jackson County. Despite relocating to nearby counties, threats persisted. During these trying times, the Lord instructed Joseph Smith from Kirtland, Ohio, to comfort the Saints with the message: “Let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.” This revelation emphasized trust in divine control amidst adversity. 

Application Ideas

  1. Elder Bednar repeats a variation of the phrase “God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior” 8 different times in his talk. Search out those occurrences and ponder each one. Why do you think Elder Bednar used that phrase so many times? Write your feelings in your journal or share them with someone you trust.
  2. Elder Bednar uses the phrase “if we will” three times in this talk. How would you apply this to your own personal “stillness”? Consider reading 2 Nephi:14-29 or Be 100 Percent Responsible for additional insight.
  3. With Elder Bednar’s description of sacred times and holy places in mind, what changes could you make to your home and schedule that would help it be the “the ultimate combination of both sacred time and holy place wherein individuals and families can “be still” and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior”?
  4. Consider how you are ‘striving faithfully to become “covenant people of the Lord.”’ Write of this in your journal.

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