dallin h oaks conference talks dallin h oaks conference talks

From time to time some diligent defenders deny this reality, such as the writer of a letter to the editor who insisted that certain publicly reported conduct should be ignored because in this country you are innocent until you are proven guilty. The presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law is a vital rule to guide the conduct of a criminal trial, but it is not a valid restraint on personal decisions. In other words, are we responsible to look after the well-being of our neighbors as we seek to earn our daily bread? I am waiting further evidence. Most of us do not face decisions of giant proportions, like leaving our homes to pioneer an unknown land. First,when believers in Jesus Christ take their views of truth into the public square, they must seek the inspiration of the Lord to be selective and wise in choosing which true principles they seek to promote by law or executive action. The law of tithing is not a remote Old Testament practice, but a commandment directly from the Savior to the people of our day. In this way diversity increases the potential for conflict and requires us to be more thoughtful about the nature of tolerance. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33). We grow and mature spiritually by choosing to obey Gods commandments in a succession of right choices. Even He refrained from a final mortal judgment of the woman taken in adultery. This inspired caution reminds us that for persons who believe in absolute truth, tolerance for behavior is like a two-sided coin. And furthermore, what about the value of our work in the world? On the foundation belief in right and wrong, there is an alarming contrast between the older and the younger generations. 8, 11). Alwi Shihab, Building Bridges to Harmony Through Understanding, BYU forum address, 10 October 2006); http://speeches-dev.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=11324. that ye do not judge . [Luke 10:4042]. I have chosen to heal myself and pass on to my children what I have learned. I left last weekend's LDS General Conference inspired and uplifted. Some Christians look on this as the time when individuals are assigned to heaven or hell. 91, 93). How can I keep my covenant to stand as a witness and not offend these people?13. The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of Gods laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love. 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. We should address prayers to our Heavenly Father in words which speakers of that language associate with love and respect and reverence and closeness. 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. He also said religious freedom is the DNA of The Church of Jesus Christ. Our Savior also taught that His followers will have tribulation in the world, that their numbers and dominions will be small (see 1 Nephi 14:12), and that they will be hated because they are not of the world (John 17:14). They are directions away from pitfalls, and they are invitations to blessings. This is beyond what Latter-day Saints do in callings, in member-to-member service and individually with innumerable charitable organizations. Learn how your comment data is processed. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. That judgment is the Lords, not ours. But the rebuke would not have come had Martha not prompted it. Iassure you that my message is true. As the Apostle Paul taught, Christians should follow after the things which make for peace (Romans 14:19) and, as much as possible, live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18). The philosophy of moral relativism, which holds that each person is free to choose for himself what is right and wrong, is becoming the unofficial creed for many in America and other Western nations. In May 2013, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty awarded him the Canterbury Medal for courage in the defense of religious liberty (from the website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Your email address will not be published. I will not be judged for what happened to me, but I will be judged by how I let it affect my life. April 1985, Sunday afternoon session. God inspires many organizations and individuals to do much good, and more Church members should recognize and support the good done by others. And we must all oppose violence and thievery. 50 of The Best Talks of All Times From The General Conference of First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ Calls 164 New Mission Leaders 95 Best Quotes From The Laws of Human Nature, Top 45 Best Quotes from Grit by Angela Lee Duckworth, 34 Best Quotes From Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, Top 30 Quotes From Start With Why by Simon Sinek. I must hear both sides of the question. It is this suspended judgment that is the supreme form of charity. The Church of Jesus Christ is committed to serving those in need, and it is also committed to cooperating with others in that effort. 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. Please! . [vv. A leavenyeastis hidden away in the larger mass until the whole is leavened, which means raised by its influence. . Perhaps we should explain our belief that our observance of the Sabbath, including our partaking of the sacrament, restores us spiritually and makes us better people for the rest of the week. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil. 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. The singing of hymns is one of the best ways to put ourselves in tune with the Spirit. As John Adams declared: Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. In most cases this decision can depend on how directly we are personally affected by it. You know what is right and what is wrong, and no disguise, however appealing, can change that. There are many kinds of priesthood blessings. We should be strong in keeping the commandments and our covenants, and we should repent and improve when we fall short. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Second,when believers seek to promote their positions in the public square, their methods and their advocacy should always be tolerant of the opinions and positions of others who do not share their beliefs. Do not be deceived; behind that faade is heartache, unhappiness, and pain. Dallin H. Oaks was a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this fireside address was given at BYU on 1 March 1998. Finally, the spirit of our balance of truth and tolerance is applied in these words of President Gordon B. Hinckley: Let us reach out to those in our community who are not of our faith. . The doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. What Have Scholars Learned about the Book of Mormon? Page last updated 30 Sep 2021. The Relief Society has great significance for every member of the Church. It is a very unstable virtue.12. Would it have hurt Mary to have joined us in serving, then we all could have sat down to hear the Lord together? For the goal of all human relationswhether they are religious, social, political, or economicought to be cooperation and mutual respect.9. He is the author or co-author of many books and articles on religious and legal subjects. In contrast to forbidding mortals to make final judgments, the scriptures require mortals to make what I will call intermediate judgments. These judgments are essential to the exercise of personal moral agency. . We must go, I believe, beyond tolerance if we are to achieve harmony in our world., Relying on the teachings of the Quran, Dr. Shihab continued: We must respect this God-given dignity in every human being, even in our enemies. . 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. kristen meredith mcmain oaks agered gomphrena globosa magical properties 27 februari, 2023 . Also see, GamblingMorally Wrong and Politically Unwise (, 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, Stand Fast with Love in Proclaiming Truth, Going Forward with Religious Freedom and Nondiscrimination. This is shaping the attitudes of many young Americans who are taking their places as the teachers of our children and the shapers of public attitudes through the media and popular entertainment. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, these seemingly small things bring to pass great things. How should we react toward and communicate with them? The Church gives us opportunities to serve the Lord and our fellowmen. I used the principle of forgiveness to strengthen me.[Journey to Healing, p. 22]. Whats Really in the Journal of Discourses? The following is a summary of what he said. His creations witness His existence, and His servants hear and proclaim His voice. All rights reserved. We need to find ways to learn from one another and to reinforce the common commitments that hold us together and promote stable pluralistic societies.. 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. The subject was the sacrament, and the class was being taught by the bishop. The Holy Ghost will protect us against being deceived, but to realize that wonderful blessing we must always do the things necessary to retain that Spirit. It was taught when a lawyer asked the Savior, Which is the great commandment in the law? (Matthew 22:36). When she answered no, Jesus declared, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (v. 11). So informed, her visitor and others spoke criticisms of her children for neglecting their mother. [The Journey to Healing,Ensign,September 1997, p. 19]. In all of this we should not presume to judge our neighbors or associates on the ultimate effect of their behaviors. . on Dallin H. Oaks Quotes From Every General Conference, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Angel Moroni, Come Follow Me 2023: New Testament Resources. Now we experience such differences in television and the Internet, through travel, and often in personal interactions in our neighborhoods and the marketplace. As believers, we must always speak with love and show patience, understanding, and compassion toward our adversaries. 7. He loves us, and all that He does is for our eternal benefit. One of Martin Harriss greatest contributions to the Church, for which he should be honored for all time, was his financing the publication of the Book of Mormon. As modern transportation and communication have brought all of us into closer proximity to different peoples and different ideas, we have greater need for tolerance. If we apply unrighteous standards, our judgment will be unrighteous. The article begins with heart-wrenching words and with true statements of eternal principles. Cohabitation we know to be a serious sin in which Latter-day Saints must not engage, whatever the circumstances. We should all be edified and strengthened by this example of speaking both tolerance and truth: kindness in the communication, but firmness in the truth. 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. Speaking at BYU a decade later, a Muslim scholar, Dr. Alwi Shihab, an Indonesian, elaborated that idea in these words: To tolerate something is to learn to live with it, even when you think it is wrong and downright evil. . Dallin H. Oaks: Kindness Is Powerful. In all our judgments we should apply righteous standards. Our scriptural accounts of the Saviors mortal life provide the pattern. October 2022. . 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 all make judgments in choosing our friends, in choosing how we will spend our time and our money, and, of course, in choosing an eternal companion. I will say no more about the tolerance or intolerance of nonbelievers. Is Jim Bridger Responsible for What Happened to the Donner Party? . Someone has said that you cannot slice cheese so fine that it doesnt have two sides. It requires an object and a response to qualify it as a virtue. If you have doubts about this, or if you have questions about how to apply these principles in your own life, I urge you to seek guidance from the same source. . Because of Gods plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed by the process of repentance. Well all help, and by the way, that centerpiece looks lovely? 6. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Martha received Jesus into her house and worked to provide for him while her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard his word. 12. Elder Dallin H. Oaks Opposition in All Things. Tolerance is often demanded but seldom returned. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of us are troubled by packed shopping centers and other commercial activities on the Sabbath. 14. There is a doctrine underlying the subject of gospel judging. Today and tomorrow would need to include two talks per day, then after that read one talk per day. 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. Let us be good neighbors, kind and generous and gracious. On the broader question being widely agitated by the atheists of our day, I proclaim my knowledge that God lives! Login . Dallin H. Oaks quotes cover more than 30 years. I am devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Guided by heaven in this righteous cause, our words will be sweet and find place in the hearts of many. I turn now to the obligations of truth and tolerance in our personal relations with associates who use profanity in our presence, who live with a partner out of wedlock, or who do not observe the Sabbath day appropriately. According to survey data of two decades ago, 79 percent of American adults [believed] that there are clear guidelines about whats good and evil that apply to everyone regardless of the situation.4In contrast, a more recent poll of college seniors suggests that three-quarters of [them] believe that the difference between right and wrong is relative.5. . , I do not need to condemn or judge my abusers nor be part of the punishment. We should be ruled by the demands of truth. In subsequent portions of her talk, Professor Parry observed that in this instanceand also in the example of Simon the Pharisee, who criticized the woman who anointed the feet of the Savior (see Luke 7:3650)the Savior took one individuals judgment of another individual as a standard and applied that judgment back upon the individual who was judging. It will refrain from declaring that a person has forfeited all opportunity for exaltation or even all opportunity for a useful role in the work of the Lord. 11:1011). Holders of the priesthood should also keep the commandments so they will have the power of the priesthood to give blessings to their family members. Jesus told the Roman governor Pilate that He came into the world to bear witness unto the truth., What is truth? that unbeliever responded. He also said religious freedom is the DNA of The Church of Jesus Christ. Surely Latter-day Saints do need to be more wise and skillful in explaining and pursuing our views and in exercising our influence when we have it. . Clothed in a white robe, he descended out of heaven. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Law of E. F. Hutton (#5). 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. 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. It is forever associated with the Twin Towers. From our love of God and our fellowmen, we acquire our desire to share that great gift with everyone. . The bishop answered, You do nothing. 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. [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]. Last year, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was invited to participate in Indiana. We can acknowledge the sincerity of those whose positions we cannot accept. This is a harder question for those who affirm the existence of God and absolute truth than for those who believe in moral relativism. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Knowing that we are all children of God gives us a vision of the worth of others and the ability to rise above prejudice. He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. The answer is simple: keep Gods commandments and serve his children. Dallin H. Oaks. In the balance between truth and tolerance, tolerance can be dominant where the behavior does not involve us personally. . President Dallin H. Oaks was sustained and set apart as first counselor in the First Presidency and president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, January 14, 2018. . President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, speaks during the Saturday morning session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 1, 2022. Having discussed the balancing of truth and tolerance in our personal behavior and in our relations with associates, I come to a different and more difficult circumstance. He is a native of Provo, Utah (born . as the daylight is from the dark night. 10. We give thanks for commandments. I love the words in Susan Evans McClouds familiar hymn: Who am I to judge another Whats in the Relief Society General Board Minutes? Two experiences illustrate the importance of caution in judging. Thus, a thoughtful LDS woman wrote me about her concern that the worlds definition of tolerance seems to be increasingly used in relation to tolerating wicked lifestyles. She asked how the Lord would define tolerance.11, President Boyd K. Packer gave an inspired introduction to this subject. And, in all of this, we must remember the command to forgive. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.15. In revelation the Lord added this parable for modern Zion: Set . . This Christmas, as with every Christmas, we focus on loving one another just as our Savior loved us. He taught that each of us should follow Him by denying ourselves of selfish interests in order to serve others. This philosophy of moral relativism denies what millions of believing Christians, Jews, and Muslims consider fundamental, and this denial creates serious problems for all of us. She died July 21, 1998. I am speaking to an audience of Latter-day Saints who believe in God and in absolute truth. . 1015]. Speaking to an audience of institute students three years ago, he said: The wordtolerancedoes not stand alone. 2021. . President Oaks' conference talk summary She died July 21, 1998. The Lord acknowledges Marthas care: Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things (v. 41). Because of His atoning experience in mortality, our Savior is able to comfort, heal, and strengthen all men and women everywhere, but I believe He does so only for those who seek Him and ask for His help. Many religious leaders teach the existence of God as the Ultimate Lawgiver, by whose action certain behavior is absolutely right and true and certain other behavior is absolutely wrong and untrue.6Bible and Book of Mormon prophets foresaw this time, when men would be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:4) and, indeed, when men would deny God (see Jude 1:4; 2 Nephi 28:5; Moroni 7:17; D&C 29:22). [John 13:3435]. In this sensitive matter we should first consider whether or the extent to which we should communicate to our associates what we know to be true about their behavior. We can set and act upon high standards for ourselves or our homes without condemning those who do otherwise. . From these we magnify a mood into a character and an episode into a life. I am a survivor of childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming. 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. In doing so, we Latter-day Saints rely on the truth we sing in the hymn I quoted earlier: The pillar of truth will endure to the last, And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast, And the wreck of the fell tyrants hopes.7. . President [Harold B.] I know that the gospel is true because my Father in heaven has answered my prayers and borne witness to me by the power of the Holy Ghost. For most followers of Christ, our sacrifices involve what we can do on a day-to-day basis in our ordinary personal lives. Like many scriptures, this commandment has multiple meanings. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke during the Saturday morning session of October 2022 general conference. by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. In the words of President Joseph F. Smith: