Elder Wada Invites BYU–Pathway Students to Trust God’s Voice in the Scriptures

In a small chapel in Japan, a teenage boy stood to introduce himself in broken English. “Hello, my name is Takashi,” he said, repeating the phrase he’d practiced all week in the beginner English class taught by missionaries.

At first, he came for English lessons and table tennis. But what Takashi Wada found changed everything.

“I found greater joy in discussing with missionaries about our beliefs and the purpose of life,” he said.

That young man — now Elder Takashi Wada, a General Authority Seventy — shared his story during a June 6, 2025, BYU–Pathway Worldwide devotional.

The missionaries’ examples left a lasting impression. “They were very honest and chaste,” Elder Wada said. “I aspired to have the same qualities.” He wondered what the source of their virtue was: “Was it the teachings of their parents or some aspect of American culture?”

Speaking to BYU–Pathway students around the world, Elder Wada explained that as a teenager he yearned for something more than English fluency, good grades or a future career.

“I was searching deeply for answers to life’s profound questions because I did not know where to find them,” he said.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-MPvmi6Vw0

Elder Wada cited Alma 31:5, where the prophet taught that preaching the word had a greater impact than even the sword. To “try the virtue of the word of God,” Elder Wada said, is to act in faith — even before all the answers are known.

He connected this idea to the young Joseph Smith, who read James 1:5 and decided to pray. “Joseph Smith reading the Bible age, and following its teaching, is what Alma described as ‘trying the virtue of the word of God,’” Elder Wada explained. Joseph’s experience in the Sacred Grove is a pattern for anyone seeking answers from heaven.

Elder Wada invited students to do more than just read the scriptures. He encouraged them to “liken,” “abide by,” “experiment” and “apply” what they read. As Alma taught, even a desire to believe can begin the process of growth.

“I felt the same growing in my heart,” Elder Wada testified. “I felt the power or virtue of the Savior’s word.” As he acted on gospel truths over the years, he saw his understanding deepen and his relationship with Christ strengthen.

The reason God’s word carries such power, he taught, is because Jesus Christ is “the Word.” Referencing John 1, Elder Wada reminded listeners that the Savior created all things, took on flesh and performed mighty miracles. His voice carries the power to heal and to save.

“His word has stood the test of time for me,” Elder Wada said. “You can have complete trust in the word of Jesus Christ. He is ‘the rock’ that you can build your sure foundation on.”

Elder Wada turned to the story of the brother of Jared and the voyage across the ocean. He reflected on the “furious wind” that drove the barges forward and suggested that what may look like chaos is often God’s power moving us toward His promises.

“We must not lose sight of which way the wind is blowing,” he said. “God will carry us forward as we trust Him.”

The wind didn’t just allow the journey — it made the journey possible. Even when the travelers were submerged beneath the waves, they kept their focus on the Lord and sang praises through the darkness, being enlightened by the teachings from on high.

Elder Wada invited students to see their current experiences the same way. “Through study and prayer, you are preparing your own unique barges to navigate the vast ocean of life ahead,” he said.

He closed with a call to students to remain steadfast in their focus on God’s words, particularly His covenants and ordinances.

That teenage boy in Japan once stood up struggling to say his name in English. By trying the virtue of the word of God, his life changed forever. Now, he stands to bear his testimony in English as a witness of Christ to BYU–Pathway students around the world.