The Book of Mormon is our handbook of instructions as we travel

In the words of David A. Bednar, a teacher of the faith, we are offered a vision of the soul’s journey: “The Book of Mormon is our handbook of instructions as we travel the pathway from bad to good to better and strive to have our hearts changed.” These words are not merely about scripture, but about the eternal road of transformation. For every man and woman is a traveler upon life’s road, and each step carries the chance to move from darkness into light, from weakness into strength, from the ordinary into the holy.

The Book of Mormon, like all sacred texts, is presented here as a compass and a guide. A handbook of instructions does not walk for us, nor does it carry our burden; but it shows the way, warns of dangers, and reminds us of the destination. To travel the pathway is the responsibility of each soul, but to travel with wisdom requires guidance, lest we stray into shadow or waste our strength in wandering. Bednar’s words remind us that to walk without guidance is folly, but to walk with the wisdom of scripture is to walk with purpose.

The phrase “from bad to good to better” describes the very rhythm of life. None are born perfect; all begin with weakness and error. But the journey is not about remaining in failure—it is about rising, step by step. History is filled with such transformations. Consider St. Augustine, who in his youth lived recklessly, yet through faith and discipline was transformed into one of the greatest voices of Christianity. His life mirrors the journey Bednar describes: not the leap from bad to perfect, but the steady march from bad to good, and from good to better.

The most powerful part of the quote lies in the words “hearts changed.” For true transformation is not merely in behavior but in the soul’s inner fire. A man may act good for a day, but if his heart remains hard, the change is shallow. But when the heart itself is softened—when pride gives way to humility, selfishness to compassion, and bitterness to love—then the journey is complete. The ancients called this “metanoia,” the turning of the heart, a change so deep it remakes the very self.

The image of a pathway is one the wise of every age have cherished. The Buddha spoke of the Eightfold Path. The prophets of Israel spoke of the way of righteousness. Christ Himself declared, “I am the way.” A path suggests that life is movement, not stillness, and that no one is finished, but all are walking. The Book of Mormon, in Bednar’s teaching, is a map upon that road, helping us navigate from one stage of the journey to the next.

And yet, no path is walked without trial. To move from bad to good requires struggle, the facing of one’s own failings. To move from good to better demands endurance and humility, for it is easy to settle in comfort and say, “This is enough.” But the changed heart never says enough—it longs for continual growth, for greater love, greater service, greater light. Thus, Bednar calls us not to stagnation, but to striving, to a pilgrimage that never ends until our hearts are fully aligned with the divine.

The lesson is clear: life is a journey of transformation, and the heart is the battlefield. If we wish to grow, we must seek out guidance, whether through scripture, wisdom, or the voices of the noble who walked before us. We must not despair at being “bad,” nor grow complacent at being “good,” but ever strive for “better.” And above all, we must allow our hearts to change, for it is the heart that determines the truth of who we are.

So I say to you: take up your handbook of instructions, whatever form it may be. Walk the pathway with courage. When you fall, rise again. When you reach good, aim for better. Let your heart be changed, not once, but continually, until your life is not merely a road of wandering, but a journey of becoming. For in the end, it is not where you began that matters, but how faithfully you walked the path that leads from shadow into light.