purpose of mortal life and what follows. I wasnt doing anything wrong. All should observe the laws and respect the values of the country that guarantees their freedoms. She called marriage a built-in opportunity to learn communication and perspective. We all know the story about the children of Israel being attacked by poisonous serpents in the wilderness. He reaffirmed the churchs doctrine of the Plan of Salvation that all people existed in a premortal state before birth, which is followed by mortal life and then life after death, which includes resurrection for all and a final judgment. resident Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency delivers the 2021 Joseph Smith Lecture in the Dome Room of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. As Latter-day Saints, we are blessed with modern revelation that gives us a greater understanding of the purpose of this mortal life. In the meantime, religious leaders must not overlook the fact that the preservation of religious freedom ultimately depends on public appreciation and support for the related First Amendment freedoms of religious conscience, association, and free exercise. ample reason to be of good cheer. We can only succeed in this effort to the extent that we acknowledge and respect each others highest ideals and human experiences. Devotionals Elder Dallin H. Oaks Winter 2017 Living in Challenging Times Biography Elder Dallin H. Oaks Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Elder Dallin H. Oaks has served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since May 1984. Helping church members avoid debt is a regular reason church leaders give for providing more than $1 billion in tuition subsidies and other aid to Brigham Young University, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, BYU-Hawaii and Ensign College to help over 90,000 students around the world. My first advice is to remember that whatever our own variations in the diversity of our Father in Heavens creations, He loves all of us, and His perfect plan of happiness has a place for all. Title: RELEASE OF APPLICANT'S TRANSCRIPTS Author: goddi In Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, President Oaks echoes President Nelson's challenge to 'know the truth and stand for it' By Rachel Sterzer GibsonMay 21, 2023 9:46 p.m. EDT President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency and Sister Kristen M. Oaks speak to young adults during a Worldwide Devotional on Sunday, May 21, 2023. But the effort is essential if we are to live together in peace in a pluralistic society. I advocate the moral and political imperative of reconciling existing conflicts and avoiding new ones, not to promote my favored outcome in any particular controversy. We have spoken about the plan of salvationall 3 Acts that have been revealed, especially the purpose of this mortal life. President Dallin H. Oaks and Sister Kristen M. Oaks. God loves you. We see the process that succeeded in Utah as a promising way to have both religious protection and fundamental fairness, particularly on individual issues like housing and employment. He has led the university and the Church . Service Times. President Oaks said delayed marriage leads to delayed personal growth within a husband-wife relationship, such as qualities like sacrifice and humility. Men have the initiative, and you men should get on with it. 19. Like President Nelson said, we do not view it like a one-act play. While the law gave neither side all that it sought, its reconciliations did grant both sides significant benefits a win-win outcome that could not have been obtained without the balancing of interests made possible by the dynamics of the legislative process. Then, Moses called everyone to look up and they would be healed from their wounds. Nondiscrimination principles have been given increasing social recognition in the last century and are now rooted in the constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the law. President and Sister Oaks to Speak at May Worldwide Devotional for patriarchal blessings. So I am going to tell you a little bit of mine. On this subject I counsel my fellow Latter-day Saints specifically, but also request the consideration of those who share our belief in the Bible, and even those who only embrace its wisdom. counseling in record numbers. The average age of Latter-day Saints when they first marry has been rising for the past 45 years. I feel like I sometimes get inconsistent and confusing messages from the Church. As persons and family members experience such feelings, they should be careful with labels.. Pray and the Lord will be with you. Prophets Can See Around Corners - BYUH Speeches Specifically, people of faith should not contest every nondiscrimination law or policy that could possibly impinge, however insignificantly, on institutional or individual religious freedom. Constitutional duties, including respect for the vital principle of separation of powers, are fundamental to the rule of law. Adding to the personal power that comes with keeping covenants is our Saviors wonderful teaching that in the midst of the challenges of mortal life, we should be of good cheer.25 In a worldwide address a few months ago, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland reminded us that Jesus gave that teaching on the eve of His crucifixion. He noted that pioneers left their homes and possessions to take their families to spiritual safety in the West. President and Sister Oaks: Stand for Truth - Church Newsroom You are not the cause of those circumstances, but their victims, he said. We should also be wary of the idea that one set of rights automatically trumps another in all circumstances. the wait for a worthy companion feels. Marriage is central to the purpose of mortal life and what follows. To demonstrate that tendency, let us look at two charts on marriage. The young adults in the theater laughed as President Oaks smiled when he said the first truth they would talk about was marriage. Of course, if not acted upon, such The remarks of President Dallin H. Oaks at a devotional on October 27, 2020, at the Marriott Center on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency delivers the 2021 Joseph Smith Lecture in the Dome Room of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ are just as concerned about marriage as we were twenty years ago. We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you. Facing and overcoming temptation and drawing closer to God through right choices and repentance from wrong ones, helps us attain the eternal growth that is the purpose of the mortal life of the children of God. 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. patiently walk in His paths. Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency and Sister Kristen M. Oaks will deliver a special message to young adults around the world. Less than a century ago, the world experienced terrible tragedies not usually called racism but surely were extreme examples of this. We love you. Whether it can be applied to other sensitive issues remains to be seen. In this way, more than any other, the importance of religious freedom will be better understood and better protected. Consequently, he taught, No identifier should displace, replace, or take priority over these three enduring designations: child of God, child of the covenant and disciple of Jesus Christ.Then he warned: Any identifier that is not compatible with these three basic designations will ultimately let you down. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ provides unique access to the truth about our loving Heavenly Fathers Plan of Salvation for His children. We learn to sacrifice and serve as we can in few other ways. Those effects include their encouraging observance of civil law and churchgoers improved health and longevity recently highlighted in a cover story in Christianity Today. President Dallin H. Oaks talk from the 2022 First Presidency - YouTube Knowledge of the three degrees of glory, as revealed to prophets, gives us a glimpse of our postmortal potential. Artamonoff took this photograph of the Yedikule market gardens over a year after an earlier one from the same vantage.. Nicholas V. Artamonoff, Towers and walls, 1938.Robert L. Van Nice Fieldwork Records and Papers, Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. Trying to please others before pleasing God is inverting the first and second commandments. Its initialpages contain this promise: With these truths as your guide, you can make inspired choices that will bless you throughout eternity., When Jesus was asked which was the great commandment, He gave two. Successful negotiation requires that neither side be unduly influenced by the extreme voices that often drive litigation, especially litigation sponsored by ideological groups. I heard it from my 18-year-old granddaughter. President Dallin H. Oaks, as a special witness of Jesus Christ, has dedicated his life to the service of the Master. Its just easier to judge oneself and others on whether they are obeying the law. It requires expanded empathy and patience. Consider what young adult Latter-day Saints miss when their marriages are intentionally delayed for a significant period: opportunities lost and blessings postponed. Actually, my counsel to single men is not dated either. His love endows you with the self-respect, the strength and the motivation to move against whatever problems you face in your life, he said. Dating and not dating can be stressful.. Why doesnt UDOT release a count of positive and negative gondola comments? Kristen, please add your thoughts on this. Their motive was to trap the Savior into choosing to contradict either the law of Moses or the law of Rome, which did not allow the capital punishment directed by the law of Moses in such circumstances. In this way we can all unite in support of nondiscrimination in many areas of social life. President Oaks said they titled their presentation Stand for truth in reference to church President Russell M. Nelsons statement, Know the truth and stand for it, even if the truth is not politically popular.. Now Kristen has a few words for single women. I know we are supposed to love everyone and show them respect, and I always do. And of course, it is easier for us to judge ourselves and others on whether we are obeying the law. Matthew 22:3639; also see John 14:15. My first advice is to remember that A better response is that of the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. They spoke about the role and timing of marriage and children. They also urged listeners to be cheerful. 32 were here. But even though the First Amendment obviously guarantees the right to exercise or practice religious beliefs and affiliations, that right is not absolute. In the last 30 years, this percent drops 8 to 9 percentage points for both men and women. The purpose of our life on earth, Act 2, is to grow toward our destiny of eternal life. That oath does not permit them to use their official position to override the law to further their personal beliefs religious or otherwise. 7. Seek out opportunities for service and learning. Consider these two expressions, one by a recent speaker at BYU and the other in an earlier talk by a General Authority: The whole work of the plan of salvation, culminating in the great atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to enable us to become beings of love in the deepest form of connection with others. Kevin J Worthen, "The Process and Power of Hope," BYU devotional address, 8 September 2020; emphasis in original. Each of us has a special place in Gods heart.23, Then, just a few months ago, President Nelson again reminded us thatkeeping covenants actually makes life easier! When he agreed to meet with a staunch atheist who detested everything he held sacred, the Rabbi was asked whether he would try to convert him. My favorite divine example of combining and keeping both of these two great commandments is what the Savior did when confronted with this issue. President Oaks said church members should follow the divine example of Jesus Christ, who refrained from judging the woman taken in adultery. President Dallin H. Oaks and his wife, Sister Kristen Oaks, will be featured in the worldwide devotional from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broadcasting Sunday, May 21, 2023. God and loving His children. In these circumstances it is timely to ask how we should go forward to resolve urgent conflicts between the wide-spread support for nondiscrimination and the constitutional guarantee of free exercise of religion. This last act includes a literal resurrection of all who have ever lived, and a final judgment that assigns us to a kingdom of glory for which our deeds, decisions, and desires have qualified us. All rights reserved. Dont wait for happiness to be thrust upon you. I feel like I am the only young woman in my ward who sees the things I see wrong with the world. You know you are children of God, God did not tell Joseph Smith how to lead the Lord's Church across the plains. That commandment is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They also urged listeners to be cheerful. Her counsel is not dated. Some who sought to trap Him asked Jesus whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. That does not mean any of us will go unscathed, but it does mean we will not be alone, and we can go forward guided and protected from the evil around us. Adres: Video Audio Transcript Stand Fast with Love in Proclaiming Truth KEY POINTS President Oaks: My dear brothers and sisters, Elder Gilbert and I are pleased to be speaking to you today. provides unique access to the truth about our loving Heavenly Fathers plan of salvation Less rigid than a wall, the boundary should be permeable enough to admit light and flexible enough to allow mutual support. male and female. 23. As a church, we are committed to the free exercise of religion to allow us to practice the principles of our faith. I invite you to look to God and live. More far-reaching violations of the rule of law occurred earlier when a state attorney general and governor refused to enforce or defend a state law limiting marriages to those between a man and a woman because they personally opposed that law on secular grounds. creations, He loves all of us and His perfect plan of happiness Anyone who does not treat individuals Bringing diverse voices to the table is hard. Value and defend freedom of speech and of religion. In Gods plan we can have it all, but not in the sequence the world seems to dictate. More recently, I have come to understand better the distress of persons who feel that others are invoking constitutional rights like free exercise of religion and freedom of speech to deny or challenge their own core beliefs and their access to basic constitutional rights. Amid such inevitable differences, we should make every effort to understand the experiences and concerns of others, especially when they differ from our own. On a broader front, what if the conflicting demands of civil and religious law are such that they cannot be resolved by negotiation? The struggle is real. The decline and postponement of marriage Latter-day Saints were five years older at marriage, on average, in 2015 than they were in 1970 leads to belated family formation. That is what the Lord intends for His young adult sons and daughters. Because I married at age 53, I know how the wait for a worthy companion feels and the longing and heartache and tears on my pillow that often accompanied it. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online, https://www.ensign.edu/president-dallin-h-oaks-elder-clark-g-gilbert-stand-fast-with-love-in-proclaming-truth, https://www.byui.edu/devotionals/president%20dallin-h-oaks, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2022/05/12nelson?lang=eng, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2023/01/14holland?lang=eng. Sister Craig added, Heavenly Father is more interested in your growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ than He is in your comfort.7. to be better expressed as trying to live both of these Most media coverage and public perception of these conflicts understandably focus on court rulings, especially those of the United States Supreme Court. Perhaps some young adults, especially men, have carried that wise counsel to excess and determined not to date before 26 or maybe even 36. We have spoken about the role and timing of marriage and children. You are affected by these influences, In doing so, we must not allow fears about losing our own freedoms make us insensitive to others claims for theirs. Will the actors strike impact The Chosen season 4 release date? He is a powerful mentor, and he has promised to help you if you but seek him in the way he has taught. First was to love God, which we show by keeping His commandments. Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it. 'Combine and apply both law and love,' President and Sister Oaks in our audience. See Dallin H. Oaks, Dating versus Hanging Out, Ensign, June 2006, 1314. President Oaks said church leaders concerns extend to the causes of delayed marriage. Look to the word spoken tonight, the words of our prophet, Prepare yourself for life by education, experience and planning. This is not the setting, and I am not the authority to suggest how the separate guarantees of religious freedom and nondiscrimination should be adjudicated in specific head-to-head conflicts. A related and more familiar issue is the feeling of being romantically Elder Holland explained: Even in the fateful atmosphere that must have prevailed at the Last Supper, Christ was still reminding His disciples of the reason for and their duty to be of good cheer. President Oaks Invites Young Adults to May 21 Worldwide Devotional whatever our own variations in the diversity of our Father in Heavens Women and Education | Eva M. Witesman | BYU Speeches What is needed is wise public policy, not a declaration of the winner in a legal contest. Notwithstanding my years of working with judicial opinions, I prefer the initial route of legislative law-making on big questions like the ones now before us.