Charles Francis Adams, 10 vols. Let us consider some principles or ingredients that lead to a righteous judgment.. There are important restraints upon our intermediate judgments, but the presumption of innocence is not one of them. But I can change the future. 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. . What Did the Founding Fathers Think about the Bible? We believe in absolute truth, including the existence of God and the right and wrong established by His commandments. We would even apply the wrong standards. Ensign, Nov. 1998, 70-72 Dallin H. Oaks, "Priesthood Authority in the Family and the Church," Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 24-27 Richard G. Scott, "To Heal the Shattering Consequences of Abuse," Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 40-43 LDS Family Services courses Strengthening Marriage and Strengthening the Family Along with the ascendancy of moral relativism, the United States is experiencing a disturbing reduction in overall public esteem for religion. 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. We do not need to judge nearly so much as we think we do. Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. 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. . An apostle's responsibility is to be a special witness of Jesus Christ . We must stand up for truth, even while we practice tolerance and respect for beliefs and ideas different from our own and for the people who hold them. . 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. We frequently update our Latter-day Saint history content related to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the Book of Mormon, and Come Follow Me 2023. The best known of these is "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (3 Nephi 14:1, Matthew 7:1). 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. If given in the right way and for the right reasons, that service will reward us beyond anything we have given. BYU Speeches [Matthew 11:2830]. October 2022 conference featured 35 messages over the five sessions. Top 26 Quotes from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Top 41 Best Quotes from Daring Greatly by Bren Brown. Two experiences illustrate the importance of caution in judging. This Christmas, as with every Christmas, we focus on loving one another just as our Savior loved us. 11:1011). 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; In any event, as defenders of the faith, believers can and must seek laws that will preserve religious freedom. We Latter-day Saints are sometimes accused of being self-righteous and intolerant of others, especially where we are in the majority or where others are in the majority and our beliefs cause us to oppose them. And may we grow in the capacity to live his gospel, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Some Christians look on this as the time when individuals are assigned to heaven or hell. Spirituality. crucified for the sins of the world, and that it is given to others to believe on their words (D&C 46:13, 14). As we draw farther from worldliness, we feel closer to our Father in Heaven and more able to be guided by his Spirit. I will speak first of the final judgment. Last update: May 2022. Taking upon Us the Name of Jesus Christ. that which is good and of God to be of the devil. . 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. April 2022. We may not live by bread alone, but Ive never known anyone to live without it. 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. 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.. 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. Learn more about his general conference talks in this compilation. . Search for people biographies, memoirs and profession matching the query: Dallin H. Oaks. We are to beinthe world, but notofthe world. Pursuing that principle, the author of theEnsignarticle writes: Somewhere along the journey of healing comes the essential task of forgiving. I left last weekend's LDS General Conference inspired and uplifted. Second, a righteous judgment will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. 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. 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. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not attempt to isolate its members from alternate voices. That is a wise judgment of a situation, not a person. We all remember how a prophet reacted from a hospital bed when an operating room attendant stumbled and cursed in his presence. . . . 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. 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. President Thomas S. Monson has provided an excellent example of the practice of these twin virtues. 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 can all remember our feelings when a little child cried out and reached up to us for help. By this means we will contribute to the civility that is essential topreserve our civilization. Introductory Message. 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. We should seek the guidance of the Spirit in our decisions. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord acknowledges Marthas care: Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things (v. 41). If we apply unrighteous standards, our judgment will be unrighteous. But at the same time, the ancient language of symbolism and storytelling used within the temple has been outpaced by our reliance on fast-paced technology and instant Internet answers. . . 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. 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. A Relief Society worker visiting a sister in her ward asked whether the womans married children ever visited her. 9. The talk was timely, according to political and legal sources, because while politicians, pundits and social media . In this context the wordcondemnapparently refers to the final judgment (see John 3:17). Required fields are marked *. 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. that ye do not judge . 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. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. We make better choices and decisions if we look at the alternatives and ponder where they will lead. Because of a short-term memory loss, this elderly sister innocently answered no. Joseph G. Donders (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2005), 21013; Harold Kushner,Who Needs God(New York: Summit, 1989), 8384. This interpretation is confirmed by what he then said to the Pharisees: Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man (John 8:15). That is my Lord whose names you revile. (Improvement Era, May 1953, p. John Adams, from an address to officers of the militia of Massachusetts, 11 October 1798, inThe Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States,ed. . In this troubled circumstance, we who believe in God and the corollary truth of absolute right and wrong have the challenge of living in a godless and increasingly amoral world. One about the role of the Book of Mormon in sharing the gospel and the other in knowing the l He is our Savior, and He reaches out to each of us with the timeless invitation to receive His peace by learning of Him and by walking in His way (see D&C 19:23): Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. . Our Master, whom we seek to serve, is, as the scriptures say, a God of love (2 Corinthians 13:11). I am loyal to the chosen servants of the Lord, whom I sustain with all my heart. Tolerance requires a similar refraining in our judgment of others. Oh Say, What Is Truth?Hymns,2002, no. 13. 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). When we do thisand there is great temptation to do sowe hurt ourselves and the person we pretend to judge. Each of us is part of a great family, the human family, sons and daughters of God, and therefore brothers and sisters. See the full text of President Oaks talk: Helping the Poor and Distressed, 19th latter-day Apostle to reach the age of 90, evidence of Gods saving love for His children. I no longer view myself as a victim. He spoke of helping the poor and distressed not just what the Church is doing but what is being done worldwide. 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. Martha received Jesus into her house and worked to provide for him while her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard his word. . 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. We should not presume to exercise and act upon judgments that are outside our personal responsibilities. We are taught many small and simple things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 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 I have spoken to you as one of those watchmen on the subject the Spirit has assigned me. . In fact, one of her children visited her at least daily, and all of them helped her in many ways. See Riots in Britain: Anarchy in the UK, Leaders,The Economist,400, no. 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). Howeverand here I express asecond absolute truththis living with differences is what the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us we must do. 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. It really is the answer. 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. What does it mean to always remember our Savior? . Clothed in a white robe, he descended out of heaven. 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. As a Apostle with a unique legal background Elder Oaks has on occasion spoken both for the Church and to the Church. We know from these inspired words that even the most extreme acts of servicesuch as giving all of our goods to feed the poorprofit us nothing unless our service is motivated by the pure love of Christ. This inspired caution reminds us that for persons who believe in absolute truth, tolerance for behavior is like a two-sided coin. You know what is right and what is wrong, and no disguise, however appealing, can change that. to judge the world; if it were, we would ruin everything. [John 13:3435]. That question is as penetrating today as when Jesus used it to confound the Pharisees almost two thousand years ago. This is that future occasion in which all of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to our works (see 1 Nephi 15:33, 3 Nephi 27:15, Mormon 3:20, D&C 19:3). We misinterpret motives, do not know facts, and judge from wrong standards. I have felt impressed to speak this evening about another set of twins, the twin ideas of Truth and Tolerance. It is forever associated with the Twin Towers. He is the way and He is the light because His teachings light our path in mortal life and show us the way back to the Father. May 3: Dallin H. Oaks is ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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. This is a harder question for those who affirm the existence of God and absolute truth than for those who believe in moral relativism. [Mosiah 4:1718, 22]. Common Misunderstandings about Brigham Young. Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. While there are many things we must make judgments about, the sins of another or the state of our own souls in comparison to others seems not to be among them. Those who seek out and use pornography forfeit the power of their priesthood. His or her total concentration will be on the needs of the sheepthe good of the students. . Today were diving into Helping the Poor and Distressed by Dallin H. Oaks.In case you want to follow along, here are the quotes were 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 organizations having no formal connection with our Church. The theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints centers on the family. He taught that each of us should follow Him by denying ourselves of selfish interests in order to serve others. What does tolerance mean to us and to other believers, and what are our special challenges in applying it? Remember that God loves His children and will surely do what is best for each of us. Letter to Dallin H. Oaks, 14 May 1998. Is Jim Bridger Responsible for What Happened to the Donner Party? 4. . Conquer fear through Charity. I express them as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, but I believe that most of these ideas are shared by believers generally. 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? I have chosen to speak about truth because teachers in schools, colleges, and universities are teaching and practicing relative morality. Beware of the wordtolerance. 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. April 2022. This is the second time in two years that a leader of the Church was invited to speak at the summit. But where believers are in the majority, they should always be sensitive to the views of the minority. 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. 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. All efforts begin with desire. Please now consider the following sections of the Church Handbook of Instructions. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, these seemingly small things bring to pass great things. [Simon, I Have Somewhat to Say unto Thee, pp. Let us be good neighbors, kind and generous and gracious. But we do know that God will help each of us overcome these challenges if we sincerely seek His help. Copyright 2017-2023 Kurt Manwaring, All Rights Reserved. A gospel teacher, like the Master we serve, will concentrate entirely on those being taught. Alsosee other collected talk by Church Leaders. Giving to those in need the poor and distressed is a principle in all Abrahamic religions, and in others as well. He and his late wife, June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. In our eternal journey, the resurrection is the mighty milepost that signifies the end of mortality and the beginning of immortality. As the Book of Mormon teaches: All things which are good cometh of God. Please! 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. But that is our role. Some time ago I attended an adult Sunday School class in a small town in Utah. From these we magnify a mood into a character and an episode into a life. God inspires many organizations and individuals to do much good, and more Church members should recognize and support the good done by others. 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. For example, I know of an LDS family with an older teenage son who has become addicted to smoking. 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. 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. [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]. The guilty parties were not hard to spot because they continued whispering all through the class. They should cultivate loving family relationships so that family members will want to ask them for blessings. We should limit our judgments to our own stewardships. I kept glaring at them, hoping that they would take the hint, but they didnt seem to notice. This wise author also treats the importance of forgiveness. . We must also practice tolerance and respect toward others. . . This time he was definitely speaking to the Church. . 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). Elder Dallin H. Oaks Opposition in All Things. . 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). 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. 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. He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. 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. What does this scripture mean for our day and how can it be applied by Latter-day Saints? Angels will stand with us, and He will send His Holy Spirit to guide us. President Oaks and his late wife, Sister June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. . Even the Savior, during his mortal ministry, refrained from making final judgments. We give thanks for commandments. What Have Scholars Learned about the Book of Mormon? Our scriptural accounts of the Saviors mortal life provide the pattern. Second Annual Sacramento Court/Clergy Conference. Let us consider how to apply that example to some other behaviors. One judges a painting by the full view of the whole canvas; separate isolated square inches of colour are meaningless.
What To Do With Leftover Oreo Cream Filling,
Ambiguity During A Session May Make The Minority Client,
How Many Lularoe Consultants Are There 2021,
Articles D