[John 13:3435]. . . As believers, we must always speak with love and show patience, understanding, and compassion toward our adversaries. I have spoken to you as one of those watchmen on the subject the Spirit has assigned me. That judgment is the Lords, not ours. President Oaks asks BYU: How are we measuring up to President Kimballs 1975 call to be unique, special? That is athirdabsolute truth: We do not abandon the truth and our covenants. 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. 1. Copyright 2017-2023 Kurt Manwaring, All Rights Reserved. We frequently update our Latter-day Saint history content related to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the Book of Mormon, and Come Follow Me 2023. . We all remember how a prophet reacted from a hospital bed when an operating room attendant stumbled and cursed in his presence. 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. Login . 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. 11:1011). Isalute you for your righteous actions and your righteous desires. This is an analysis of a general conference talk given by Elder Oaks titled Opposition in All Things, where he warned against taking opposition against the church. Our decisions are mostly in the daily routines of life, but as the Lord has told us, Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. For example, I know of an LDS family with an older teenage son who has become addicted to smoking. "Brother's Keeper". This time he was definitely speaking to the Church. The Church Handbook of Instructions 32.0 states: Letter to Dallin H. Oaks, 22 December 1987. On another occasion he said, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment (John 7:24). In this context the wordcondemnapparently refers to the final judgment (see John 3:17). Your email address will not be published. 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. Beyond that, we should remember the Saviors teaching that we should avoid contention (see 3 Nephi 11:2930) and that our example and our preaching should be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness (D&C 38:41). In applying the sometimes competing demands of truth and tolerance in these three behaviors and many others, we should not be tolerant with ourselves. Pursuing that principle, the author of theEnsignarticle writes: Somewhere along the journey of healing comes the essential task of forgiving. Some influential voices even question the extent to which our constitution should protect the free exercise of religion, including the right to practice and preach religious principles. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, these seemingly small things bring to pass great things. Eric Rassbach, quoted in William McGurn, Religion and the Cult of Tolerance,The Wall Street Journal,16 August 2011, A11. Dec 2015 A Savior Is Born Ensign. Many areas of the law are based on Judeo-Christian morality and have been for centuries. 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. 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. We believe in absolute truth, including the existence of God and the right and wrong established by His commandments. That is why we have commandments and ordinances. This belief system can tolerate almost any behavior and almost any persons. These include covenants and ordinances and repentance when our choices are wrong. I love the words in Susan Evans McClouds familiar hymn: Who am I to judge another If given in the right way and for the right reasons, that service will reward us beyond anything we have given. Trust Him." As our confidence in God goes up, our fear goes down. 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. When I was a young adult, about sixty years ago, it was only in books and magazines that most Americans were exposed to great differences in cultures, values, and peoples. Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. It really is the answer. At the extreme level, evil acts that used to be localized and covered up like a boil are now legalized and paraded like a banner. A Conversation with Dallin H. Oaks, President of Brigham Young University Ensign. Most of us are troubled by packed shopping centers and other commercial activities on the Sabbath. Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke in the October 2014 General Conference. 14. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. 272. I begin with three absolute truths. We live in a world where more and more persons of influence are teaching and acting out a belief that there is no absolute right and wrong, that all authority and all rules of behavior are man-made choices that can prevail over the commandments of God. In the quiet heart is hidden . You whom I address shun evil and seek truth. Several times during the hour, I was tempted to ask them to take their conversation outside if they felt it was so urgentbut fortunately something kept me from giving vent to my feelings. as the daylight is from the dark night. They should always remember the Saviors teaching that we bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us] (Matthew 5:44). fatal car accident knoxville tn today young and the restless recap today 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; Search for people biographies, memoirs and profession matching the query: Dallin H. Oaks. 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. 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 . Would it have hurt Mary to have joined us in serving, then we all could have sat down to hear the Lord together? There is one qualification to this principle that we should not judge people without an adequate knowledge of the facts. 21 Oct 1975 . 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. . 9. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 114). That is the spirit of the two-sided coin of truth and tolerance. The best known of these is "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (3 Nephi 14:1, Matthew 7:1). We must also practice tolerance and respect toward others. Introductory Message. . Second, a righteous judgment will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. The kingdom of God is like a leaven, Jesus taught (see Matthew 13:33). The Savior also commanded individuals to be judges, both of circumstances and of other people. First is the principle that the source of government power is the people. We should not add to the extremism that divides our society. Today we're diving into "Helping the Poor and Distressed" by Dallin H. Oaks. 4. Like a sword, sharp and powerful, it uncovers what is hidden, divides truth from error, and goes to the heart of religious belief. Sorrow that the eye cant see. . Oh Say, What Is Truth?Hymns,2002, no. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. As the Book of Mormon teaches: All things which are good cometh of God. Tony & Tacky: Campus Confidential, Taste,The Wall Street Journal,5 July 2002, W11. So it was that, at the conclusion of His ministry, Jesus prayed to the Father, Not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (John 17:15). 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). What does it mean to always remember our Savior? 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. Similarly, in modern revelation the Lord appointed the bishop to be a judge in Israel to judge over property and transgressions (D&C 58:17, 107:72). November 04, 2022. I close with this assurance and this testimony: The Bible teaches that one of the functions of a prophet is to be a watchman to warn Israel (see Ezekiel 3:17; 33:7). We are cast as combatants in the war between truth and error. Similar reasoning forbids our presuming to make final judgments on the outcome of any persons lifelong mortal contest. I must hear both sides of the question. It is this suspended judgment that is the supreme form of charity. A final ingredient or principle of a righteous judgment is that it will apply righteous standards. . The frank rebuttal to partisanship in President Dallin H. Oaks' recent talk on the U.S. Constitution has been driving conversation since he gave it on April 4 in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the 191st Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 3740]. I have been puzzled that some scriptures command us not to judge and others instruct us that we should judge and even tell us how to do it. 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 . 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. A fourth principle of a righteous intermediate judgment of a person is that we should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts. 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. When we do thisand there is great temptation to do sowe hurt ourselves and the person we pretend to judge. . . . 35 (25 July 2011): 2021; csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0719/Is-US-a-nation-of-liars-Casey-Anthony-isn-t-the-only-one. . That's definitely what we want. [Teachings,p. 218]. The weaker ones belief in God and the fewer ones moral absolutes, the fewer the occasions when the ideas or practices of others will confront one with the challenge to be tolerant. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming. The most fundamental principle is contained in the Saviors commandment that we judge not unrighteously . On Aug. 25, 2000, he married Sister. I begin with our personal conduct, including the teaching of our children. He was set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in April 7, 1984. The New York Times, Wikipedia, Patheos, USA Today, NPR, Church News, LDS Living, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Bustle, Heavy, Slate, and more. Because of Gods plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed by the process of repentance. bid her therefore that she help me (v. 40). For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. [Simon, I Have Somewhat to Say unto Thee, pp. Joseph G. Donders (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2005), 21013; Harold Kushner,Who Needs God(New York: Summit, 1989), 8384. But in such instances we can politely disagree without being disagreeable. October 2022. Beware of the wordtolerance. , not according to what they have not, but according to what they have, those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law. Charles Francis Adams, 10 vols. We are taught many small and simple things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. . Well all help, and by the way, that centerpiece looks lovely? We should trust in the Lord and be positive about this nations future. 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 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. We grow and mature spiritually by choosing to obey Gods commandments in a succession of right choices. . 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. 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. And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged. Our scriptural accounts of the Saviors mortal life provide the pattern. 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. In the words of President Joseph F. Smith: We believe in all truth, no matter to what subject it may refer. Persons who dont believe in God or in absolute truth in moral matters can see themselves as the most tolerant of persons. 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. In doing so we stand with angels. 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. Forgiveness is a companion principle to the commandment that in final judgments we judge not and in intermediate judgments we judge righteously. What is tolerance, when does it apply, and when does it not apply? It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people. As members of the restored Church, we need to be more aware and more appreciative of the service of others.Quote #2: Modern revelation teaches that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. By this, all the children of God are enlightened to serve Him and one another to the best of their knowledge and ability. What we get from a bookespecially a sacred textis mostly dependent on what we take to its readingin desire and readiness to learn, and in attunement to the light communicated by the Spirit of the Lord. 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). Misery is more than unhappiness, sorrow, or suffering. Stephen L. Carter,The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion(New York: BasicBooks, 1993), 225. Those of us with more of Martha than of Mary in us . We call this quality of life spirituality. June: Carol Lynn Pearson's estranged gay husband returns to live with her and their children after being diagnosed with AIDS, and she cares for him until his death. Elder Dieter F. Ucthdorf back in 2017 said, If you're aware of any talks available online that aren't listed here, please let me know. May God bless us that we may have that love and that we may show it in refraining from making final judgments of our fellowman. 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. . Two experiences illustrate the importance of caution in judging. 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). It is a very unstable virtue.12. . A testimony of the gospel is not a travelogue, a health log, or an expression of love for family members. I just reread it and appreciate the good counsel he gave. 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. Divine Love in the Father's Plan. But we do know that God will help each of us overcome these challenges if we sincerely seek His help. To this day I am thankful that both of us were spared the embarrassment that might have occurred had I given vent to a judgment made without knowing the facts. Show Timeline. We may not live by bread alone, but Ive never known anyone to live without it. Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox, The three things you need to know everyday, Highlights from the last week to keep you informed. I wonder if persons who cannot handle an honest mistake without abusing the actor can stand up to having their own mistakes judged by so severe a standard. The answer is simple: keep Gods commandments and serve his children. President Oaks quotes cover topics like desire, repentance, and trust in the Lord. Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Angels will stand with us, and He will send His Holy Spirit to guide us. Its approach, as counseled by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is to teach correct principles and then leave its members to govern themselves by personal choices. She died July 21, 1998. Wherefore, take heed . 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.
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