A Dissection of:
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
Why Do Prophets Write Scripture?
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1. “For we labor diligently to write…” — Why prophets write, through the lens of Elder Bednar’s message
A. Prophets write because salvation requires labor.
Prophets do not casually record truth; they labor diligently. Their writing is consecrated work—intentional, deliberate, and covenantal. Scripture exists because God honors effort:
• Their labor becomes our access point to revelation.
• Their diligence models the diligence expected of us.
• Their writing preserves truth across generations so we are not left to drift.
Scripture is not accidental; it is the fruit of prophetic consecration.
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B. Elder Bednar’s teaching deepens this truth: scripture requires our labor too.
By Elder David A. Bednar
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
General Conference Talk October 2022
"Each of us should evaluate our temporal and spiritual priorities sincerely and prayerfully."
Elder Bednar teaches that the Savior’s parables reveal truth only “in proportion to [our] faith… preparation… and willingness to learn.”
This means:
• Scripture is written through prophetic labor.
• Scripture is understood through our labor.
We must “ask, seek, and knock” to uncover what God has embedded in the text.
Prophets labor to write; we labor to receive.
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C. Prophets write because we are prone to distraction and misaligned priorities.
Elder Bednar’s use of the royal marriage feast exposes a pattern:
• The invited guests “made light of it.”
• One went to his farm.
• Another to his merchandise.
• One man entered the feast but refused the garment provided.
These are not random details—they reveal our natural drift:
• We prioritize work, wealth, and worldly pursuits.
• We want the honor of the feast without the obedience of the garment.
• We desire the blessings of the covenant without the transformation required by it.
Prophets write because we forget, we wander, and we justify.
Scripture confronts our excuses and calls us back to the King.
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D. Prophets write to expose the danger of “doing things our own way.”
Elder Bednar emphasizes that the unrobed guest was not ignorant—he was rebellious.
He wanted the feast without the garment.
He wanted the King’s table without the King’s terms.
This is precisely why prophets labor to write:
• Scripture reveals the King’s will.
• Scripture removes our excuses.
• Scripture exposes self‑made religion.
• Scripture protects us from entering the feast “by another way.”
Prophets write so we cannot claim we “did not know.”
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E. Prophets write to call us to evaluate our priorities.
Elder Bednar warns that “the things of this world” and “the honors of men” can cause us to forfeit our spiritual birthright.
Scripture is the antidote to spiritual drift.
It forces us to “consider our ways.”
It calls us to examine:
• What we love
• What we chase
• What we excuse
• What we neglect
• What we worship
Prophets write so we can see ourselves clearly.
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F. Prophets write to help us put on the wedding garment—Christ’s grace.
Elder Bednar teaches that the garment represents “converting faith in the Lord Jesus and His divine grace.”
This aligns perfectly with Nephi’s declaration:
• We write to persuade toward Christ.
• We write to reconcile us to God.
• We write because salvation is by grace.
• We write because grace requires our response.
Prophets write so we know how to put on the garment of Christ’s mercy.
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G. Unified Principle
Prophets labor diligently to write because scripture is God’s way of preserving truth, persuading us toward Christ, exposing our distractions, correcting our self‑made religion, and teaching us how to put on the garment of grace. Elder Bednar’s message shows that prophetic labor invites our labor—so we can be both called and chosen.
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2. “…to persuade our children, and also our brethren…” — We write to persuade toward Christ.
Prophets write because persuasion is a covenant responsibility. This is not manipulation; it is holy invitation.
• We persuade our children because faith is not inherited; it is invited.
• We persuade our brethren because salvation is communal, not solitary.
• We persuade toward Christ because every other direction leads to spiritual famine.
Prophets write so that we can be continually invited, nudged, and drawn toward the only One who saves.
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Integration with Elder Bednar’s Teaching
Elder Bednar teaches that the Savior’s parables reveal truth only to those who “ask, seek, and knock.”
This means our children and our brethren cannot be carried into discipleship—they must be persuaded, prepared, and spiritually awakened.
The royal marriage feast illustrates why persuasion is essential:
• Some “made light of” the invitation.
• Some were consumed by farms, merchandise, and worldly priorities.
• One man entered the feast but refused the garment provided.
These patterns mirror our own families today.
Our children face distractions, competing voices, and counterfeit invitations.
Our brethren face pressures that pull them away from covenant identity.
Prophets write so we can call our families back to the King, back to the feast, back to the garment of grace.
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Responsibilities Toward Family and Children
Essential Witnesses
These passages—taken from the Topical Guide list "Family, Children, Responsibilities toward" form the doctrinal spine of why prophets—and we—must persuade our children and brethren toward Christ.
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Genesis 18:19 — Commanding Our Household
Parents are commanded to teach their household to keep the way of the Lord.
This aligns with the need to prepare our families so they do not “make light” of the King’s invitation.
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Deuteronomy 6:7 — Teaching Diligently in Daily Life
We are commanded to teach diligently in the rhythms of ordinary life.
This is covenant persuasion—consistent, gentle, daily formation.
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Proverbs 22:6 — Training a Child in the Way
We train up a child in the way he should go.
Training is intentional shaping that prepares them to recognize the King’s feast.
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Ephesians 6:4 — Nurture
We bring children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
This protects them from rebellion and spiritual drift.
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Mosiah 4:15 — Walking in Truth and Soberness
We teach our children to walk in truth and soberness.
This prepares their minds to hear the word and value the feast.
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D&C 68:25 — Teaching Children to Understand
Parents are commanded to teach their children to understand the doctrine of Christ.
Failing to teach is a covenant violation.
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D&C 93:40 — Bringing Children Up in Light and Truth
We must bring up our children in light and truth.
Light is the garment. Truth is the feast.
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Unified Principle for Section 2
Prophets write to persuade our children and our brethren toward Christ because covenant families require constant teaching, daily persuasion, and intentional spiritual formation. Without this persuasion, our families risk making light of the King’s invitation or entering the feast without the garment of grace.
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3. “…to believe in Christ…” — We write to anchor belief.
Prophets write because belief is not self‑sustaining. It drifts, weakens, and reshapes itself under pressure unless it is continually anchored in revealed truth. Scripture stabilizes us by giving our faith something firmer than emotion, memory, or circumstance.
• It gives us a fixed reference point in a shifting world.
• It keeps Christ at the center of our spiritual imagination.
• It confronts unbelief by giving us something solid to return to.
Prophets write so that our belief rests on revelation, not on the instability of our own perceptions.
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Integration with Elder Bednar’s Teaching
Elder Bednar’s message shows that belief must be anchored, not assumed.
In the parable of the royal marriage feast, several patterns emerge:
• Some guests made light of the invitation.
• Others were absorbed in farms, merchandise, and worldly priorities.
• One man entered the feast but refused the garment provided by the King.
These responses reveal the fragility of belief when it is not grounded in truth.
Belief without anchoring becomes:
• distracted belief,
• casual belief,
• self‑defined belief,
• or belief that wants the feast without the garment.
Scripture protects us from these distortions.
It anchors us to Christ’s identity, Christ’s grace, and Christ’s covenant expectations—so we do not drift into the spiritual posture of the unrobed guest who wanted the honor of the feast without the obedience of the King.
Prophets write so that our belief is shaped by Christ, not by culture, convenience, or personal preference.
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Belief and the Covenant Path
Anchored belief is not merely intellectual assent; it is covenant loyalty.
Scripture teaches us:
• Who Christ is
• What He offers
• What He requires
• How we return to Him
• How we remain in Him
Without written truth, belief becomes sentimental.
With written truth, belief becomes rooted, resilient, and reconciling.
Prophets write so that our belief grows into discipleship, not just admiration.
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Unified Principle for Section 3
Prophets write to anchor our belief in Christ because belief drifts without revelation. Scripture stabilizes our faith, confronts unbelief, and keeps Christ at the center of our spiritual imagination. Elder Bednar’s message shows that without this anchoring, we risk treating the King’s invitation lightly or approaching the feast without the garment of grace.
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4. “…and to be reconciled to God…” — We write to restore relationship.
Prophets write because reconciliation is the heart of scripture.
Reconciliation is not merely a doctrine; it is the story of God reaching for us and inviting us back into covenant relationship.
• We are estranged by sin; scripture is God’s reaching hand.
• We are forgetful; scripture is God’s reminder.
• We are wounded; scripture is God’s healing voice.
Prophets write because reconciliation requires revelation—God must speak if we are to return.
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Integration with Elder Bednar’s Teaching
Elder Bednar’s message reveals that reconciliation is not automatic.
In the parable of the royal marriage feast:
• Some refused the invitation outright.
• Some were absorbed in farms, merchandise, and worldly priorities.
• One man entered the feast but refused the garment provided by the King.
Each response represents a different form of estrangement:
• Rebellion (rejecting the invitation)
• Distraction (preferring worldly pursuits)
• Self‑reliance (entering without the garment of grace)
Scripture confronts each of these distortions.
It calls us back to the King, back to the feast, back to the garment, back to the covenant.
Reconciliation is not simply returning to God—it is returning on His terms, clothed in His grace, shaped by His word.
Prophets write so that we know how to return, why we must return, and what God offers when we do.
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Reconciliation and the Covenant Path
Reconciliation is a relational process, not a mechanical one.
Scripture teaches us:
• What separates us from God
• How Christ removes that separation
• How we respond to His mercy
• How we remain in covenant relationship
Without written revelation, reconciliation becomes sentimental.
With written revelation, reconciliation becomes transformational.
Prophets write so that our return to God is guided, grounded, and grace‑filled.
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Guided Links for Further Expansion
• Reconciliation
• Estrangement
• Grace and Return
• Covenant Relationship
These links allow you to expand any doctrinal thread instantly.
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Unified Principle for Section 4
Prophets write to restore our relationship with God because reconciliation requires revelation. Scripture is God’s reaching hand, His reminder, and His healing voice. Elder Bednar’s message shows that without written truth, we risk rejecting the invitation, becoming distracted by the world, or approaching the feast without the garment of grace.
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5. “…for we know that it is by grace that we are saved…” — We write to testify of grace.
Prophets write because grace is the doctrinal center of all prophetic writing.
Scripture exists to reveal the character of Christ’s mercy and to keep us from misunderstanding the nature of salvation.
• Scripture reveals who Christ is and how He saves.
• It teaches us that salvation is not earned but received.
• It keeps us from drifting into self‑reliance on one side or despair on the other.
Prophets write so that we never forget that grace is the engine of salvation—the power that lifts, heals, transforms, and reconciles us to God.
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Supporting Scriptures for this Section
These passages form the doctrinal backbone of why prophets testify of grace.
Psalm 130:4 (3–4) — Grace makes forgiveness possible
"But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared."
If God marked every sin, none of us could stand.
Grace is the reason forgiveness exists at all.
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Romans 3:20 (20–24) — The law reveals sin; grace removes it
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
No one is justified by works of the law.
We are justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Grace is not a supplement to our effort—it is the source of our salvation.
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Romans 7:5 — The law exposes the need for grace
"For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."
The law reveals the power of sin, not the power to overcome it.
Grace provides what the law cannot: transformation.
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2 Nephi 2:5 (4–10) — Grace is the gift that makes agency, redemption, and resurrection possible
"And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever."
We are saved by the Messiah’s merits, mercy, and grace.
Grace is woven into every part of God’s plan.
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Mosiah 13:32 — The law was given to point us to Christ
"And now, did they understand the law? I say unto you, Nay, they did not all understand the law; and this because of the hardness of their hearts; for they understood not that there could not any man be saved except it were through the redemption of God."
The law alone could not save; it was a schoolmaster leading us to grace.
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Alma 42:14 (12–16) — Justice and mercy meet in Christ
"And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence."
Grace does not erase justice; it satisfies it.
Christ’s atonement makes mercy possible without violating eternal law.
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Doctrine & Covenants 20:30 — We are justified by grace
"And we know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true;"
Justification—being declared clean—is a gift of grace, not a wage earned.
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Doctrine & Covenants 138:4 — Grace opens the way of redemption to the dead
That through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved.
Even in the spirit world, salvation is offered through Christ’s grace.
Grace is not limited by mortality.
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How Elder Bednar’s Teaching Deepens This Section
Elder Bednar’s message shows that grace is symbolized by the wedding garment in the royal marriage feast.
The King provided the garment freely.
The guests did not earn it.
They only needed to receive it and wear it.
The unrobed guest was condemned not for lacking a garment, but for refusing the one provided.
This is the essence of grace:
• It is offered freely.
• It must be received humbly.
• It must be worn faithfully.
Prophets write so that we do not attempt to enter the feast on our own terms, clothed in our own righteousness, or trusting in our own strength.
Grace is the garment.
Christ is the source.
Scripture is the reminder.
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Further Scripture Study: Topical Guide — Grace
For deeper study, explore the Topical Guide: Grace.
This list helps trace:
• What grace is
• How grace operates
• Why grace is necessary
• How grace relates to justice, mercy, and covenant
• How grace empowers discipleship
Use the Topical Guide to build a complete doctrinal picture of grace across the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
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Unified Principle for Section 5
Prophets write to testify of grace because grace is the center of salvation. Scripture reveals Christ’s mercy, teaches that salvation is received rather than earned, and protects us from both self‑reliance and despair. Elder Bednar’s message shows that grace is the garment offered by the King—freely given, essential for the feast, and rejected only by those who insist on coming in their own strength.
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6. “…after all we can do.” — We write to clarify the covenant path.
This phrase is not a burden—it is a boundary marker.
It does not teach perfectionism; it teaches direction.
“All we can do” is not flawless performance—it is turning to Christ with honesty, humility, and willingness.
Scripture clarifies what our part actually is:
• repentance
• humility
• faith
• obedience
Prophets write so that we do not invent our own definitions of righteousness or drift into extremes:
• thinking we can save ourselves
• thinking we have no part to play
Scripture keeps us on the covenant path—neither self‑reliant nor passive, but responsive to Christ.
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"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
James teaches that faith without works is dead.
This passage does not contradict grace—it clarifies it.
James shows that:
• Works do not replace grace.
• Works do not compete with grace.
• Works demonstrate grace.
• Works manifest living faith.
Just as the body without the spirit is dead, faith without works is lifeless.
James is not teaching self‑salvation; he is teaching covenant participation.
“All we can do” is not earning salvation—it is responding to grace with action, loyalty, and discipleship.
Prophets write so that we understand how faith and works harmonize—not as rivals, but as partners in the covenant path.
Guided Links for expansion:
• Faith and Works
• Living Faith
• Covenant Obedience
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How Elder Bednar’s Teaching Deepens This Section
In the royal marriage feast, the King provided the garment freely—symbolizing grace.
But the guests were expected to wear it—symbolizing discipleship.
The unrobed guest represents the distortion James warns against:
• wanting the feast without the garment
• wanting the blessing without the obedience
• wanting the honor without the covenant
“All we can do” is simply this:
receive the garment and wear it.
Grace provides the garment; works are the act of putting it on.
Prophets write so that we do not confuse the gift with the response, or the response with the gift.
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Further Scripture Study: Topical Guide — Good Works
For deeper study, explore the Topical Guide: Good Works.
This list helps trace:
• what good works are
• how they relate to faith
• how they manifest grace
• how they shape discipleship
• how they protect us from spiritual complacency
Good works are not the price of salvation—they are the evidence of salvation, the fruit of grace, and the expression of covenant loyalty.
Guided Links for expansion:
• Good Works
• Grace and Effort
• Covenant Path
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Unified Principle for Section 6
Prophets write to clarify the covenant path because “all we can do” is not perfection—it is turning to Christ. Scripture teaches us how faith and works harmonize, protects us from self‑reliance and passivity, and shows that grace provides the garment while our works are the act of putting it on. Elder Bednar’s message reveals that covenant obedience is not earning salvation but responding to the King’s invitation with loyalty and humility.
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✦ Summary Principle
Prophets write scripture to form us as a covenant people—people who are continually persuaded toward Christ, anchored in revealed belief, reconciled to God, instructed in grace, and guided in how to walk the covenant path with humility and effort.
Scripture is God’s chosen means of:
• persuading us toward Christ
• stabilizing our belief in a shifting world
• restoring our relationship with Him
• revealing the nature of His grace
• clarifying our covenant response
Through prophetic writing, God ensures that truth does not fade with the generation that first received it. Instead, it becomes the inheritance of all who follow, shaping our identity, our discipleship, and our understanding of how grace and effort work together in the life of a covenant people.
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