She died July 21, 1998. . All rights reserved. He and his late wife, June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. It will refrain from declaring that a person has been assured of exaltation or from dismissing a person as being irrevocably bound for hellfire. 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. . As believers, we should also frame our arguments and positions in ways that contribute to the reasoned discussion and accommodation that are essential to democratic government in a pluralistic society. Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. Christian believers are under command to love their neighbors (see Luke 10:27), to forgive (see Matthew 18:2135), and to do good to those who despitefully use them (see Matthew 5:44). 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. Content licensed under CC BY 4.0 unless otherwise noted. [Mosiah 26:29, 32]. We are to beinthe world, but notofthe world. 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 . Charles Francis Adams, 10 vols. She died July 21, 1998. See the complete list of abbreviations here. 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). No sect or religious denomination in the world possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept or that we will reject. 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. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. The woman taken in adultery was granted time to repent, time that would have been denied by those who wanted to stone her. A leavenyeastis hidden away in the larger mass until the whole is leavened, which means raised by its influence. The singing of hymns is one of the best ways to put ourselves in tune with the Spirit. Our relationship to God and the purpose of earth life are explained in terms of the family. We also need focus to avoid what is harmful. We should be ruled by the demands of truth. Sustaining of General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Officers. The Savior taught, Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven (Luke 6:37). And as your life is in harmony, you gradually receive the Holy Ghost in a great measure (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. For example, I know of an LDS family with an older teenage son who has become addicted to smoking. 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. 3. You cannot possess or use the coin of tolerance without being conscious of both sides. One who understands that principle will not look upon his or her calling as giving or presenting a lesson, because that definition views teaching from the standpoint of the teacher, not the student. The Relief Society has great significance for every member of the Church. 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. Introductory Message. 46:19. Let us be good neighbors, kind and generous and gracious. A gospel teacher does not focus on himself or herself. 5. Trust Him." As our confidence in God goes up, our fear goes down. Let us consider how to apply that example to some other behaviors. If we apply unrighteous standards, our judgment will be unrighteous. As young adults, you may wonder why I am speaking to you about the principles we should follow when we seek government action, such as by the legislature. Even half-conscious, Elder [Spencer W.] Kimball recoiled and implored: Please! The face of sin today often wears the mask of tolerance. [Teachings,p. 218]. The Lord obviously did not justify the womans sin. do not doubt the overriding importance of listening to the Lord,[but]does the listening have to be done during dinner preparations? From these we magnify a mood into a character and an episode into a life. By this, all the children of God are enlightened to serve Him and one another to the best of their knowledge and ability.. This greater exposure to diversity both enriches our lives and complicates them. 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. In a BYU devotional address, Professor Catherine Corman Parry gave a memorable scriptural illustration of the consequences of judging by 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 Angels will stand with us, and He will send His Holy Spirit to guide us. . The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Similarly, with our children and others we have a duty to teachsuch as in our Church callingsour duty to truth is paramount. Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival. I will, therefore, limit myself to describing four paramount principles that should govern such an effort. This is a harder question for those who affirm the existence of God and absolute truth than for those who believe in moral relativism. If someone wanted to prepare by re-reading the talks from October 2022 conference in order, he or she should start today, Feb. 27, to finish by Friday, March 30. That is athirdabsolute truth: We do not abandon the truth and our covenants. 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. 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. Priesthood Blessings. The Book of Mormon tells of the resurrected Lord visiting some of the people of the Americas. Those of us with more of Martha than of Mary in us . 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). 7. Those who seek out and use pornography forfeit the power of their priesthood. Like a sword, sharp and powerful, it uncovers what is hidden, divides truth from error, and goes to the heart of religious belief. It is not a sermon. When we understand our relationship to God, we also understand our relationship to one another. I am loyal to the chosen servants of the Lord, whom I sustain with all my heart. The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion. 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. [Luke 10:4042]. We can speak of principles rather than personalities.17. 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. On another occasion he said, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment (John 7:24). Pursuing that principle, the author of theEnsignarticle writes: Somewhere along the journey of healing comes the essential task of forgiving. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. 15. 6. We should limit our judgments to our own stewardships. You do your thing, and Ill do my thing is the popular description. 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. . A final ingredient or principle of a righteous judgment is that it will apply righteous standards. Because He loves us, He challenges us to focus on Him instead of the things of this mortal world. 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. 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. And we must all oppose violence and thievery. 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. Talks by Dallin H. Oaks. This is not a call for doctrinal compromises, President Oaks said. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke during the Saturday morning session of October 2022 general conference. . 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. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil. 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. Dallin H. Oaks was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this CES devotional address was given on 11 September 2011. . We can all pray for desire to help with this vital part of the work of salvation.