By Zachary Gibson
Throughout his life, Jeffrey Bednar has been accustomed to having a father who has held church leadership positions. He has been the son of the bishop, stake president, regional representative, area authority and area authority seventy. Now, his father is Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elder Bednar will remain president of BYU-Idaho until a new president is named. He currently commutes between Rexburg and Salt Lake City to fulfill church assignments and attend meetings.
An interview with 22-year-old Jeff Bednar revealed a strong presence of faith and devotion within the Bednar family. While Elder Bednar”s calling doesn”t come with a boost of physical strength, Jeff said he knows his father”s capacity to fulfill his calling will come from a higher, stronger source.
“One thing I would want you to know about my dad is that he is a dad just like everyone else”s,” Jeff said. “I want people to know that he is an ordinary man who can do extraordinary things because of the strength of the Lord. He is a living witness of the enabling power of the Atonement.”
The enabling power of which Elder Bednar spoke during the Sunday morning session of General Conference has been present in the lives of the Bednars for years. Jeff”s confidence in Elder Bednar is reassured by the sustaining influence of Sister Susan Bednar.
“One of the reasons my dad has the capacity to serve in this calling at this time in his life is because he has an incredible wife by his side,” he said, teary eyed. “She has always been 100 percent supportive of my dad in everything he has done. I love my mom.”
Sister Bednar was the only member of the family with whom Elder Bednar was permitted to share the news of his new calling. The news of the call came to the rest of the family during the Saturday morning session of General Conference. It was a complete surprise.
Jeff said Elder Bednar doesn”t like to be late. In fact, he is almost always early. After a family breakfast on Saturday morning before General Conference, Jeff said he noticed his dad was anxious to get over to the Conference Center. Because of Elder Bednar”s calling as president of BYU-Idaho, Jeff was accustomed to having good seats at General Conference.
“We always sit apart, so I didn”t even watch where they had taken my parents,” he said. “They took my parents up to the front row and I didn”t even know they were sitting there.”
After President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the call of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Jeff said he thought “he will be incredible.”
“Then, when President Hinckley said, ”We have called David A. Bednar,” my first thought was that he would be incredible too,” he said. “Then I suddenly stopped and thought about what had been said.”
Later Saturday evening, immediate family gathered in Salt Lake City to support Elder Bednar in his new calling.
“It was a time to sit and visit, laugh and cry and feel the weight of what was happening,” Jeff said about the time his family spent together Conference weekend. “It”s not something that you would ever expect to happen to your family. It”s not something you would ever expect to happen to your dad.”
Jeff described how the balance in Elder Bednar”s life has allowed him to fulfill the role of a father and a church leader.
“There”s dad and there”s Elder Bednar,” he said. “I don”t want to make it sound like they are two different people. Dad is the person you see in his pajamas or wrestling on the floor. But at times I”ve watched him stand up at a stake conference or at a devotional and it”s different.”
Jeff spoke of how his father”s use of the priesthood authority to teach and to testify has influenced his life. Elder Bednar”s diligence in fulfilling his church callings has been a continual source of strength to Jeff”s testimony.
“I have watched him be magnified to do things he could never do on his own,” he said of the newly called apostle.
Because Elder Bednar has held so many influential church positions, Jeff said he has become accustomed to the presence of exterior expectations from those looking to him as a reflection of his parents” values.
Of all the recent changes within the Bednar family, Jeff mentioned the greatest difference he has seen in his life is perhaps unavoidable.
“The biggest change has been a lot of unwanted attention,” he said. “I”m not the type of person who likes to be in the spotlight.”
For the same reason, Jeff chose Provo instead of Rexburg to pursue his accounting degree. He said his parents” future move to Utah won”t be as drastic because they have moved in the past between Arkansas and Texas and then later to Idaho.
Jeff continues life as a full-time student with studying, outdoor activities and a job as a teacher at the Missionary Training Center.
The questions he has been asked most are “When did you find out [about Elder Bednar”s calling], what was your reaction and how is this going to affect your dating life?”
The answer to the first two questions he has told here. And the third?
“I just kind of laugh at that question,” he said with a smile. “I don”t want anyone to think any differently of me.”
