Why was last week's speech on LGBTQ rights 'the most difficult' of LDS I just reread it and appreciate the good counsel he gave. A talk a day: How to prepare for April 2023 general conference You might say, That is a matter for senior Church authorities to handle. I describe these principles to you young adults because you are current members and future leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ, and you will need to decide these kinds of questions sooner than you think. The Parable of the Sower 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. 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). But where believers are in the majority, they should always be sensitive to the views of the minority. Lord, I would follow thee. When we speak every man truth with his neighbour (Ephesians 4:25), and when we [speak] the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) as the Apostle Paul taught, we are acting as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, doing His work. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. S2:E1 "Helping the Poor an. Most of us do not face decisions of giant proportions, like leaving our homes to pioneer an unknown land. Currently, he is the second most senior apostle by years of service and is . In a BYU devotional address, Professor Catherine Corman Parry gave a memorable scriptural illustration of the consequences of judging by the wrong standards. By falling short of righteous standards, we place ourselves in jeopardy of being judged by incorrect or unrighteous standards ourselves. We must also stand shoulder to shoulder with other believers to preserve and strengthen the freedom to advocate and practice our religious beliefs, whatever they are. Church leaders are specifically commanded to judge. 17 2 you but you must reach out for that help 15 do Perfect love is charity. I leave all that to the Lord. Lee had another teaching about magnifying the priesthood: If anybody magnifies their priesthoodthat is, makes it bigger than they first thought it was and more important than anyone else thought it wasthat is the way you magnify your priesthood.. What do you do?. . 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. Trust Him." As our confidence in God goes up, our fear goes down. May 3: Dallin H. Oaks is ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Search for biographies: Dallin H. Oaks We witness that we are willing to do so. 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. Collected Talks of Dallin H. Oaks Ben Crowder He spoke of helping the poor and distressed not just what the Church is doing but what is being done worldwide. 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.. BYU Speeches
We misinterpret motives, do not know facts, and judge from wrong standards. This is the age of snap judgments. 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. The doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. 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). . 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. Tolerance requires a similar refraining in our judgment of others. [vv. . The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. First of all, a righteous judgment must, by definition, be intermediate. Of course, teaching efforts only bear fruit through the agency of others, so they must always be done with love, patience, and persuasion. . Talks by Dallin H. Oaks. 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. Some say, I didnt learn anything today or No one was friendly to me or I was offended. Personal disappointments should never keep us from the doctrine of Christ, who taught us to serve, not to be served. That question is as penetrating today as when Jesus used it to confound the Pharisees almost two thousand years ago. As a Apostle with a unique legal background Elder Oaks has on occasion spoken both for the Church and to the Church. . He has given 87 general conference talksincluding 18 addresses as a member of the First Presidency. 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. 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. In another essay, William George Jordan wrote: There is but one quality necessary for the perfect understanding of character, one quality that, if[a]man have it, he maydare to judgethat is, omniscience. Jesus answered: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. They were innocent of neglect and should not have been judged on the basis of an inadequate knowledge of the facts. The worlds way is to judge competitively between winners and losers. It is forever associated with the Twin Towers. Wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. 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). King Benjamin taught: Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just. The face of sin today often wears the mask of tolerance. President Oaks talks cover topics like desire, repentance, and trust in the Lord. Elder Dallin H Oaks; sacrifice; sanity; self care; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; widow; March 2023 (1) February 2023 (2) November 12, 2021 at University of Virginia. Another thoughtful LDS member wrote: In Mosiah 18:9 Alma tells us that when we are baptized we covenant to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in. . They should cultivate loving family relationships so that family members will want to ask them for blessings. October 1986, Saturday afternoon session. Subscribe To Our Newsletter. During class discussion a member asked, What if you see an unworthy person partaking of the sacrament? Like many scriptures, this commandment has multiple meanings. Tolerance, or respect, is on one side of the coin, but truth is always on the other. (Church Newsroom), New BYU opera professor performs as featured soloist for Tabernacle Choir, Orchestras summer concert, Video of the Day: West Virginia city adopts stray cat as mascot, Gov. Helping the Poor and Distressed | Dallin H. Oaks | October 2022 General The Book of Mormon teaches: For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain . [Teachings,p. 218]. Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution - The Church of Jesus The Book of Mormon tells of the resurrected Lord visiting some of the people of the Americas. My dear young brothers and sisters, Kristen and I feel privileged to be with you on this significant occasion. Misery is the ultimate state of disharmony with God and his laws. April 2022. With the increased understanding we have received from the Restoration, Latter-day Saints understand the final judgment as the time when all mankind will receive their personal dominions in the mansions prepared for them in the various kingdoms of glory (see D&C 76:111, John 14:2, 1 Corinthians 15:4044). Faith is essential for healing by the powers of heaven. 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. And we must all oppose violence and thievery. He was set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in April 7, 1984. 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 all of this we should not presume to judge our neighbors or associates on the ultimate effect of their behaviors. As I face this audience of committed youngpeople, I know that some of you may be wondering why I am speaking about what is obvious to you and what, you might assume, is obvious to others. By Church Newsroom and The Daily Universe. You cannot possess or use the coin of tolerance without being conscious of both sides. 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. See Heidi S. Swinton,To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), especially chapters 25 and 28 and pages 46263. 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. If we apply unrighteous standards, our judgment will be unrighteous. When He faced the woman taken in adultery, Jesus spoke the comforting words of tolerance: Neither do I condemn thee. Then, as He sent her away, He spoke the commanding words of truth: Go, and sin no more (John 8:11). . "Helping the Poor and Distressed" by Dallin H. Oaks Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible (JST), President Nelson Quotes from Every General Conference. (See John 18:3738.). The answer is simple: keep Gods commandments and serve his children. . . President [Spencer W.] Kimball taught that the moment we begin preaching to others, our testimony is ended. 1. Fourth,believers should not shrink from seeking laws to maintain public conditions or policies that assist them in practicing the requirements of their faith where those conditions or policies are also favorable to the public health, safety, or morals. The woman taken in adultery was granted time to repent, time that would have been denied by those who wanted to stone her. Elder Dallin H. Oaks Opposition in All Things The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion. In the process of what we call the Apostasy, the tangible, personal God described in the Old and New Testaments was replaced by the abstract, incomprehensible deity defined by compromise with the speculative principles of Greek philosophy. Did Herod the Great Claim to Be the Messiah? In modern revelation He declared: Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come (D&C 93:24). Then he delivers the gentle but clear rebuke. bid her therefore that she help me (v. 40). Mormonism in the 20th century - Wikipedia We do not need to judge nearly so much as we think we do. Did you enjoy these Dallin H. Oaks quotes? Legal experts, including a former federal judge and a former Utah Supreme Court justice, examine the General Conference talk by Latter-day Saint apostle Dallin H. Oaks on the U.S. Constituiton. 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. With the love and mutual respect taught by divine commandments, President Oaks said. Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. November 04, 2022. I believe the United States Constitution contains at least five divinely inspired principles. Our obligation to tolerance means that none of these behaviorsor others we consider deviations from the truthshould ever cause us to react with hateful communications or unkind actions. He and his late wife, June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. President Oaks' conference talk summary About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. When she answered no, Jesus declared, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (v. 11). Our own sins, no matter how few or seemingly insignificant, disqualify us as judges of other peoples sins. 4. Summary of President Oaks' talk. Some time ago I attended an adult Sunday School class in a small town in Utah. [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]. Priesthood Blessings. The fundamental scripture on the whole subject of not judging contains this warning: For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again (Matthew 7:2; see also 3 Nephi 14:2). Tolerance is often demanded but seldom returned. . Eric Rassbach, quoted in William McGurn, Religion and the Cult of Tolerance,The Wall Street Journal,16 August 2011, A11. He simply told her that he did not condemn herthat is, he would not pass final judgment on her at that time. You do your thing, and Ill do my thing is the popular description. . Copyright 2017-2023 Kurt Manwaring, All Rights Reserved. . . We are to live in the world but not be of the world. . that which is good and of God to be of the devil. I am not to blame for what happened to me as a child. 272. If the cohabitation does involve us personally, we should be governed by our duty to truth. From these we magnify a mood into a character and an episode into a life. Apostles have the calling and ordination to be special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world (see D&C 107:23), but the duty to witness and testify of Christ at all times and in all places applies to every member of the Church who has received the testimony of the Holy Ghost. A Relief Society worker visiting a sister in her ward asked whether the womans married children ever visited her. . This is essential whenever we attempt to act upon different standards than those of others with whom we must associateat home, at work, or in the community. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. We must work harder to build mutual respect, an attitude of forbearance, with tolerance one for another regardless of the doctrines and philosophies which we may espouse.8, Note that President Hinckley spoke of mutual respect as well as tolerance. 15. It is important to remember that the illumination and revelation that come to an individual as a result of the gift of the Holy Ghost do not come suddenly or without seeking. . The Law of Reproduction: (#13) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by Top 50 Quotes From The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Top 23 Best Quotes from Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. We must, of course, make judgments every day in the exercise of our moral agency, but we must be careful that our judgments of people are intermediate and not final. 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). We should be ruled by the demands of truth. It will refrain from declaring that a person has been assured of exaltation or from dismissing a person as being irrevocably bound for hellfire. 3. 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. Often the command to forgive (see D&C 64:10) seems almost more than one can bear, but this eternal principle can bring lasting peace. We have not sufficient wisdom, our minds are not filled with the knowledge and power of God. Dallin H. Oaks: Kindness Is Powerful - Latter-day Saint Women Stand Helping the Poor and Distressed. President Oaks General Conference Talks (, President Dallin H. OaksPicture Quotes (, Read 9 President Oaks Quotes from the Past Year (. Introductory Message. 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. Sometimes it even takes a tragedy to teach us that there's more to our lives than what's going on . by Giuseppe Martinengo | Sep 11, 2019 | All Talks | 0 comments. Speaking to an audience of institute students three years ago, he said: The wordtolerancedoes not stand alone. President Oaks said religious liberty faces serious challenges around the world, such as secularism, authoritarianism, political correctness and deteriorating attitudes toward religion. 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. This time he was definitely speaking to the Church. Many of our challenges are different from those faced by former pioneers but perhaps just as dangerous and surely as significant to our own salvation and the salvation of those who follow us. 218 University Press Building
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). The Book of Mormon teaches that every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil;Links:Our General Conference talk schedule: https://kristenwalkersmith.com/conference-on-the-go-episode-list/The Conference Talk checklist: https://bit.ly/3eHJGEIThis weeks phone wallpaper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z9cJGCePDNy9ccHnDzVrzkxkf4UXnJ4_/view?usp=sharingHelping the Poor and Distressed by Dallin H. Oaks By Intellectual Reserve, Inc.This material is neither made, provided, approved, nor endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A testimony of the gospel is not a travelogue, a health log, or an expression of love for family members. Today I will speak about gospel judging. I may need to do something. That wise answer illustrates my point about stewardship in judging. As was wisely taught in a BYU devotional, The Lord does not grade on a curve. He will judge us in terms of qualities, not quotas (in Janet G. Lee, The Lord Doesnt Grade on a Curve,BYU 199495 Devotional and Fireside Speeches[Provo: Brigham Young University, 1995], pp. The Lord did not go into the kitchen and tell Martha to stop cooking and come listen. Dec 2015 A Savior Is Born Ensign. 46:19. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming. 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. Iassure you that my message is true. They all come through the mercy and grace of the Holy One of Israel, after all we can do (2 Nephi 25:23). After the crowd who intended to stone her had departed, Jesus asked her about her accusers: Hath no man condemned thee? (John 8:10). Elder Uchtdorf introduces the revised For the Strength of Youth pamphlet while bearing powerful testimony of Jesu. Apparently he was content to let her serve him however she cared to, until she judged another persons service: Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? . As President Thomas S. Monson taught us in the conference where he was sustained as our prophet: My young friends, be strong. [The Journey to Healing,Ensign,September 1997, p. 19]. After the class, one of them came to me and apologized that she hadnt explained to me before class that her friend was deaf. For example, it is one thing to ignore serious sins when they are private; it is quite another thing to be asked to sponsor or impliedly endorse them, such as by housing them in our own homes. Our Master, whom we seek to serve, is, as the scriptures say, a God of love (2 Corinthians 13:11). As the Book of Mormon teaches: All things which are good cometh of God. We must also practice tolerance and respect toward others. If a particular person has been arrested for child sexual abuse and is free on bail awaiting trial on his guilt or innocence, will you trust him to tend your children while you take a weekend trip?