I've been thinking a lot about the message from Elder Bednar be still and know that I am God because it seems like the world just keeps getting louder and more distracting every single day. If you caught his recent worldwide devotional or have followed his teachings for a while, you know he has a way of taking a scriptural concept we've heard a thousand times and making it feel brand new—and a little more challenging than we initially thought.
It's one of those phrases from the Psalms that we often see on decorative wooden signs in living rooms. It feels peaceful and cozy. But when Elder Bednar talks about it, he isn't just suggesting we take a nap or sit in a quiet room. He's talking about a deliberate, spiritual discipline that is actually pretty hard to pull off in a world that demands our attention 24/7.
The Difference Between Quiet and Stillness
One of the coolest points he makes is that there's a massive difference between just being in a quiet place and actually being still. You can be in a perfectly silent library but have a mind that's racing with anxiety, to-do lists, and social media notifications. On the flip side, you could be in a relatively busy environment but have a heart that is completely anchored and still.
When we look at the phrase elder bednar be still and know that I am God, we have to realize he's talking about a spiritual state. He often references the temple as a primary place where we can learn this, but he's also very clear that we need to find ways to bring that stillness into our everyday lives. It's about building a "covenant connection" that keeps us steady even when everything around us is falling apart.
Why We Struggle to Be Still
Let's be real—most of us are terrible at being still. We've been conditioned to reach for our phones the second there's a three-second gap in our day. Waiting in line at the grocery store? Check Instagram. Sitting at a red light? Check a text. We've almost lost the capacity to just exist with our own thoughts, let alone with the Spirit.
Elder Bednar points out that this constant noise isn't just annoying; it's a spiritual barrier. If the "still, small voice" is how God usually talks to us, and we never have a moment of "still," we're basically making it impossible to hear the very guidance we say we want. It's like trying to hear a whisper in the middle of a heavy metal concert. You have to turn the music down first.
The Role of Technology
He doesn't mince words when it comes to how our devices get in the way. He's not saying technology is evil—he uses it himself to share the gospel—but he is pointing out that it creates a lot of "digital clutter." This clutter fills our heads and leaves no room for the revelation that comes through stillness. If we want to really "know" that He is God, we have to be willing to put the phone in another room for a bit.
The Connection to the Temple
A huge part of the elder bednar be still and know that I am God message is centered on the temple. He describes the temple as a "holy place" specifically designed to help us filter out the world. But he goes a step further. He suggests that the purpose of going to the temple isn't just to have a nice, quiet hour; it's to learn how to be still so we can carry that feeling back into our messy, loud homes and workplaces.
He talks about how the temple helps us focus on what is "essential" versus what is just "urgent." Most of our lives are spent reacting to urgent things that don't actually matter in the long run. Stillness allows us to recalibrate and remember what the whole point of our lives is in the first place.
How to Actually "Know" God
The second half of that scripture—"know that I am God"—is the reward for the stillness. It's not just an intellectual knowing. It's not like knowing that 2+2=4. It's a deep, personal, experiential knowledge.
Elder Bednar suggests that we come to know God as we see His hand in our lives, but we can only see His hand if we aren't moving so fast that everything is a blur. When we slow down, we start to notice the small coincidences, the little bits of help, and the quiet promptings that we would have missed if we were stuck in our usual frantic pace.
Developing Spiritual "Eyes to See"
He often uses the phrase "eyes to see and ears to hear." This doesn't happen by accident. It's a skill you develop. By practicing stillness, we're basically training our spiritual senses to pick up on the frequency of the Spirit. It's like tuning a radio. If you're even a little bit off the station, all you get is static. Stillness is how we fine-tune the dial.
Practical Ways to Practice Stillness
So, how do we actually do this? Elder Bednar isn't big on vague ideas; he likes things that are actionable. Based on his teachings, here are a few ways we can try to implement this:
- Set specific times for silence. This isn't just prayer time or scripture study time. It's just quiet time. No music, no podcasts, no talking. Just sitting and being open to whatever thoughts come.
- Create "Holy Places" at home. You don't have to live in a mansion to have a small corner or a chair that is your designated spot for reflection.
- Use the Sabbath differently. Instead of just seeing the Sabbath as a day where we don't go to work, see it as a day where we intentionally slow down our internal "RPMs."
- Ask better questions. Instead of just asking for things in prayer, try asking, "What would Thou have me notice today?" and then stay quiet long enough to actually feel an impression.
The Power of the Covenant Connection
Elder Bednar frequently talks about our "covenant connection" with the Savior. This is the "why" behind the stillness. We aren't just being quiet for the sake of peace and quiet (though that's nice). We are being still to strengthen the bond we have with Jesus Christ.
When we are still, we remember that we aren't going through life alone. We remember that we have access to His power and His grace. That realization is what takes the "anxiety" out of life. If you truly know that He is God, and you know you are connected to Him through covenants, then the chaos of the world starts to feel a lot less threatening.
Wrapping Things Up
At the end of the day, the message of elder bednar be still and know that I am God is a call to take our spiritual lives more seriously. It's an invitation to stop just "going through the motions" of religion and start actually experiencing the presence of God.
It's definitely a work in progress for most of us. I know I'm still way too attached to my phone and way too prone to worrying about things I can't control. But the idea that we can find a "stillness" that isn't dependent on our circumstances is incredibly hopeful. It means that even on the hardest, busiest, most stressful days, there is a place inside us where we can be still and remember who is really in charge.
If you can find even five minutes today to just put everything down, breathe, and focus on your relationship with Him, you're doing it. You're practicing that stillness. And as Elder Bednar promises, that's exactly where we find the strength to keep going.