Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told young adults at a worldwide Church devotional that the spiritual link in your family starts with you. He and his wife, Susan, spoke from the Apex North Carolina Stake Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Sunday, September 10, 2017.
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The Church apostle discussed with the young people the importance of being a “welding link” in their posterity, both past and future, and their active participation in the Church. “I am a link, joining all of the generations of the past and all of the generations of the future. … I cannot afford to break that chain,” he said.
Susan Bednar acknowledged that many people come from homes of great sorrow, abuse or dysfunction. She said, “Eternal family links are only welded together through priesthood authority and personal righteousness. … Weeping may have endured during the night of your adversity [in your home], but joy can come in the morning of your new life made possible by our Redeemer and Savior.”
Elder Bednar, a first-generation Latter-day Saint on his father’s side, explained how becoming a member of the Church enabled him to be the welding link for his family. “Whether you are a recent or a longtime convert, you are the lifeblood of the Church and the salvation of your present and future families. You are the first link in the chain of your generations.”
He further explained that first-generation Mormons are no different than the early pioneers who crossed the plains, faced persecution and endured much physical hardship. Elder Bednar said members today are doing exactly as the early pioneers. “The precise nature and types of challenges you face today may be different from those pioneers, but the opposition to restored truth is the same today and grows ever more intense.”
“Becoming a welding link,” Elder Bednar concluded, “begins with you trusting the Holy Ghost to teach you all things and illuminate your pathway, even when you do not know precisely beforehand where you should go and what you should do. … Please remember, it begins with you!”