The Literal and Spiritual Witness: Elder Bednar on Resurrection and the Iron Rod

The Brethren’s witness of Jesus Christ is not mere formality. It’s a living, breathing testament, and lately, we’ve been reminded of that with particular force. Elder Bednar’s recent Easter message, shared on Instagram, cuts through the noise and demands our attention, a call to deeper seeking and a potent reminder of the Restoration.

We are accustomed to hearing declarations of faith, but Elder Bednar’s words carry a weight, a resonance that goes beyond the expected. He doesn’t simply assert that he testifies of Christ; he testifies *to* him. There's a critical distinction. To witness *of* someone is to recount their actions; to witness *to* someone is to know them intimately, to stand in their presence. This, he says, is what it means to be a witness—to have seen and known the Lord.

This isn’t a purely spiritual exercise, either. Elder Bednar insists on a literal knowing, a palpable presence. To separate the spiritual and the literal is to diminish the power of the Resurrection itself. We are called not only to believe *in* the literal resurrection but to seek and find it, to rend the veil of unbelief as the brother of Jared did (Ether 12:6). The brother of Jared didn't simply *believe* he could receive a light; he *knew* he could, and that faith was the key.

The infographic he shared, referencing Job 19:25 (“For I know that my redeemer liveth…”) and Isaiah 25:8 (“He will swallow up death in victory”), is significant. These are prophecies, declarations of a reality that transcends our mortal understanding. Coupled with 1 Corinthians 15:20, which establishes Christ as the “first fruits of them that have fallen asleep,” we see a clear and powerful doctrine: Christ’s resurrection is the precursor to our own, the promise of ultimate triumph over mortality.

The concept of “first fruits” is vital. It signifies the beginning of a harvest, a foretaste of what is to come. Just as the first fruits of the earth are offered as a sign of gratitude and a promise of abundance, Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee of our own eventual deliverance from death.

Elder Bednar’s call to rend the veil of unbelief is a direct challenge to each of us. It requires more than intellectual assent; it demands a fervent desire to know, to seek, and to find. It’s a call to personal revelation, to a deeper connection with the Lord. Do we truly believe we can rend the veil? Do we actively seek that experience?

This isn’t just about attending General Conference and nodding along. This is about *discipleship*. This is about aligning our lives with the teachings of the prophets and apostles, striving to emulate their faithfulness and their willingness to testify of the Lord, even when it requires courage and conviction.

Let us not be content with a superficial understanding of the Restoration. Let us strive, with humility and earnest desire, to know the Lord for ourselves. Let us be witnesses, not just of what we are told, but of what we have experienced.