Home > David A. Bednar > Biography full

David A. Bednar

American educator and religious leader

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). A former educator, Bednar was president of Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho) from 1997 to 2004.

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. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Bednar is recognized by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. He is currently the seventh most senior apostle in the church.

Contents

  • 1 Life and career
  • 2 LDS Church service
    • 2.1 Controversy
  • 3 Personal life
  • 4 Works
  • 5 Awards
  • 6 See also
  • 7 References
  • 8 Further reading
  • 9 External links

Life and career

Bednar was born in Oakland, California to Lavina Whitney Bednar and Anthony George Bednar. 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. He received a doctorate degree in organizational behavior from Purdue University in 1980.

From 1980 to 1984, Bednar was an *istant professor of management at the University of Arkansas College of Business Administration (now Sam M. Walton College of Business). He was an *istant professor of management at Texas Tech University from 1984 to 1986. He returned to the University of Arkansas in 1987, serving as the *ociate 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. 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.

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

Bednar attended the 2019 dedication of the Rome Italy Temple with all 15 of the LDS Church apostles. 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.

Controversy

In 2016, Bednar attracted media attention when he claimed the church doesn't discriminate against gay and lesbian people because "there are no *sexual members of the church." He stated that being gay or lesbian is not the primary iden*y of individuals, but rather that each individual is first a child of God.

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. The Bednars have three sons.

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 *ociation 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 *ociation 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 *ysis: 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)

See also

  • Council on the Disposition of the *hes

References

    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

    David A. Bednar Is A Member Of

    71 Year Olds

    David A. Bednar

    David

    Oakland, California