David A. Bednar

David Allan Bednar (born June 15, 1952) is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). An educator by profession, Bednar was president of Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho) from 1997 to 2004.[2][3]

David A. Bednar
Bednar speaking at university commencement
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 2, 2004
LDS Church Apostle
October 7, 2004
Reason	Deaths of David B. Haight and Neal A. Maxwell[1]
14th President of Brigham Young University–Idaho
In office
July 1, 1997 – December 1, 2004
Successor	Kim B. Clark
Personal details
Born	David Allan Bednar June 15, 1952 Oakland, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Brigham Young University (B.A., M.A.) Purdue University (Ph.D.)
Spouse(s)	Susan Kae Robinson (1975-present)
Children	3

Bednar was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on October 2, 2004, the youngest man named to that body since Dallin H. Oaks in 1984. He was ordained an apostle on October 7, 2004, by church president Gordon B. Hinckley. Bednar and Dieter F. Uchtdorf were called to fill the vacancies created by the July 2004 deaths of quorum members David B. Haight and Neal A. Maxwell.[4] As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Bednar is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. He is currently the seventh most senior apostle in the church.[5]

Bednar was born in Oakland, California to Lavina Whitney Bednar and Anthony George Bednar.[6] His mother came from a long line of Latter-day Saints, but his father did not join the church until Bednar was in his late twenties. He served as a full-time missionary in Southern Germany and then attended Brigham Young University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication in 1976 and a Master of Arts degree in organizational communication in 1977.[7] He received a doctorate degree in organizational behavior from Purdue University in 1980.[8][9]

Academic career

From 1980 to 1984, Bednar was an assistant professor of management in the Sam M. Walton College of Business (then College of Business Administration) at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.[10] He was an assistant professor of management at Texas Tech University from 1984 to 1986. He returned to the University of Arkansas in 1987, serving as the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the Sam M. Walton College of Business until 1992, and was then the director of the Management Decision-Making Lab from 1992 to 1997. In 1994, he was recognized as the outstanding teacher at the University of Arkansas and received the Burlington Northern Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was twice the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award in the College of Business Administration.

Bednar served as the president of Ricks College/BYU–Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho, from July 1, 1997 to December 1, 2004.[3] There, he oversaw and managed the transition of the school from, what was at the time, the largest private junior college in the United States, Ricks College, to a four-year university, BYU–Idaho.[7]

LDS Church service

Bednar has served in the LDS Church as a bishop (Fayetteville Ward, 1987), twice as stake president (Fort Smith Arkansas Stake, 1987–91 and Rogers Arkansas Stake, 1991–95), regional representative (1994–95), and area seventy (1997–2004).

In late 2009, the BYU–Idaho choirs and orchestras performed an oratorio with words by Bednar and music by Robert Cundick.[11]

In 2016, Bednar dedicated the Star Valley Wyoming Temple, the LDS Church's 154th temple.[12]

Bednar attended the 2019 dedication of the Rome Italy Temple with all 15 of the LDS Church apostles.[13] This is believed to be the first time the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were in the same location outside the United States.[13]

Personal life

Bednar married Susan Kae Robinson in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975. He and his wife are currently living in the Salt Lake area.[14] The Bednars have three sons.[7]

Bednar at the April 2008 BYU Commencement with Cecil O. Samuelson, Elaine S. Dalton, and W. Rolfe Kerr

Bednar at the April 2008 BYU graduation ceremony

Works

Books

• White, Donald D.; Bednar, David A. (1991), Organizational Behavior: Understanding and Managing People at Work, Allyn & Bacon, ISBN 0-205-12851-3
• Sims, Ronald R.; White, Donald D.; Bednar, David A. (1992), Readings in Organizational Behavior, Allyn & Bacon, ISBN 0-205-12857-2
• Bednar, David A. (2011), Increase in Learning, Deseret Book Company, ISBN 978-1-60908-943-6
• Bednar, David A. (2012), Act in Doctrine, Deseret Book Company, ISBN 978-1-60907-227-8
• Bednar, David A. (2014), Power to Become: Spiritual Patterns for Pressing Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ, Deseret Book Company, ISBN 978-1-60907-859-1
• Bednar, David A. (2017), One by One, Deseret Book Company, ISBN 978-1-62972-382-2

Academic articles

• Bednar, David A; Roach, David W (1997), "The Theory of Logical Types: A Tool for Understanding Levels and Types of Change in Organizations", Human Relations, SAGE Publications, 50 (6): 671–699, doi:10.1177/001872679705000603, OCLC 437562507, S2CID 145575927
• Reeves, Carol A; Bednar, David A (1996), "Keys to Market Success -- A Response and Another View", Journal of Retail Banking, Arlington, VA: Consumer Bankers Association in cooperation with the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia, 18 (4): 33, OCLC 91490898
• Bednar, David A; Reeves, Carol A; Lawrence, R Cayce (1995), "The Role of Technology in Banking -- Listen to the Customer", Journal of Retail Banking, Arlington, VA: Consumer Bankers Association in cooperation with the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia, 17 (3): 35, OCLC 91801203
• Reeves, Carol A; Bednar, David A (1995), "Quality as Symphony", The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Ithaca, NY: School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, 36 (3): 72–79, doi:10.1177/001088049503600323, OCLC 87629925, S2CID 154158411
• Reeves, Carol A; Bednar, David A (July 1994), "Defining Quality: Alternatives and Implications", Academy of Management Review, 19 (3): 419–445, doi:10.5465/amr.1994.9412271805, JSTOR 258934, OCLC 482675183
• White, Donald D.; Bednar, David A. (Winter 1984), "Locating problems with quality circles", National Productivity Review, 4 (1): 45–52, doi:10.1002/npr.4040040106, OCLC 4663049108
• Bednar, David A.; Curington, William P. (April 1983), "Interaction Analysis: A Tool for Understanding Negotiations", Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 36 (3): 389–401, doi:10.2307/2523018, JSTOR 2523018, OCLC 424819759
• Bednar, David A (Fall 1982), "Relationships between Communicator Style and Managerial Performance in Complex Organizations: A Field Study", Journal of Business Communication, 19 (4): 51–76, doi:10.1177/002194368201900404, OCLC 424921115, S2CID 146548462

Awards

• Burlington Northern Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching (1994)[15][7]

See also

• Council on the Disposition of the Tithes

References

1. Bednar and Dieter F. Uchtdorf were ordained on the same date to fill the vacancies created by the deaths of Haight and Maxwell.
2. "Biography:President David A. Bednar". BYU-Idaho. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
3. Heaps, Julie Dockstader (20 November 2004). "New interim president to take helm at BYU-Idaho". Church News. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
4. Hinckley, Gordon B. (November 2004), "Condition of the Church", Ensign: 4
5. Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Seniority is determined by date of ordination, not by age or other factors. If two apostles are ordained on the same day, the older of the two is typically ordained first. See Succession to the presidency and Heath, Steven H. (Summer 1987). "Notes on Apostolic Succession" (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 20 (2): 44–56..
6. "prophets and apostles". LDS Church. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
7. Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "Bednar's 2nd calling still comes as surprise", The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 October 2004. Retrieved on 26 March 2020.
8. Buzzanell, Patrice M., The Teacher-Scholar Model of the Redding Tradition (PDF)
9. Liberal Arts Magazine, Volume 11 No. 2 (PDF)
10. Keogh, Rochelle. "Former UA Professor is Apostle", Arkansas Traveler, 6 October 2004. Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
11. Holman, Marianne (31 October 2009), "New sacred music", Church News
12. Noble, Mariah. "Mormons dedicate first temple in Wyoming", The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 November 2016. Retrieved on 26 March 2020.
13. Noyce, David. "A historic first: All 15 top Latter-day Saint leaders will be in Rome for temple dedication this weekend", The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 March 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
14. "the presidents and first ladies". McKay library home. 21 September 2016.
15. "- University of Arkansas". Uark.edu. Retrieved 8 October 2018.

Further reading

• "Elder David A. Bednar", Newsroom, LDS Church
• "Biography: David A. Bednar", Past Presidents, BYU-Idaho, archived from the original on 2008-05-11
• Eyring, Henry B. (March 2005), "Elder David A. Bednar: Going Forward in the Strength of the Lord", Ensign: 17

External links

• General Authorities and General Officers: Elder David A. Bednar
• Bednar on Special Witnesses of Christ