Exploring the significance of the word 'work' in scripture and highlighting God's wondrous works.
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Welcome to the recent speeches podcast presented by BYU speeches, featuring inspiring new devotionals and forums given each week on BYU campus. Be sure to check out our other podcasts by searching BYU speeches wherever you get your podcasts, or by visiting speeches.byu.edu. This devotional
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address entitled, Consider the wondrous works of God, was given on January 23rd of 2024 by David A. Bednar, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Dear brothers and sisters, I love you. I love Brigham Young University, and I am greatly honored to be here today to worship with you in this devotional. In my personal gospel study, I have noted the recurring use of the word work in many well-known and often quoted passages of Scripture. For example, Isaiah described the Latter-day Restoration of the Savior's gospel and of his true and living church as a marvelous work, even a marvelous work and a wonder. The Lord declared to Nephi, I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work. In September of 1823, Moroni instructed the young boy Joseph Smith that God had a work for him to do. And following the loss of the 116 pages of manuscript translated from the first part of the Book of Mormon, the Lord revealed that the works and the designs and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to not. Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men. I now earnestly pray for the companionship and edifying power of the Holy Ghost for all of us, as we consider together the eternal importance of God's wondrous works. Are you buckled up? You ready? All right, here we go. The word work and its derivatives are used in the scriptural text of the standard works in English more than 1,100 times and in many different ways. Sometimes the word work is used to describe the specific actions and activities that are necessary to do or to make something. For example, as God concluded the creation of the earth, He said, I rested on the seventh day from all my work, and all things which I had made were finished, and I God saw that they were good.
Participating in God’s work helps us see that we are God’s wondrous works, His work is for us, and we are dependent on Him for strength. David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered this devotional address on January 23, 2024. Access his talk here.