The Need for a Church. President Oaks gives a powerful talk about service, and all of the amazing good works going on around the world. [Luke 10:4042]. "Brother's Keeper". I am speaking to an audience of Latter-day Saints who believe in God and in absolute truth. Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. Along with the ascendancy of moral relativism, the United States is experiencing a disturbing reduction in overall public esteem for religion. When I walk imperfectly? Even He refrained from a final mortal judgment of the woman taken in adultery. 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. It requires an object and a response to qualify it as a virtue. In the quiet heart is hidden We make better choices and decisions if we look at the alternatives and ponder where they will lead. Church leaders are specifically commanded to judge. 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. You know what is right and what is wrong, and no disguise, however appealing, can change that. 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 also know that evil exists and that some things are simply, seriously, and everlastingly wrong. The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the most important sense. Joseph G. Donders (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2005), 21013; Harold Kushner,Who Needs God(New York: Summit, 1989), 8384. . The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. Profanity, cohabitation, and Sabbath breakingexcellent examples to illustrate how Latter-day Saints might balance their competing duties to truth and tolerance in their own lives in these difficult circumstances. Required fields are marked *. We can speak of principles rather than personalities.17. Stephen L. Carter,The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion(New York: BasicBooks, 1993), 225. That is a wise judgment of a situation, not a person. When we speak every man truth with his neighbour (Ephesians 4:25), and when we [speak] the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) as the Apostle Paul taught, we are acting as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, doing His work. I testify of Jesus Christ, whose light and Spirit guides all the children of God in helping the poor and distressed throughout the world.. . And we must all oppose violence and thievery. 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. Thus, we must refrain from making final judgments on people, because we lack the knowledge and the wisdom to do so. Beware of the wordtolerance. deaton funeral home, red bay, al obituaries. 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. I used the principle of forgiveness to strengthen me.[Journey to Healing, p. 22]. . I do not need to destroy myself with anger and hate. The guilty parties were not hard to spot because they continued whispering all through the class. 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. 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. . 218 University Press Building It was taught when a lawyer asked the Savior, Which is the great commandment in the law? (Matthew 22:36). The article begins with heart-wrenching words and with true statements of eternal principles. She died July 21, 1998. 13. In all of this we should not presume to judge our neighbors or associates on the ultimate effect of their behaviors. Those of us with more of Martha than of Mary in us . 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. Sometimes it even takes a tragedy to teach us that there's more to our lives than what's going on . So informed, her visitor and others spoke criticisms of her children for neglecting their mother. And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance. The change has come from inside memy attitude. . We give thanks for commandments. The Lord did not go into the kitchen and tell Martha to stop cooking and come listen. Each of us is part of a great family, the human family, sons and daughters of God, and therefore brothers and sisters. Letter to Dallin H. Oaks, 14 May 1998. Modern revelation teaches that some have the gift to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, . Because of Gods plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed by the process of repentance. It is important to remember that the illumination and revelation that come to an individual as a result of the gift of the Holy Ghost do not come suddenly or without seeking. That's definitely what we want. Our civilization is based on morality and cannot exist without it. His or her total concentration will be on the needs of the sheepthe good of the students. 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. Sorrow that the eye cant see. Standing in the midst of a multitude, he stretched forth his hand and said: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world. 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. Profanity consistently used in our presence is an appropriate cause for us to communicate the fact that this is offensive to us. . . President Oaks and his late wife, Sister June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. Conquer fear through Charity. That is my Lord whose names you revile. (Improvement Era, May 1953, p. That is why we make covenants. Isalute you for your righteous actions and your righteous desires. On Aug. 25, 2000, he married Sister. 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. 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). Many of our challenges are different from those faced by former pioneers but perhaps just as dangerous and surely as significant to our own salvation and the salvation of those who follow us. BachArranged by: Michel Rondeau (trumpet)Performers: Marthe Jobidon (trumpets), Eric Vaillancourt . Many good, religious-minded . We are called to live with other children of God who do not share our faith or our values and who do not have the covenant obligations we have assumed. I believe that the scriptural command to judge not refers most clearly to this final judgment, as in the Book of Mormon declaration that man shall not . Ye shall know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:1516); and Go ye out from among the wicked (D&C 38:42). 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. . . By this, all the children of God are enlightened to serve Him and one another to the best of their knowledge and ability.. Like a sword, sharp and powerful, it uncovers what is hidden, divides truth from error, and goes to the heart of religious belief. Is Jim Bridger Responsible for What Happened to the Donner Party? Oh Say, What Is Truth?Hymns,2002, no. . . 35 (25 July 2011): 2021; csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0719/Is-US-a-nation-of-liars-Casey-Anthony-isn-t-the-only-one. And, in all of this, we must remember the command to forgive. But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. To help us develop the godly attributes and the change in nature necessary to realize our divine potential, the Lord has revealed doctrine and established commandments based on eternal law. We sing: Tho the heavens depart and the earths fountains burst,Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,Eternal, unchanged, evermore.1. All rights reserved. The Book of Mormon teaches: For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain . President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke during the Saturday morning session of October 2022 general conference. Some Christians look on this as the time when individuals are assigned to heaven or hell. President Spencer W. Kimball taught that the Holy Ghost comes a little at a time as you merit it. Since mortals cannot suppose that they will be acting as final judges at that future, sacred time, why did the Savior command that we not judge final judgments? And as your life is in harmony, you gradually receive the Holy Ghost in a great measure (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. . A gospel teacher does not focus on himself or herself. Those who seek out and use pornography forfeit the power of their priesthood. King Benjamin taught: Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just. 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. [Teachings,p. 218]. that which is good and of God to be of the devil. 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. See the complete list of abbreviations here. He knows the truth. 3740]. Let us consider how to apply that example to some other behaviors. Did the Kinderhook Plates Really Fool Joseph Smith? 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. Pursuing that principle, the author of theEnsignarticle writes: Somewhere along the journey of healing comes the essential task of forgiving. 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. He was called as a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. When she answered no, Jesus declared, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (v. 11). We grow and mature spiritually by choosing to obey Gods commandments in a succession of right choices. Learn more about the Dallin H. Oaks biography, In the Hands of the Lord. The face of sin today often wears the mask of tolerance. , 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. When we understand our relationship to God, we also understand our relationship to one another. Includes a page for each General Conference talk with reflection questions, a place for notes, and a learning style study idea (unique for each talk). 1015]. Letter to Dallin H. Oaks, 22 December 1987. He has an eye trained for the imperfections, the weaknesses. 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. . to judge the world; if it were, we would ruin everything. Martha received Jesus into her house and worked to provide for him while her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet and heard his word.
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