In attempting to answer the question "What have I learned and what ought I to have learned?" I've learned just how incredibly difficult it is to arrive at a consensus in a group without the assistance of a leader, teacher, or arbiter. Isalute you for your righteous actions and your righteous desires. Now we experience such differences in television and the Internet, through travel, and often in personal interactions in our neighborhoods and the marketplace. There may be situations, there will be situations, where, with serious moral issues involved, we cannot bend on matters of principle. . Today and tomorrow would need to include two talks per day, then after that read one talk per day. Shocking reports of large-scale thievery and lying in civilized societies in the last two months suggest a moral vacuum in which many have little sense of right and wrong. We all remember how a prophet reacted from a hospital bed when an operating room attendant stumbled and cursed in his presence. The character of transgression remains the same. 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). . 2021. 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. He taught that each of us should follow Him by denying ourselves of selfish interests in order to serve others. He also said religious freedom is the DNA of The Church of Jesus Christ. The Law of The Big Mo (#16) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Coronavirus: la Chiesa di Ges Cristo dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni Sta Aiutando Top 40 Best Quotes from The Gift of Imperfection by Bren Brown. The STANDS4 Network . . 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. 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. 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). Misery is more than unhappiness, sorrow, or suffering. The Savior gave this same teaching on another occasion, when he said to the Pharisees, And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world (John 12:47). 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. Cohabitation we know to be a serious sin in which Latter-day Saints must not engage, whatever the circumstances. As a Apostle with a unique legal background Elder Oaks has on occasion spoken both for the Church and to the Church. [Teachings,p. 218]. We are willing to receive all truth, from whatever source it may come; for truth will stand, truth will endure.2, The existence and nature of truth is one of the fundamental questions of mortal life. 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. May we grow in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom I testify, as our Redeemer, our Creator, and our Savior. . While we are powerless to alter the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us. . The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion. 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. In all of this we should not presume to judge our neighbors or associates on the ultimate effect of their behaviors. Those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood open the door for all Church members who worthily partake of the sacrament to enjoy the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord and the ministering of angels. 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. 15. 46:19. Many even question whether there is a God. I have chosen to heal myself and pass on to my children what I have learned. 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. As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I seek to help you make right choices in a world that is increasingly polarized between belief and disbelief, between good and evil. I begin with our personal conduct, including the teaching of our children. [Lord, I Would Follow Thee,Hymns,1985, no. We can speak of principles rather than personalities.17. 6. You will need to understand how our efforts in the public square are informed by the balance between truth and tolerance. The guilty parties were not hard to spot because they continued whispering all through the class. Copyright 2017-2023 Kurt Manwaring, All Rights Reserved. A final ingredient or principle of a righteous judgment is that it will apply righteous standards. This wise author also treats the importance of forgiveness. In doing so we stand with angels. . Here I remember a conversation with an LDS newspaperwoman who described what happened when she reported that the Prophet Joseph Smith received the golden plates in 1826a mistake of one year from the actual date of 1827. It is forever associated with the Twin Towers. 11:1011). The Church Handbook of Instructions 32.0 states: So far as possible, we should judge circumstances rather than people. 272. . Our tolerance and respect forothersand theirbeliefsdoes not cause us to abandon our commitment to the truths we understand and the covenants we have made. She died July 21, 1998. Thus, we must refrain from making final judgments on people, because we lack the knowledge and the wisdom to do so. In this circumstance, all of usand especially you of the rising generationhave a duty to stand up and speak up to affirm that God exists and that there are absolute truths His commandments establish. I am very t`hankful that it is not our province . [William George Jordan, Sitting in the Seat of Judgment,The Crown of Individuality(New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1909), pp. I left last weekend's LDS General Conference inspired and uplifted. 91, 93). President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For reasons we do not understand, we have different challenges in our mortal experiences. President Oaks asks BYU: How are we measuring up to President Kimballs 1975 call to be unique, special? President Oaks General Conference Talks (, President Dallin H. OaksPicture Quotes (, Read 9 President Oaks Quotes from the Past Year (. 4 May 1971 Naming of a New President BYU Devotional - Oaks Inauguration. Opposition permits us to grow toward what our Heavenly Father would have us become. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Law of E. F. Hutton (#5). . 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. 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. Tony & Tacky: Campus Confidential, Taste,The Wall Street Journal,5 July 2002, W11. BachArranged by: Michel Rondeau (trumpet)Performers: Marthe Jobidon (trumpets), Eric Vaillancourt . I have found that observance of the Sabbath is almost obsolete. But in such instances we can politely disagree without being disagreeable. President Oaks talks cover topics like desire, repentance, and trust in the Lord. . Home. That is a wise judgment of a situation, not a person. As president of Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1980, he oversaw the creation of the J. Reuben Clark Law School and the graduate business school. We can acknowledge the sincerity of those whose positions we cannot accept. President Oaks shared four suggestions for shouldering religious freedom: (1) recognize that all need each other and are subject to law, (2) urge religious tolerance, (3) let the world know the good that religion does and (4) unite and find common ground to defend and promote religious liberty. Enigma Books Also published by Enigma Books Hitler's Table Talk: 1941-1944 In Stalin's Secret Service Hitler and Mussolini: The Secret Meetings The Jews in Fascist Italy: A History The Man Behind the Rosenbergs Roosevelt and Hopkins: An Intimate History Diary 1937-1943 (Galeazzo Ciano) Secret Affairs: FDR, Cordell Hull, and Sumner Welles Hitler and His Generals: Military Conferences . Login . [vv. They are directions away from pitfalls, and they are invitations to blessings. 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. . 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 following is a summary of what he said. The purpose of the gospel is to transform common creatures into celestial citizens, and that requires change. 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. 9. Spirituality. We should not presume to exercise and act upon judgments that are outside our personal responsibilities. Because of Gods plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed by the process of repentance. 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 . 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. 16. As to less extreme behaviors, where even believers disagree on whether or not they are wrong, the nature and extent of what we should tolerate is much more difficult to define. 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. They should cultivate loving family relationships so that family members will want to ask them for blessings. 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. Some personal decisions must be made before we have access to all of the facts. All rights reserved. No sect or religious denomination in the world possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept or that we will reject. 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). . President Spencer W. Kimball taught that the Holy Ghost comes a little at a time as you merit it. . In most cases this decision can depend on how directly we are personally affected by it. What are we thinking of to let you do all this work alone? The Church of Jesus Christ is committed to serving those in need, and it is also committed to cooperating with others in that effort. Then, even as the parents take protective measures pertaining to a regrettable situation, they need to maintain loving relations and encourage improved conduct by the precious person. Like many scriptures, this commandment has multiple meanings. as the daylight is from the dark night. Whats in the Relief Society General Board Minutes? The parents have insisted that he not smoke in their home or in front of his younger siblings. . These include covenants and ordinances and repentance when our choices are wrong. Divine Love in the Father's Plan. By Church Newsroom and The Daily Universe. The question posed by the second commandment is What is our ultimate priority?. [Moroni 7:1516]. What does tolerance mean to us and to other believers, and what are our special challenges in applying it? We can all pray for desire to help with this vital part of the work of salvation. . I am a survivor of childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. But our obligation to truth has its own set of requirements and its own set of blessings. Some of these intermediate judgments are surely among those the Savior referred to when he taught that the weightier matters of the law include judgment (Matthew 23:23).
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