Behavior or teachings of David Bednar that some former members find objectionable

Negative

Some examples of a behavior or teaching of David Bednar that some former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem to find objectionable:

1. There are no homosexual members of the church
2. Refuses to answer question about women having the priesthood
3. Do not date a girl with more than one earring
4. Responses to people being too loud in the chapel
   • Revoked an apostolic blessing at YSA
   • Threatened to revoke apostolic blessing at youth event
   • A “rebuke”: “When the spirit leaves, so must I”
5. Expects wife to stand after him in deference to his apostolic authority
6. Moral agency means you are free to obey the commandments (and you already made the decision to serve a mission in pre-mortality)
7. “faith not to be healed”
8. Intense teaching technique “The Lord’s Side of the Line” to young man
9. Telling missionaries he would not give them a referral
10. The lord’s work is never hard, just challenging

Singing related

1. Publicly chastises two YSA women for standing while singing
2. Make people re-sing the opening hymn because not forceful enough
3. Stops YSA group because not singing with enough vigor, then for standing (also critiques the choir’s appearance)
4. Interrupted closing hymn and “told everybody to sing with a smile”

Positive or Neutral

accounts of Bednar that are favorable or somewhat favorable (mostly from former or questioning members but also from current members where it shows contrast to existing examples):

• “Honest, direct, and even a little self-deprecating”

• “he appeared to be anything but [pharisaical] … when he spoke with us”

• Elder Bednar Had Us Sing Hymn 41 Twice: A Hymn About the Second Coming and City of Enoch (seems to have been posted with a positive valence)
  • private email showing “Angela Bell” to OP titled “Elder Bednar visit to Kirtland 8/26/23 with Presiding Bishopric and 2 Area 80” where she writes, “Beautiful meeting but wanted to tell you Elder Bednar had us a a [sic] stake sing Hymn#41 Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise not once in closing but he got up and had us sing it twice. Read the words. Very amazing spirit. …”

[Material no longer available]

• Abruptness at hotel room [post deleted by user]
• Why do I have to be 12 to enter the temple? (video now private) [answer, in essence, “because. then eventually, because we have to draw a line somewhere.”]

some points originally compiled by hasbrochem