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. . In all of this we should not presume to judge our neighbors or associates on the ultimate effect of their behaviors. In a time when sovereign power was universally assumed to come from the divine right of kings or from military power, attributing sovereign power to the people was revolutionary. . The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. April 2022. When practiced by those around us, it can be private behavior or something we are asked to condone, sponsor, or facilitate. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33). . There are many kinds of priesthood blessings. Consider where society would be if we did not have religious freedom, says President Oaks, President Oaks general conference addresses, Read more October 2022 general conference coverage, President Oaks was a law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren at the U.S. Supreme Court and served as a. We all remember how a prophet reacted from a hospital bed when an operating room attendant stumbled and cursed in his presence. See, for example,John Paul II: The Encyclicals in Everyday Language,3rd ed., ed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. On Sabbath observance, Latter-day Saints know that we are taught to observe the Sabbath day in a different way than many other Christians. . I love the words in Susan Evans McClouds familiar hymn: Who am I to judge another Our civilization is based on morality and cannot exist without it. I am convinced that these seemingly contradictory directions are consistent when we view them with the perspective of eternity. . In the words of President Joseph F. Smith: We believe in all truth, no matter to what subject it may refer. PresidentDallin H. Oakswassustained andset apartas first counselor in the First Presidencyandpresident of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostlesof The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints onSunday, January 14, 2018. Dallin H. Oaks discusses the parable of the sower and warns of attitudes that prevent the word of God from growing in our hearts and bearing "fruit." Video Collections; Broadcast and Live Event Recordings; General Conference; April 2015; Saturday Morning Session April 2015; I am listing below all President Dallin H. Oaks talks, not just those that he gave when he was as a General Authority of the Church, but also those given by him before, with the links to the text, video, or audio available. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, center, and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, second from right, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, right, arrive for the women's session of the 192nd Annual General Conference in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on . He is a native of Provo, Utah (born in 1932). . The answer is simple: keep Gods commandments and serve his children. We sing: Tho the heavens depart and the earths fountains burst,Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,Eternal, unchanged, evermore.1. . 2730; emphasis in original]. There was a conference talk by Elder Dallin H Oaks a few years back about making good choices. What believers should do about this introduces the second of my twin subjects: Tolerance. Thus, the Lord said to Alma: Whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also. Through the prophet Moses the Lord commanded Israel, Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour (Leviticus 19:15). . Our tolerance and respect for others and their beliefs does not cause us to abandon our commitment to the truths we understand and the covenants we have made. The New York Times, Wikipedia, Patheos, USA Today, NPR, Church News, LDS Living, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Bustle, Heavy, Slate, and more. Thus, we must refrain from making final judgments on people, because we lack the knowledge and the wisdom to do so. . But that is our role. In other words, are we responsible to look after the well-being of our neighbors as we seek to earn our daily bread? The following is a summary of what he said. To lighten the load of the bishopric, auxiliary presidencies and Melchizedek Priesthood quorum presidencies and group leaders need to exercise initiative and fully function in the great responsibilities of their callings. As a student of the scriptures and as a former judge, I have had a special interest in the many scriptures that refer to judging. I am loyal to the chosen servants of the Lord, whom I sustain with all my heart. Joseph G. Donders (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2005), 21013; Harold Kushner,Who Needs God(New York: Summit, 1989), 8384. The gospel is a gospel of hope, and none of us is authorized to deny the power of the Atonement to bring about a cleansing of individual sins, forgiveness, and a reformation of life on appropriate conditions. He also said religious freedom is the DNA of The Church of Jesus Christ. And we must also acquire the discretion that God exercises in being able to look into futurity, and to ascertain and know the results of our acts away in the future, even in eternity, before we will be capable of judging. Tony & Tacky: Campus Confidential, Taste,The Wall Street Journal,5 July 2002, W11. Alwi Shihab, Building Bridges to Harmony Through Understanding, BYU forum address, 10 October 2006); http://speeches-dev.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=11324. Commandments mark the path and show us the way to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. So informed, her visitor and others spoke criticisms of her children for neglecting their mother. In case you want to follow along, here are the quotes we're discussing today: Quote #1: "Despite all that our Church does directly, most humanitarian service to the children of God worldwide is carried out by persons and In this context the wordcondemnapparently refers to the final judgment (see John 3:17). And in those intermediate judgments we are responsible to make, may we judge righteously and with love. President Oaks said religious liberty faces serious challenges around the world, such as secularism, authoritarianism, political correctness and deteriorating attitudes toward religion. May we have his love. Then he delivers the gentle but clear rebuke. This is a vital matter on which we who believe in a Supreme Being who has established absolute right and wrong in human behavior must unite to insist on our time-honored constitutional rights to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues, and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and in the halls of justice. First,all persons are brothers and sisters under God, taught within their various religions to love and do good to one another. As described by an attorney supporting a Lutheran school in a case now before the United States Supreme Court, the big concern is the ability of people of all faiths to work out their relationship with God and one another without the government looking over their shoulder.10That is why we need understanding and supportincludingyourunderstanding and supportwhen we must contend for religious freedom. For most followers of Christ, our sacrifices involve what we can do on a day-to-day basis in our ordinary personal lives. In modern revelation the Lord has declared, I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men (D&C 64:10). He knows the truth. As a student of the scriptures and as a former judge, I have had a special interest in the many scriptures that refer to judging. First is the principle that the source of government power is the people. . We should not presume to exercise and act upon judgments that are outside our personal responsibilities. He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men . Even the Savior, during his mortal ministry, refrained from making final judgments. But diversities in cultures and values also challenge us to identify what can be embraced as consistent with our gospel culture and values and what cannot. Learn how your comment data is processed. . I used the principle of forgiveness to strengthen me.[Journey to Healing, p. 22]. . Josephs candor about his shortcomings is evident in the fact that one of the first revelations he recorded in writing and published to the world was a crushing rebuke he received from the Lord. His creations witness His existence, and His servants hear and proclaim His voice. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the governing First Presidency, speaks at General Conference about the U.S . Persuaded by this philosophy, many of the rising generationyouth and young adultsare caught up in self-serving pleasures, pagan painting and piercing of body parts, foul language, revealing attire, pornography, dishonesty, and degrading sexual indulgence. . When believers enter the public square to try to influence the making or the administration of laws motivated by their beliefs, they should apply some different principles. The question posed by the second commandment is What is our ultimate priority?. And we must all oppose violence and thievery. I testify of Jesus Christ, whose light and Spirit guides all the children of God in helping the poor and distressed throughout the world.. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.15. The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse by John Gottman. See Riots in Britain: Anarchy in the UK, Leaders,The Economist,400, no. Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. Why, oh, why couldnt the Lord have said, Youre absolutely right, Martha. President Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was invited to speak at the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit on July 20. a watchman upon the tower, who will [see] the enemy while he [is] yet afar off and give warning to save the vineyard from the hands of the destroyer (D&C 101:45, 54). Later, in the sublime teachings the Savior gave his apostles on the eve of his suffering and the Atonement, he said: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Lord, I would follow thee. The scripture is familiar. Unfortunately, some who believe in moral relativism seem to have difficulty tolerating those who insist that there is a God who should be respected and certain moral absolutes that should be observed. It is significant that when we partake of the sacrament we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. [Mosiah 4:1718, 22]. Dec 2015 A Savior Is Born Ensign. That question is as penetrating today as when Jesus used it to confound the Pharisees almost two thousand years ago. This is easy to see when it involves extreme behaviors that most believers and nonbelievers recognize as wrong or unacceptable. to judge the world; if it were, we would ruin everything. [Moroni 7:18]. This belief system can tolerate almost any behavior and almost any persons. As I have observed the judgments of presidents of the Church in matters of Church discipline, I have marveled at the care they have exercised to assure that justice is balanced with mercy, with loving concern for the consequences to innocent family membersborn and unbornas well as to the transgressors themselves. President [Harold B.] Many even question whether there is a God. If there are more that I have missed, please let me know and I will add them to the list. This Christmas, as with every Christmas, we focus on loving one another just as our Savior loved us. do not doubt the overriding importance of listening to the Lord,[but]does the listening have to be done during dinner preparations? Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Profanity, cohabitation, and Sabbath breakingexcellent examples to illustrate how Latter-day Saints might balance their competing duties to truth and tolerance in their own lives in these difficult circumstances. All of this is part of Gods work for His children., Jesus Christ is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world(John 1:9). We sing: Tho the heavens depart and the earth's fountains burst,Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,Eternal, unchanged, evermore.1. 6. . Who am I to judge another? Top 11 Best Quotes From The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by GamblingMorally Wrong and Politically Unwise (, Education Week devotional (unavailable) June 8, 2001. . In doing so we stand with angels. The Lords way of final judgment will be to apply his perfect knowledge of the law a person has received and to judge on the basis of that persons circumstances, motives, and actions throughout his or her entire life (see Luke 12:4748, John 15:22, 2 Nephi 9:25). If you're aware of any talks available online that aren't listed here, please let me know. He practiced law and taught law in Chicago. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming. I testify to the sweetness of the marriage and family life that the family proclamation describes as founded upon a husband and wifes solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children and upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.. They all come through the mercy and grace of the Holy One of Israel, after all we can do (2 Nephi 25:23). . Did the Kinderhook Plates Really Fool Joseph Smith? April 2022. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, waves while holding his wife Sister Kristen Oaks' hand inside the Conference Center during the Saturday evening session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. . Login . Another such circumstance was described in anEnsignarticle by BYU professor Arthur R. Bassett: I was troubled when one person whispered to another all through the opening prayer. As part of this, we will sometimes need to challenge laws that would impair our freedom to practice our faiths, doing so in reliance on our constitutional rights to the free exercise of religion. . 9. . It will refrain from declaring that a person has been assured of exaltation or from dismissing a person as being irrevocably bound for hellfire. We also need focus to avoid what is harmful. What Have Scholars Learned about the Book of Mormon? October 2021. In such circumstances we do the best we can, relying ultimately on the teaching in modern scripture that we should put our trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do goodyea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously (D&C 11:12). A Conversation with Dallin H. Oaks, President of Brigham Young University Ensign. What is tolerance, when does it apply, and when does it not apply? In any event, as defenders of the faith, believers can and must seek laws that will preserve religious freedom. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Includes a page for each General Conference talk with reflection questions, a place for notes, and a learning style study idea (unique for each talk). We see this in the account of the woman taken in adultery. . October 2022. Did you enjoy these Dallin H. Oaks quotes? . Because of Gods plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed by the process of repentance. [Teachings,p. 218]. The Church of Jesus Christ is committed to serving those in need, and it is also committed to cooperating with others in that effort. Divine Love in the Father's Plan. These include covenants and ordinances and repentance when our choices are wrong. . 5. In the intermediate judgments we must make, we should take care to judge righteously. We are enriched by associations with different peoples, which remind us of the wonderful diversity of the children of God. see other collected talk by Church Leaders, from the website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Priesthood Authority in the Family and the Church, Loving Others and Living with Differences, Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution, Prophetic Announcements of Christs Birth, Going Forward with Religious Freedom and Nondiscrimination, Elder Dallin H. Oaks at BYU: Racism and Other Challenges | Giuseppe Martinengo, President Oaks: avoid being unduly influenced by extreme voices | Giuseppe Martinengo, President Oaks Tells Students in Rome Why Religious Freedom Matters | Giuseppe Martinengo, Top 25 Best Quotes From Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. Our own sins, no matter how few or seemingly insignificant, disqualify us as judges of other peoples sins. The effect of one mortals attempting to pass final judgment on another mortal is analogous to the effect on athletes and observers if we could proclaim the outcome of an athletic contest with certainty while it was still underway. What Did the Founding Fathers Think about the Bible? As we draw farther from worldliness, we feel closer to our Father in Heaven and more able to be guided by his Spirit. Helping the Poor and Distressed. 11:1011). . Recently, the Church of Jesus Christ reported for the first time the extent of its humanitarian work worldwide; 2021 expenditures for those in need in 188 countries totaled $906 million, with members also volunteering over 6 million hours of labor. In applying the sometimes competing demands of truth and tolerance in these three behaviors and many others, we should not be tolerant with ourselves. 272. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, speaks during the Saturday morning session of the 191st Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, broadcast from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 2, 2021. . The protection promised to the faithful servants of God is a reality today as it was in Bible times. Cox announces free period products in all state buildings, Bill to remove state food tax also removes constitutional earmark for education, Jordin Sparks kicks off first in-person RootsTech since 2020. First of all, a righteous judgment must, by definition, be intermediate. Isalute you for your righteous actions and your righteous desires. Elder Dieter F. Ucthdorf back in 2017 said, My Savior knows what happened. Then, to other believers, we might express appreciation for the fact that we share common ground on what is most vital because each of us believes in God and in the existence of absolute truth, even though we differ in our definitions of these fundamentals. Dallin H. Oaks quotes cover more than 30 years. A recentEnsignarticle by an anonymous victim of childhood sexual abuse illustrates the contrast between judging situations and judging persons. Similar reasoning forbids our presuming to make final judgments on the outcome of any persons lifelong mortal contest. Sustaining of General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Officers. Dallin H. Oaks: Kindness Is Powerful. Jesus answered: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, these seemingly small things bring to pass great things. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. A Relief Society worker visiting a sister in her ward asked whether the womans married children ever visited her. If given in the right way and for the right reasons, that service will reward us beyond anything we have given. Perfect love casteth out fear. October 1985, Sunday morning session. Many good, religious-minded . . . The ripples in my pond will spread through future generations. Speaking to an audience of institute students three years ago, he said: The wordtolerancedoes not stand alone. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? President Oaks and his late wife, Sister June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. May 3: Dallin H. Oaks is ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. For example, we must all deplore murder or other terrorist behavior, even when done by extremists in the name of religion. . The scriptures not only command or contemplate that we will make intermediate judgments, but they also give us some guidancesome governing principlesin how to do so. These 32 new mission presidents and companions were recently called to serve in Top 42 Quotes from Think Again by Adam Grant, Top 32 Best Quotes From Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, 20 Best Quotes From Melinda Gates New Book The Moment of Lift. [Catherine Corman Parry, Simon, I Have Somewhat to Say unto Thee: Judgment and Condemnation in the Parables of Jesus,Brigham Young University 199091 Devotional and Fireside Speeches[Provo: BYU, 1991], p. 116]. He and his late wife, June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. We discuss the talks given by President Dallin H. Oaks and Hugo Montoya about service and love and wish you all a wonderful Christmas this year!Music acknowledgementsMusic: In Dulci Jubilo by J.S. Amen. What does this scripture mean for our day and how can it be applied by Latter-day Saints? Sorrow that the eye cant see. [Moroni 7:1214]. Misery is more than unhappiness, sorrow, or suffering. Now we experience such differences in television and the Internet, through travel, and often in personal interactions in our neighborhoods and the marketplace. . He was president of Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1980, and a justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 1980 until his resignation in 1984 to accept his calling to the apostleship. I leave all that to the Lord. A testimony of the gospel is not a travelogue, a health log, or an expression of love for family members. Dallin Harris Oaks (born August 12, 1932) is an American religious leader and former jurist and academic who since 2018 has been the first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).