Dallin Harris Oaks was born in Provo on August 12, 1932. ELDER OAKS: We surely encourage parents not to blame themselves and we encourage Church members not to blame parents in this circumstance. 450. Someone with same-gender attraction wouldn’t necessarily have that same hope. The second point is that there are abusive practices that have been used in connection with various mental attitudes or feelings. The linked site has its own terms of use, privacy policies, and security practices that differ from those on our website. You cannot have that marriage coexisting institutionally with something else called same-gender marriage. Persons who have this kind of challenge that they cannot control could not enter marriage in good faith. Gratefully, the answer is that same-gender attraction did not exist in the pre-earth life and neither will it exist in the next life. Dallin H Oaks. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Elder Wickman, when you referred earlier to missionary service, you held that out as a possibility for someone who felt same-gender attraction but didn’t act on it. That argument proves a little too much. With the exception of Ronald Reagan, Garth Brooks has played for every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter. If the son says, ‘Well, if you love me, can I bring my partner to our home to visit? He’s not promiscuous; he has one relationship. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Is heterosexual marriage ever an option for those with homosexual feelings? But why try to regulate the behavior of other people who have nothing to do with your faith, especially when some nations in Europe have legally sanctioned that kind of marriage? Dallin H. Oaks is a current member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. None of these stand in the way of our attaining our eternal destiny. If a young man thinks he’s gay, what we’re really saying to him is that there is simply no other way to go but to be celibate for the rest of his life if he doesn’t feel any attraction to women? ELDER OAKS: I think it is an accurate statement to say that some people consider feelings of same-gender attraction to be the defining fact of their existence. The Oaks family lived for a year in the Washington, D.C., area, where Elder Oaks began his law career as a clerk to then-Chief Justice Earl Warren of the U.S. Supreme Court. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: There are those who would say that that might have applied better in the 1950s or earlier than in the 21st century. We just need to remain faithful. His father died of tuberculosis when he was only eight years old, and three years later he began working to help his mother. ELDER OAKS: President Hinckley has helped us on that subject with a clear statement that answers all questions of that nature. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune LDS Apostles Dallin H. Oaks, center, shakes hand with Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland as he walks to the microphone to make a public statement of religious freedom and nondiscrimination in Salt Lake City Tuesday … Let me just add one more thought. We have the agency to choose which characteristics will define us; those choices are not thrust upon us. Homosexual behavior is and will always remain before the Lord an abominable sin. ELDER OAKS: No, we do not accept the fact that conditions that prevent people from attaining their eternal destiny were born into them without any ability to control. It’s important to keep in mind the difference between Jesus’ love and His definition of doctrine, and the definition of doctrine that has come from apostles and prophets of the Lord Jesus Christ, both anciently and in modern times. We live in a very self-absorbed age. Temptation is not unique. The law declares unacceptable some things that are simply not enforceable, and there’s no prosecutor who tries to enforce them. Dallin H. Oaks was sustained and set apart as first counselor in the First Presidency and president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, January 14, 2018. There would also be other factors that would make that the likely answer. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: At the outset, can you explain why this whole issue of homosexuality and same-gender marriage is important to the Church? The more a person can look beyond gender orientation, the happier and more fulfilling life is likely to be. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: What of those who might say, “Okay. Can we come for holidays?’ How do you balance that against, for example, concern for other children in the home?’. Dallin H. Oaks is an Apostle of the LDs Church. Close. Marriage means a committed, legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman. When that claim is made, the burden of proving that this step will not undo the wisdom and stability of millennia of experience lies on those who would make the change. ELDER WICKMAN: Well, it may be appropriate for that person to seek therapy. My first responsibility as a father is to make sure that he understands that, and then to say to him, “My son, if you choose to deliberately engage in this kind of behavior, you’re still my son. Nelson was a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly 34 years, and was the quorum president from 2015 to 2018. That course of action, which experience teaches, is almost certainly to lead both away from the Lord’s way. Calling it something else by virtue of some political definition does not change that reality. Over-medication in respect to depression is an example that comes to mind. It’s going to be decided as a matter of federal law one way or the other. We do have the power to control our behavior. We should remember that none of us is perfect and none of us has children whose behavior is entirely in accord with exactly what we would have them do in all circumstances. Those are opportunities that really help us to come within the ambit of the Savior’s Atonement. ELDER OAKS: There is another point to add here, and this comes from a recent statement of the First Presidency, which is a wonderful description of our attitude in this matter: “We of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reach out with understanding and respect for individuals who are attracted to those of the same gender. This Constitutional amendment is a defensive measure against those who would ignore the will of the states appropriately expressed and require, as a matter of federal law, the recognition of same-gender marriages — or the invalidation of state laws that require that marriage be between a man and a woman. In the late 1940s, young Oaks and several friends from Brigham Young High School in Provo staged an Al Capone caper as a teen-age prank. Dallin H. Oaks is a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was set apart as the first counselor in the First Presidency on January 14, 2018. If they let that susceptibility remain uncontrolled, it becomes a feeling of anger, and a feeling of anger can yield to behavior that is sinful and illegal. She has served as a ward Young Women president, Relief Society president and a Primary president. If we believe in God and believe in His mercy and His justice, it won’t do to say that these are discriminations because God wouldn’t discriminate. If they do not act upon these inclinations, then they can go forward as do all other members of the Church.”. The following interview was conducted in 2006 with Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church, and Elder Lance B. Wickman, a member of the Seventy. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Is therapy of any kind a legitimate course of action if we’re talking about controlling behavior? We refer to that as the teaching function of the law. It is in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”. It’s the same for a person that is born with a ‘short fuse,’ as we would say of a susceptibility to anger. There are numbers of different types of partnerships or pairings that may exist in society that aren’t same-gender sexual relationships that provide for some right that we have no objection to. But it’s not limited to someone who has same-gender attraction. It is Christ’s atonement that makes it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and His resurrection that gives us the assurance of immortality and the life to come. When they were told to refrain from plural marriage, there were probably some who were unhappy, but I think the majority were greatly relieved and glad to get back into the mainstream of western civilization, which had been marriage between a man and a woman. Health care workers, first responders and other high-priority recipients in the state had the opportunity to be vaccinated in recent weeks. In 1989, Mrs. Oaks was appointed by former Gov. What do I tell him as a parent? PUBLIC AFFAIRS: On the issue of a Constitutional amendment prohibiting same-gender marriage, there are some Latter-day Saints who are opposed to same-gender marriage, but who are not in favor of addressing this through a Constitutional amendment. He was called as a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles The Church rarely takes a position on which treatment techniques are appropriate, for medical doctors or for psychiatrists or psychologists and so on. 25, 2018. When that duty was lifted, they were directed to conform to the law of the land, which forbade polygamy and which had been held constitutional. Some of those encounters were very positive and reinforcing on the part of the father of a son. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The 19th century Mormons, including some of my ancestors, were not eager to practice plural marriage. If you look at several nations in Europe, for example, traditional marriage is so rapidly on the decline that it is no longer the norm. Whether a person who has lost a spouse enters into a second marriage is a very personal decision. ELDER WICKMAN: Isn’t it really the significance of the Atonement in a person’s life? It is sometimes said that God could not discriminate against individuals in this circumstance. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gets a COVID vaccination Jan. 19, 2021. That’s where the battle has taken it. Adoption is one that comes to mind, simply because that is a right which has been historically, doctrinally associated so closely with marriage and family. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: You’re saying the Church doesn’t necessarily have a position on ‘nurture or nature’. They’re great people. Then in 1963, he served as the second counselor in the presidency of the Chicago Illinois South Stake. You’re embarking on a course of action that will weaken you in your ability to repent. The aversive therapies that have been used in connection with same-sex attraction have contained some serious abuses that have been recognized over time within the professions. But what matters is the fact that we know we can control how we behave, and it is behavior which is important. To me that means that a person with these inclinations, where they’re kept under control, or, if yielded to are appropriately repented of, is eligible to do anything in the Church that can be done by any member of the Church who is single. Why fight to get a Constitutional amendment [in the United States], for example? Courtney didn’t ask for the circumstances into which she was born in this life, any more than somebody with same-gender attraction did. In 1961, Oaks served as the stake mission president in the LDS Church's Chicago Illinois Stake. She’s at once captivated by it and saddened because Courtney understands that will not be her experience here. He is American by natinoanliy. It’s already there. He has provided a plan for His children to enjoy the choicest blessings that He has to offer in eternity. PUBLIC AFFAIRS: A little earlier, Elder Oaks, you talked about the same standard of morality for heterosexuals and homosexuals. On the other hand, persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with these feelings or inclinations and put them in the background, and feel a great attraction for a daughter of God and therefore desire to enter marriage and have children and enjoy the blessings of eternity — that’s a situation when marriage would be appropriate. Dallin Harris Oaks (born August 12, 1932) is an American jurist, educator, and religious leader who since 2018 has been the First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It’s on these other matters. Elder Oaks is a native of Provo, Utah, and was born August 12, 1932. Don’t expect us to take you out and introduce you to our friends, or to deal with you in a public situation that would imply our approval of your “partnership.”. Those choicest blessings are associated with marriage between a man and a woman by appropriate priesthood authority to bring together a family unit for creation and happiness in this life and in the life to come. As far as something less than that — as far as relationships that give to some pairs in our society some right but not all of those associated with marriage — as to that, as far as I know, the First Presidency hasn’t expressed itself. Ultimately that’s where the battle is going to be decided. We urge persons with same-gender attractions to control those and to refrain from acting upon them, which is a sin, just as we urge persons with heterosexual attractions to refrain from acting upon them until they have the opportunity for a marriage recognized by God as well as by the law of the land. ELDER OAKS: Another way to say that same thing is that the Parliament in Canada and the Congress in Washington do not have the authority to revoke the commandments of God, or to modify or amend them in any way. Doesn’t the Atonement really begin to mean something to a person when he or she is trying to face down the challenges of living, whether they be temptations or limitations? The First Presidency and some apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are over the age of 70, received the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday morning. But that’s rather the exception in the Church. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. You are about to access Constant Contacts (http://visitor.constantcontact.com). Mrs. Oaks graduated with a bachelor's degree from BYU in 1965, 14 years after she first enrolled. Don’t expect to be a lengthy house guest. What we look forward to, and the great promise of the gospel, is that whatever our inclinations are here, whatever our shortcomings are here, whatever the hindrances to our enjoying a fullness of joy here, we have the Lord’s assurance for every one of us that those in due course will be removed. Again, if I am a Latter-day Saint father, what would I be expected to tell him? ELDER OAKS: Let me just add a thought to that. Interment will be at the Provo City Cemetery. Makes You Think Mormon Life. I have the power within myself to control what I do.’. The ultimate defining fact for all of us is that we are children of Heavenly Parents, born on this earth for a purpose, and born with a divine destiny. Yet the question is asked and the matter is put forward as if those who believe in marriage between a man and a woman have the burden of proving that it should not be extended to some other set of conditions. ELDER OAKS: Law has at least two roles: one is to define and regulate the limits of acceptable behavior. What does that really mean? The coup de grace which ends the patient’s life altogether is quite equivalent to the drastic modification in the institution of marriage that would be brought on by same-gender marriage. She’s a beautiful girl. ELDER WICKMAN: For openers, marriage is neither a matter of politics, nor is it a matter of social policy. In summary, the First Presidency has come out for an amendment (which may or may not be adopted) in support of the teaching function of the law. There are so many different circumstances, it’s impossible to give one answer that fits all. It is a case by case determination. But even that, in the fullness of life as we understand it through the doctrines of the restored gospel, eventually can become possible. It’s the same for a person that develops a taste for alcohol. My conversations with my son, all our efforts to love our son and keep him in the Church have failed to address what he sees as the central issue — that he can’t help his feelings. June Dixon Oaks, 65, wife of Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died in her Salt Lake home Tuesday, July 21, after battling cancer for more than a year. Style Guide Note:When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it. The time has come in our society when I see great wisdom and purpose in a United States Constitutional amendment declaring that marriage is between a man and a woman. Given these trends, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must take a stand on doctrine and principle. If you would like to stay on the page you are viewing please click Cancel. But if you choose to go that way, we will always try to help you and get you back on the path of growth. That’s what it means in the revelations. The fact of the matter is that the best way to assure that a definition of marriage as it now stands continues is to put it into the foundational legal document of the United States. Admittedly, for each one of us, it’s hard to look beyond the ‘now’ sometimes. I can imagine that in most circumstances the parents would say, ‘Please don’t do that. The continuing public debate over same-gender marriage has prompted many questions from the news media, the general public and Church members in relation to the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the marriage issue specifically and on homosexuality in general. But beyond that, it is comparing apples and oranges to refer to the love that the Savior expressed for all mankind, for every person, for every man and woman and child, with the doctrine related to marriage. Mrs. Oaks was very physically active, jogging or walking 3 miles every day except Sunday for the past 20 years and playing tennis several times a week. While we have no position about what the medical doctors do (except in very, very rare cases — abortion would be such an example), we are conscious that there are abuses and we don’t accept responsibility for those abuses. Perhaps there is an inclination or susceptibility to such feelings that is a reality for some and not a reality for others. About the speaker: President Dallin H. Oaks was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984. What the First Presidency has done is express its support of marriage and for that bundle of rights belonging to a man and a woman. President Hinckley, faced with the fact that apparently some had believed it to be a remedy, and perhaps that some Church leaders had even counseled marriage as the remedy for these feelings, made this statement: “Marriage should not be viewed as a therapeutic step to solve problems such as homosexual inclinations or practices.” To me that means that we are not going to stand still to put at risk daughters of God who would enter into such marriages under false pretenses or under a cloud unknown to them. As has been mentioned, there is a relatively tiny handful of callings within the Church that require marriage. Those are scientific questions — whether nature or nurture — those are things the Church doesn’t have a position on. In 2020 our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson , has encouraged us to # HearHim —to seek the Lord’s guidance and direction for our individual lives. What is it that is desired by those who advocate same-gender marriage? By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and former surgeon who is the 17th and current president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). I refer to a shift from defending the Lord’s way to defending the errant child’s lifestyle, both with him and with others. I think it’s important for you to understand that homosexuality, which you’ve spoken of, is not a noun that describes a condition. While affirming our continued love for him, and affirming that the family continues to have its arms open to him, I think it would be well to review with him something like the following, which is a statement of the First Presidency in 1991: “The Lord’s law of moral conduct is abstinence outside of lawful marriage and fidelity within marriage. Find fulfillment in the many other facets of your character and your personality and your nature that extend beyond that. To download media files, please first review and agree to the Terms of Use. He’s adamant about it. That is the way to happiness and eternal life. Legend has it LDS apostle Dallin H. Oaks once was involved in a ``bank robbery.'' The distinction between feelings or inclinations on the one hand, and behavior on the other hand, is very clear. ELDER WICKMAN: One way to think of marriage is as a bundle of rights associated with what it means for two people to be married.