Elder David A. Bednar addresses members of the National Press Club at a luncheon in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 26, 2022. ©2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Elder David A. Bednar gave a speech on May 26, 2022, to the National Press Club. This is only the second time a Church leader has done so. The first was President Gordon B. Hinckley back in 2000 when he was 89 years old.

You can read Elder Bednar's prepared remarks at this link. You can view the entire address and the Question and Answer session at this link on YouTube.

The Questions Posed to Elder Bednar

The focus of this blog posting is entirely on the Question and Answer Session. It's pretty difficult to transcribe the questions myself, so I'm going to use what the Church has done here. If you want more detail, please review it on YouTube.

Many Church leaders, including you, have a deep business administration background. … What are some of the advantages of so much business acumen at the Church’s highest levels?

Can you envision a day when LGBTQ Church members can marry and be sealed within the Church?

You mentioned that women lead within the Church in many ways. Will there ever be a female president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Given the significant financial strain that tithing is for those in war or in abject poverty, is there any discussion within the Church about not requiring that for people in those situations or at least tithing only what is left after paying for housing, food and other necessities?

Can you talk about the decision to really emphasize the full name of the Church as opposed to calling yourself Mormons or the LDS Church?

There are underlying assumptions to these questions. These underlying assumptions underlie just about every question posed to the Church, every assumption made about the Church, and any accusation aimed at the Church.

These underlying assumptions are simply wrong. This prevents the world from really understanding us.

The Underlying Assumptions that are Wrong

  • Decisions in the Church are made entirely by mere mortals.
  • These decisions are reached using the BOGSAT method. (Bunch of Guys Sitting Around aTable.)
  • These mere mortals can be influenced by political and societal pressure in order to effect change.
  • Decisions are therefore subject to change.

The Flaws in These Assumptions

The Church is headed by Jesus Christ. This is His Church. Reporters and others throughout the world simply cannot grasp that a Church truly is the product of deity and directed by deity.

Jesus Christ directs it through His chosen prophets. The world doesn't grasp the idea of a prophet chosen by deity, only ones that are self-selected. The self-selected ones are always suspect and flawed. Most people have no experience with a real prophet and cannot even grasp that one can, and does, exist.

Church leaders follow His direction, not their own judgment. Everyone assumes these men are directing themselves, not receiving direction from deity.

They assume that personal preferences and views can significantly impact church decisions in the present and the future. If the leaders change (age and die) then the decisions can change.

Jesus Christ personally directed the name emphasis away from Mormon in favor of the official name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through his Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. The press was specifically informed of this but seemed to not believe it and spun it their own way.

Doctrine does not change but policy & procedure can. There is a vast difference between the two. The world doesn't understand the difference between doctrine and policy & procedure.

Doctrine is anchored in truth. Truth is found in scripture and inspired direction to prophets. Policy & procedure can be the result of administrative convenience, advancement in righteousness, and other factors.

What the Press is Getting Wrong

One of the other questions posed to Elder Bednar was this:

On the Church’s website, it says that the Church has responsibility to publicly and clearly articulate its official teaching. In turn, reporters can help inform the public by accurately reporting. … Where are journalist getting it wrong?

I'll answer this question in a way that Elder Bednar didn't. Journalists would do well to explore the difference between doctrine and policy & procedure. This could help them from getting things wrong.

Elder Bednar did state doctrine when he answered some of the questions at the National Press Club. For example, he restated doctrine when he answered the question of LGTBQ marriage, a woman as a possible Church President, the law of tithing, and the name of the Church. These things are not going to change.

If journalists could grasp and master these differences, the accuracy of their reporting could go way up.

What They Do Instead

Instead of accepting our reasons for why we do what we do, journalists make up their own secular reasons.

Sometimes, they solicit secular reasons from apostates or jaded academics.

The tortured logic and fiction the press then puts forth can sort of fester into fact, at least in the secular world.

Don't believe me? Remember Wallace Turner!?


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