Short Book Review: Act in Doctrine - David A. Bednar

This is a beautiful book spoken by a powerful disciple of Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar is so straightforward that it is very hard to misunderstand what he's saying. This book has helped me more fully understand who Christ really is at the core as a person. While reading this book, it was constantly on my mind that there is a right way to live the gospel and there is a sub-par way to live the gospel. The right and best way to live the gospel is to live as Christ lived it, by looking outward and serving others. The subpar way to live the gospel is by looking inward and thinking about
ourselves, which is characteristic of my life.

The things that really caught my attention in this book are as follows:

1. The character of Jesus Christ as a person is fundamentally outward-focused, even in the most intense of personal moments. For example, after fasting for 40 days and in personal starvation, He recognized the hunger in others and fed them loaves and fishes. Again, while hanging on the cross in absolute torment, bearing the sins of the world, with a literal broken heart, Christ asked the Father, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." The character of Christ as a person is to focus on other people. He is the prime example of losing His life and finding it.

2. Agency is not freedom to act. Agency is contextual, it has bounds, and it's different for everyone. Our agency represents the quality of our relationship with Jesus Christ. As agents, we as members of Christ's church are to represent Him. Thus, our agency is expanded as we more fully represent Him as His agent, and it is constricted as we chose to represent sin.

3. Testimony and Conversion and different. They are in relation to each other and can't be defined without one another. But to know the church is true (testimony) is not enough in the Latter-days; we must also be true to the church consistently (conversion). Our conversion is the gift we give back to our Heavenly Father for the gift of testimony that He bestowed upon us through the Holy Ghost.

4. Charity, like truth, is not something a person can possess or acquire. Rather, charity possess a person who is a truly follower of Christ. Thus, charity and truth are more relational that objects we obtain. Charity is the pure love of Christ, and whosoever is found possessed of it, it shall be well with Him (Moroni 7: 45-48).

To order: Act in Doctrine CLICK HERE