Jeff Bednar, an associate professor in the Management Department at BYU and the son of Elder Bednar addressed students and faculty on July 21 about enduring trials with no end.
He began by sharing that BYU has always been a part of his life. He then shared an experience that shook his foundation.
He explained that after navigating a difficult PhD program, he and his wife decided to follow the promptings they were receiving to have another baby.
They were thrilled to learn that his wife, Anne was pregnant, but pregnancy had never easy for her.
Bednar explained that eighteen weeks into the pregnancy, an ultrasound revealed that their baby’s organs developed in a mirror image. His heart and stomach were developed on the right side while his liver and appendix were on the left.
“I had tried to be strong at the hospital, but when I got home, I knelt beside my bed and poured out my heart to God,” Bednar said.
He then shared the story of the disciples who were terrified by the storm around them in the sea of Galilee.
“I knew He was a God of miracles and could rebuke storms,” Bednar said.
He rehearsed how the disciples woke the sleeping Jesus asking, “carest thou not that we perish?”
“I found myself asking a similar question: Master, carest thou not about my son?” Bednar said.
While the Savior did not take away Bednar’s son’s maladies, a strong impression came to him.
“‘Jeff, he is my son too.’ Peace. Be still. That simple reminder changed my perspective,” Bednar said.
While Bednar explained that the fear did not immediately disappear, and uncertainty remained, he was reminded of an eternal truth.
“I was anchored by the reminder that the Being I had always called Heavenly Father was, in fact, a Father—not only to me but also to my son,” Bednar said.
He then explained that when their son was born, he was diagnosed with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, a genetic disorder that affects the tiny hairlike structures responsible for clearing mucus from the body, causing chronic diseases.
“A question settled deep into my heart: How do I endure to the end of a trial that has no end?” Bednar said.
He then went on to explain that the doctrine of Christ helped him to overcome this question.
Bednar explained that enduring to the end isn't merely a final step in the doctrine of Christ. It is about Jesus Christ and becoming like Him.
Bednar’s message closed with an invitation to students to come unto Christ in their hardest moments, to walk with Him and become like Him.
“With your little faith and His magnifying power nothing shall be impossible to you, even becoming like Him,” Bednar said.
His last remarks were a reminder that Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of enduring all things. In Christ we can find peace in the darkest of storms.