You’ve probably seen the clip or read the transcript. It’s one of those talks that sticks in your brain because it’s so fundamentally simple yet incredibly hard to actually do. David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave a landmark address titled "Things as They Really Are." It wasn't just another sermon. It was a direct, almost prophetic warning about how digital environments mess with our perception of reality.
He didn't hold back.
The core of the message is a deep dive into how we interact with technology and whether those interactions enhance or diminish our humanity. Honestly, it’s more relevant in 2026 than it was when he first spoke it. We live in a world of filters. Augmented reality is no longer a gimmick; it’s the glass we look through. Bednar's premise is that there’s a massive difference between a digital representation of a person and the person themselves.
The concept of things as they really are comes from a specific verse of scripture in the Book of Mormon, specifically Jacob 4:13, which describes the Spirit speaking of "things as they really are, and of things as they really will be." Bednar uses this as a springboard to talk about the "cyber-self." He asks a piercing question: Does the time you spend in socially mediated spaces enlarge or restrict your capacity to act in the physical world?
The Great Digital Deception
Most of us are addicted to our screens. We know it. We joke about it. But Bednar’s point goes deeper than just "phone usage is bad." He’s talking about the substitution of reality.
Think about it. When you’re in a digital environment—whether it’s a VR workspace or just scrolling a curated feed—you’re interacting with a shadow. Bednar warns that the adversary (Satan, in his theological framework) seeks to minimize our physical bodies. Why? Because the body is central to the plan of happiness. If you can be convinced to spend your life in a digital proxy, you aren’t really "here." You aren't experiencing things as they really are.
He mentions how easy it is to become "obsessed with what is trivial, what is unimportant, and what is not real." It’s a trap. You see a sunset on a 6-inch screen and think you've seen it. You haven't. You've seen pixels. You missed the temperature drop as the sun dipped. You missed the smell of the evening air.
The Illusion of Connection
Social media promised us a global village. Instead, it gave us a hall of mirrors. Bednar’s critique hits on the idea that digital interactions can be a "simulation of reality."
- You can "like" a post about a tragedy without feeling a shred of actual empathy.
- You can "connect" with a thousand people and feel more lonely than ever.
- You can curate a persona that is flawless, leaving the "real you" feeling inadequate.
It’s exhausting. Really.
There's a specific danger in how these platforms are designed to trigger dopamine. We start to value the "representation" of our lives over the "living" of our lives. If you didn't post the meal, did you even eat it? To Bednar, that mindset is a total inversion of truth. It pushes us away from the physical world where real service, real growth, and real pain happen.
Why Physicality Matters So Much
Bednar is a teacher by trade. Before his current role, he was the president of BYU-Idaho. He knows how to break down complex doctrine. He explains that our physical bodies are not just containers for our spirits. They are essential tools for learning.
If you spend all your time in a "virtual world," you are essentially sidelining the very tool you were given to progress. He uses the term "cyber-simulations" to describe how we can become distracted. He’s not just talking about World of Warcraft or The Sims. He’s talking about the simulation of a perfect life on Instagram or the simulation of outrage on X.
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It’s all a veneer.
The Test of Technology
He doesn't say technology is evil. That would be too simple. Instead, he offers two "evaluative tests" to see if we are using technology correctly. These are the meat of the message.
- Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the presence of the Holy Ghost in your life?
- Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?
These aren't "yes or no" questions. They require brutal honesty. If you’re being honest, most of us fail these tests daily. We use technology to escape, not to engage. We use it to numb out, not to light up.
The Psychological Toll of the Unreal
There’s a lot of secular research that backs up exactly what Bednar was preaching. Psychologists talk about "social comparison theory." We compare our "behind-the-scenes" footage with everyone else’s "highlight reel."
It’s a recipe for depression.
When we lose sight of things as they really are, we start to believe the lies the digital world tells us. We believe that everyone else is happier, richer, and more productive. We forget that the person posting the vacation photo might have just finished a screaming match with their spouse five minutes before.
Bednar’s call to action is to "be where you are when you are there."
It sounds like a Hallmark card, but it’s actually a radical act of rebellion in a distracted world. It means putting the phone in the other room during dinner. It means looking a person in the eye when they speak. It means acknowledging that the messy, unfiltered, un-retouched version of life is the only one that actually counts.
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Practical Ways to Reclaim Reality
So, what do you actually do with this? If you want to align your life with the principle of seeing things as they really are, you have to be intentional. It won't happen by accident. The algorithms are literally designed to prevent it.
Audit Your Digital Intake
Spend three days tracking your screen time. Don't just look at the total hours. Look at the type of hours.
Were you learning a skill? Were you genuinely connecting with a friend? Or were you just scrolling to kill time? Bednar suggests that if we aren't careful, we become "past feeling." We become numb. If your screen time makes you feel cynical, angry, or inadequate, it’s actively pulling you away from reality.
Embrace the Physical
Go do something that can't be digitized.
- Garden. Get dirt under your fingernails.
- Cook a meal from scratch. Smell the onions sautéing.
- Walk outside without headphones. Listen to the actual sounds of your neighborhood.
These things ground you. They remind your brain that there is a world outside the glass. Bednar’s emphasis on the body isn't just religious dogma; it’s a fundamental human need. We are tactile creatures.
Focus on Real Service
You can’t serve someone through a screen in the same way you can in person. Bednar talks about the importance of "meaningful service."
Sending a "thoughts and prayers" text is fine, but it’s not the same as showing up with a shovel when someone’s basement floods. Real service is inconvenient. It’s messy. It requires your physical presence. By choosing the physical act over the digital gesture, you move closer to things as they really are.
The Nuance of Digital Tools
Let’s be clear: Bednar uses technology. The Church uses technology. He isn't suggesting we all move to the woods and throw our iPhones in a lake.
The distinction he makes is between use and immersion.
Technology should be a tool that helps us accomplish physical-world goals. It shouldn't be the world we live in. If you use a GPS to get to a friend's house, the GPS is serving reality. If you stay home and look at photos of your friend's house on Google Maps instead of going, you’ve swapped reality for a simulation.
It’s a fine line.
Misconceptions About the Message
Some people hear this and think it’s just an old-fashioned "get off my lawn" speech. It isn't. Bednar is talking about the nature of the soul. He’s arguing that our spirits are being "seduced" into a state of apathy by the constant stream of low-effort digital entertainment.
He specifically mentions "the intense focus on images" as a primary concern. In a world where deep-fakes are becoming indistinguishable from reality, his warning about images is remarkably prescient. If you can’t trust what you see on a screen, you have to find something more stable to anchor your life to.
For Bednar, that anchor is the Spirit. For anyone else, it might be family, nature, or community. The common denominator is that none of those things can be fully experienced through a WiFi connection.
Living Authentically in 2026
The pressure to perform is higher than ever. With AI-integrated social platforms, we can now generate "perfect" versions of ourselves effortlessly.
Don't do it.
There is a profound beauty in the "unfiltered." Bednar’s message encourages us to embrace the "real" over the "ideal." The real you has flaws. The real you gets tired. The real you isn't always "on brand." And that’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay—it’s necessary.
Actionable Steps to Get Real
If you want to apply these concepts today, start with these non-negotiable boundaries.
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- No Screens in the Morning: Don't let the first thing you see be a digital simulation. Wake up, stretch, look out the window, and be in your body for at least 15 minutes before you check your phone.
- The Proximity Rule: If you are in the same room as a human being, they take precedence over anyone on your phone. This sounds obvious, but look around any restaurant. Most people are failing this.
- Create vs. Consume: For every hour you spend consuming digital content, spend 30 minutes creating something in the physical world. Write a letter (with a pen!), build something, or even just clean a room.
Things as they really are is a concept that demands we wake up. It’s an invitation to stop being spectators in our own lives. We weren't sent here to watch a screen. We were sent here to act.
By prioritizing physical experiences, authentic connections, and real-world service, we fulfill the measure of our creation. We stop being "digital ghosts" and start being human beings again. It’s harder, sure. It’s less convenient. But it’s the only way to find actual joy that lasts longer than a notification ping.
Focus on the tangible. Put down the phone. Look at your life, your family, and your world with your own eyes, not through a lens. That is where the truth is. That is where you’ll find things as they really are.