Stand Fast with Love in Proclaiming Truth
He is a native of Provo, Utah (born in 1932). He and his late wife, June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. She died 21 July 1998. On 25 August 2000, he married Kristen M. McMain in the Salt Lake Temple.
Elder Oaks is a graduate of Brigham Young University (1954) and of The University of Chicago Law School (1957). He practiced law in Chicago and was a professor of law at The University of Chicago Law School for ten years. He was president of Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1980, and a justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 1980 until his resignation in 1984 to accept his calling to the apostleship.
He has been an officer or member of the board of many business, educational, and charitable organizations, including five years as chairman of the board of directors of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). He is the author or co-author of many books and articles on religious and legal subjects. In May, 2013, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty awarded him the Canterbury Medal for “courage in the defense of religious liberty.”
Elder Gilbert received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brigham Young University in 1994, a master’s degree in Asian studies from Stanford University in 1995, and a doctorate from Harvard University in 2001. He worked as a professor of entrepreneurial management at Harvard University from 2001 to 2006. He then served as associate academic vice president of Brigham Young University–Idaho until 2009, at which time he began working as chief executive officer of the Deseret News and Deseret Digital Media. In 2015 he became president of BYU–Idaho and was subsequently appointed as president of BYU–Pathway Worldwide in 2017.
Elder Gilbert has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Japan Kobe Mission, elders quorum president, counselor in a Young Men presidency, counselor in a stake presidency, and bishop.
Clark Gordon Gilbert was born in Oakland, California, on June 18, 1970. He married Christine Calder in 1994. They are the parents of eight children.
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. However, just two days after President Nelson’s historic address to so many of you who are young adults, we want to reinforce his message as we begin. As we listened to President Nelson’s inspired counsel on Sunday evening, including the truth of who we are and the destiny God has designed for us, we thought that we should reaffirm what he said. He taught us the foundation for all that young adults and others should be doing. Our message is built on President Nelson’s foundation, which we reverently endorse.
Introduction: President Oaks
We live in perilous times when evil is being called good and good is being called evil (2 Nephi 15:20, Isaiah 5:20). We must stand fast against the values and practices that draw us away from the Lord’s teachings and our covenants, privileges, and obligations. We can do this with love.
President Oaks: Elder Gilbert, how do we stand fast with love?
Elder Gilbert: Thank you, President Oaks. We want the young adults of the Church to carry the quiet strength of a disciple of Jesus Christ. You can look to the example of Jesus Christ and His pattern of standing fast with love. He stood firm in declaring truth but did so with love and compassion. Take the case of the Samaritan woman at the well or the calling of the publican as one of His disciples. Christ knew their shortcomings and weaknesses. Moreover, they knew their shortcomings and weaknesses. Nevertheless, He treated them with love and taught them truth.
Rather than condemning others, we should simply proclaim what we know and what we believe and invite others to follow the Savior. It is their opportunity to choose truth, not ours to compel.
OUTLINE
Discussion #1: Perilous Times Prophesied by the Apostle Paul and Others
Elder Gilbert: Now, President Oaks, you said we face perilous times. The Apostle Paul used that phrase, and in the Doctrine and Covenants we learn that the whole world would be in commotion as we prepare for the return of the Savior. Why would past and present prophets use such language to describe our day?
President Oaks: When I think of commotion, I think of wars and rumors of wars, global pandemics, global warming, the rising tide of evil in the world around us, and the anxiety that is increasing among us. Perilous times surely include the present circumstances that fulfill the scriptural concern that people would call evil good and good evil. [1]
Discussion #2: Attacks on that which is Good
Elder Gilbert: President Oaks, where do you see good being called evil today? Why is this so persuasive to so many?
President Oaks: Evil is being called good and good is being called evil all around us today. Everyone here can think of many examples. I invite you to do so. Why is this upside-down view persuasive to so many? There are many reasons but three of them stand out in my mind:
- Some are persuaded to call evil good because of the false doctrine that we are not accountable to God for our behavior. This persuades some that there will be no eternal consequences for their actions, but we know from the scriptures that this is a “false and vain and foolish doctrine.”
[2]
- Second, is the pervasive sense of intellectual supremacy that exists in society and especially in colleges and universities. President Spencer W. Kimball responded to this when he stated that we must become a “bastion of righteousness,” resisting “the invading ideologies that seek control of curriculum as well as classroom. We do not resist such ideas because we fear them,” he said, “but because they are false.”
[3]
- The third influence is the tendency of those who call good evil to bully or shout down or put negative labels on those who disagree. They seek to intimidate them by shaming or silencing opposition to their untruths.
President Oaks: Elder Gilbert, let me turn the question back to you: Why do you think the world’s efforts to switch these labels can persuade some of God’s children to tolerate or believe things that simply are untrue?
Elder Gilbert: President Oaks, as you mentioned the three reasons in your earlier remarks, I thought of Korihor in the Book of Mormon. It’s interesting that Korihor is someone who tried to intimidate and bully others’ beliefs and make them feel foolish for the things they held most dear. I’ll read from Alma 30:
“Behold, these things which ye call prophecies, which ye say are handed down by holy prophets, behold, they are foolish traditions of your fathers. How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.” [4]
Korihor’s arguments seek to belittle and embarrass belief. He tries to make the argument that we are hedged in by the prophets, that we are bound by tradition, and we lack evidence for belief. Korihor wants us to feel that only a fool would believe. Unfortunately, he ignores the divine nature of a prophet’s call–that sacrifice and love of our forefathers–and minimizes our authentic spiritual confirmations of belief.
I’m not saying that rational argument is the source to personal conversion, but I do fall with C.S. Lewis’ Professor Digory Kirke when he observed that the Pevensie children didn’t believe their sister’s witness of Narnia: “Logic! …Why don’t they teach logic at these schools?” [5] The irony is that Korihor suffers from his own logical fallacies, which he eventually confesses to at the end of Alma 30:
“But behold, the devil has deceived me; … And he said unto me: There is no God…And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were truth….” [6]
This is what’s known as the illusory truth effect. Korihor has repeated his own arguments so many times that he has actually grown to believe them. This is also similar to what can be called the bandwagon effect where Korihor wants us to think we are the only believers and that everyone else is more enlightened.
Let’s watch this short clip from Candid Camera to show what can happen to us if we only take the influence of the world.
[Description of Candid Camera Video Clip: Several actors in an elevator change positions to face different directions on a silent cue. Unsuspecting persons riding the elevator feel unspoken pressure by the group to conform to the same actions.]
Elder Gilbert: Despite the humor of that video, you are going to have to learn to turn to face the right way in the elevator even when everyone else is telling you to turn around and face the back. In your heart you will know that what they are doing can’t be the right thing, but you must have the courage to stand fast, looking in the right direction.
Discussion #3: Attacks on Core Institutions
Elder Gilbert: Now President Oaks, in the last three general conferences you have spoken about the institutions of the family, religion, and the Constitution. What is it about these institutions that is so important to the Church?
President Oaks: Thank you.
- Family. The family is a core institution of civil society. As we read in the Family Proclamation it is “central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” Of course, the adversary will attack such a central part of the plan, and try to persuade the children of God to depart from it.
- Religion. Religion stands as a firewall against the adversary’s onslaughts on many other key institutions and ideas in the world. We know from experience that the teachings and practices of religion strengthen society generally, including such needs as humanitarian assistance, law observance, the ability of individual citizens to act for the benefit of the overall community, and the effectiveness of other democratic institutions.
- Constitution. The Constitutional Bill of Rights guarantees and protects the good that religious believers and their churches, synagogues, and mosques can do. These protections include the precious freedoms of speech, conscience, and the free exercise of religion. I’ve spoken often on this subject, in this country and in other countries. It is vital for all of us to understand the importance of these protections and our democratic form of government.
Discussion #4: Stand Fast with Love in Proclaiming Truth
Elder Gilbert: President Oaks, speaking of these three institutions and other truths we seek to defend, what are ways you would like to see our young adults in the Church stand fast with love in proclaiming truth?
President Oaks: I have a number of things that I would like to urge you to do:
- The first is to avoid overly contentious settings. I encourage you to refrain from participating in the contentious communications that are so common today. Social media can generate conflicts. It can expand the audience and the speed of dissemination. It often fosters careless charges, false representations, and ugly innuendos that intensify the distance between different parties and their communications. I’m not criticizing differences in policies. Those need to be debated publicly. What I am urging our members to do is to stand clear from the current atmosphere of hate and personal meanness in communications.
I loved Elder Neil L. Andersen’s recent statement that “there are times when being a peacemaker means that we resist the impulse to respond and instead, with dignity, remain quiet.”
[7]
- Second suggestion: Love others, find common ground, even when we disagree. After avoiding contentious settings, we should reach out positively to express our concern and love for those with whom we disagree. We should seek to find common ground on which to stand with those who might otherwise consider us their enemies. Followers of Christ should be examples of civility. We should remember the Savior’s teachings, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
[8]
As President Thomas S. Monson taught us in one of his last conference messages, we should show “our love in day-to-day interactions…. Love is the very essence of the gospel, the noblest attribute of the human soul.”
[9]
- Third, we should hold to truth even in our outreach to others. Loving those with different views and avoiding contention are both examples of civility and do not mean we should refrain from participating in discussions, debates, and even taking positions against what we believe to be wrong or inadvisable. For example, our voices need to be heard on the importance of religion and religious freedom for all citizens—believers, and non-believers alike. We can do this if we avoid contentious settings and speak in the context of respect for those with whom we disagree.
- Another suggestion and counsel is to be a light to the world. Show the world the good you can do as a disciple of Jesus Christ. “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is
compelled
in all things, the same is a
slothful
and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be
anxiously engaged
in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.”
[10]
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
[11]
- Finally, Stay anchored in Jesus Christ. One of the most important ways to be a light to the world is to keep the commandments of God. I plead with each of you not to seek happiness in the glittering temptations and attractions of the world. Wickedness can never lead to lasting happiness or eternal joy. In this critical time of your lives, you need to anchor your life in the Savior.
President Russell M. Nelson has said:
“My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer.”
This means you find time to set yourself apart from the world. President Nelson has suggested this can be done through regular temple attendance, reading the scriptures, and staying anchored to our covenants, such as keeping the Sabbath day holy. These practices will help us focus our thoughts on the Savior and what He has done for us by His Atonement, which gives us the assurance of immortality and the opportunity for eternal life. In this way we will have the defense promised in modern revelation, where we are told to “tak[e] the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” [12]
President Oaks: Now, Elder Gilbert, I have this practical request on behalf of our audience. Please apply these ideas to issues that often polarize our young adults to keep them from standing fast in proclaiming truth.
Elder Gilbert on Issues of Prophetic Direction and Infallibility:
Thank you, President Oaks. Part of our charge is to stand fast when truths are mixed with untruths. Take the example of prophetic direction. It is true that we do not have a doctrine of prophetic infallibility. Moses wasn’t perfect, Joseph Smith wasn’t perfect. Only Jesus Christ was perfect. But that does not mean that our prophets were not called of God or that we can pick and choose what prophetic direction we will follow. God calls, elevates, and qualifies those He has chosen.
Look at the pattern of the First Vision. When God came to earth with His Son, He said, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” [13] Christ then turned to the Prophet Joseph in Doctrine and Covenants and followed that same pattern. In Doctrine and Covenants 43 we read:
“For behold . . . ye have received a commandment … unto my church, through him whom I have appointed unto you… And this ye shall know assuredly—that there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandment and revelations … [on behalf of the Church].” [14]
In the Lord’s preface to the Doctrine and Covenants we read, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”
[15]
We can apply these and other examples of difficult issues in our days using the five points you mentioned earlier. They work.
President Oaks on Issues of Race:
Thank you. Brothers and sisters, I now address the subject of race. We must start by recognizing the very real challenges of racism by condemning on-going racial prejudice, and by strengthening those who continue to face unfair biases. On this point we are aligned with (and can learn from) many secular efforts to reduce racism. We have done this in our efforts to work with the NAACP and other community organizations. Please also recall the Church’s repeated pleas to abandon actions and attitudes of prejudice. President Nelson has taught:
“Each of us has a divine potential because each is a child of God. Each is equal in His eyes . . . God does not love one race more than another . . . I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.” [16]
One way our common ground with others can be undermined is if any contending party sows division and separates communities. In condemning and working against racism, we encourage our students, our teachers, and all our members to avoid extreme or polarizing positions and teachings that undermine the U.S. Constitution and other core institutions. We know that the Constitution was inspired by God and despite its birth defect of slavery, its inspired principles, including the freedoms of speech and religion and its authorization of amendments have allowed subsequent generations to continue to improve the nation and strengthen the rights and prosperity of its citizens. That is part of our history, and it should not be distorted by trying to substitute other motivations for the Constitution of the United States, as some are doing in our time.
A gospel-centered approach to combating racism empowers all parties to support, apply, and teach the power and light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church has made this positive approach in its efforts both within its membership and with outside organizations. I point to our work with the NAACP as just one example.
Reverend Amos Brown is a noted civil rights leader, and a friend of President Russell M. Nelson. He recently wrote:
“We can gripe about the way things were. We can refuse to acknowledge all the good going on now. … But these approaches will not heal our national divisions. … As Jesus taught, we don’t eradicate evil with more evil. We love generously and live mercifully, even toward those we think to be our enemies.” [17]
Again, listen to Reverend Browns’ more recent remarks at the Washington, D.C. Temple open house [video clip]:
“Mr. Joseph Smith the First Prophet also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1844. But the major plank in his platform was the abolition of slavery by 1850 thus preceding Mr. Abraham Lincoln-even before he exhibited the courage to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. . .. But fast forward to 2021, Thank God, that one President Nelson lived out the intent and the spirit of Joseph Smith when he reached out to the NAACP saying, ‘we want to talk, we want to have a conversation, we want to be enlightened about each other's experiences.’ And I assure you that if all of the so-called religious groups in this nation follow the example of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we shall save the soul of America.”
President Oaks: Elder Gilbert, what do you add to this important subject?
Elder Gilbert on Race:
I love Reverend Brown’s message of reconciliation and his hand of friendship to the Church. President Oaks, I also appreciate your call to help us eliminate attitudes of racism without falling into secular agendas that seek to divide and polarize.
Elder Mark Palmer, the former Area President in South Africa, recently reminded us of Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Nelson Mandela, [Insert picture] and his efforts to bring an end to his country’s system of racial segregation. Elder Palmer explained at a recent BYU graduation that despite being imprisoned for nearly thirty years, Nelson Mandela “chose to focus on reconciliation and truth rather than on bitterness or revenge. He is famously reported to have said, ‘Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.’” [18] What an inspiring example of Christian leadership.
In a more modest way, I think of my experience observing the Church’s inner-city youth in Boston, Massachusetts [insert picture]. These young men faced ignorant attitudes, sometimes even from members of the Church. But they also knew that it was the Church that gave them the confidence to overcome so many of their challenges. It was the Church that encouraged youth leaders to invest in their lives. These Boston youth were determined not to let polarizing agendas separate them from the very church that would present them with mentors, spiritual opportunities, and the education they needed to succeed.
I note that here at Ensign College, more than 50% of our students have a multicultural background [Insert BYU-Hawaii picture]. At BYU–Hawaii, more than 60% of our students are from Asia and the Pacific [Insert BYU-Pathway picture]. At BYU–Pathway Worldwide we have already served more than 10,000 students in Africa. We are well acquainted with students of diverse social and cultural backgrounds in the Church.
The Church Educational System is helping all of its students succeed in the Lord’s way, embracing students from different backgrounds, cultures, and races. If any of you have faced attitudes of prejudice, know you are part of a church that is striving to root out attitudes of racism both within the Church and across society. You are part of a church that believes in you, will provide you opportunities to grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and is committed to your education and future success.
President Oaks on LGBTQ Issues:
Thank you, Commissioner Gilbert. Let us next turn to issues related to same-sex attraction. Here too, there are some untruths we should lovingly oppose. As with issues of race, the Church has reached out in good faith to build bridges. Through its support of the Fairness for All initiative, the Church is supporting rights for LBGTQ individuals in housing and healthcare, while we also preserve our own basic rights of conscience and freedom of religion. In an address I gave last year at the University of Virginia, I described a way to resolve differences without compromising core values. [19] In seeking common ground, we encourage fair treatment and respect for others, and we ask the same for ourselves.
Showing respect does not mean we walk away from our beliefs and fundamental doctrine on the family and its importance to God’s “plan for the eternal destiny of His children” as revealed in the Family Proclamation. [20]
Please remember the responsibility we, members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, have as Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must declare the truth as God has revealed it. We are not free to pick and choose which truths we will preach and defend. As the Savior said to His Apostles:
“If the world [hates] you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world would love [its] own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen ye out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” [21]
We must show love in the way we teach truth, but we must nevertheless continue to teach truth. President Nelson gave an example of this in his talk Sunday evening. Speaking of our first identity, he taught:
“There are various labels that may be very important to you, of course. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that other designations and identifiers are not significant. I am simply saying that 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.”
[22]
Elder Gilbert on LGBTQ Issues:
President Oaks, in your recent University of Virginia lecture, you counseled against being “unduly influenced” by voices that “polarize and sow resentment.” [23] There is a difference between experiencing same-sex attraction and acting in ways that violate our covenants. Many frame LGBTQ issues as an all or nothing Hobson’s choice. In other words, they say to be loving to our LGBTQ friends you must promote behaviors that violate sacred covenants. Or they say to be loyal to our Church you must ignore the reality of same-sex attraction and condemn those who experience it. Both statements are wrong. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught:
“As near as I can tell, Christ never once withheld His love from anyone, but He also never once said to anyone, ‘Because I love you, you are exempt from keeping my commandments."
We are tasked with trying to strike that same sensitive, demanding balance in our lives.” [24]
Notice the pattern of the Savior when He compassionately stood up for the woman taken in adultery. He reminded her public accusers it was not their role to judge. He then privately charged her to go and sin no more. [25]
We receive guidance on this balance in the Church Handbook of Instructions: “The Church encourages families and members to reach out with sensitivity, love, and respect to persons who are attracted to others of the same sex. The Church also promotes understanding in society at large that reflects its teachings about kindness, inclusiveness, love for others, and respect for all human beings.” [26]
Let me be clear that individuals or groups who do not treat our LGBTQ members with empathy and charity are not aligned with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ. At the same time, ignoring God’s laws has never been the Savior’s pattern of showing love. Remember, Jesus asked us to love God first. Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught why this sequence matters. He said:
“Putting the first commandment first does not diminish or limit our ability to keep the second commandment. To the contrary, it amplifies and strengthens it. . . Our love of God elevates our ability to love others more fully and perfectly because we in essence partner with God in the care of His children.” [27]
I have felt this, and I know God loves all His children. Please know of our admiration for so many students who are striving to live their covenants and respect the principles of the Honor Code. We recognize your commitment and appreciate your example. We welcome you and want you to feel a sense of belonging as we work together to be true to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ.
President Oaks: Thank you, Elder Gilbert. I say a hearty Amen to what you have said. It’s now time for us to conclude this time we’ve spent together. I remind you of a few key ideas that we have taught. We can trust in the great promises of the Lord. If we are prepared, we shall not fear. The Lord has prepared a way for us to accomplish what He desires us and commands us to do. Today, I have mentioned five ways to help you stand fast with love in proclaiming the truth:
- Avoid Overly Contentious Settings
- Love Others, Even if We Disagree
- Hold to Truth Even in our Outreach
- Be a Light to the World
- Stay Anchored in Jesus Christ
As we have concluded, we’ve also given you some valuable counsel on how to communicate effectively and lovingly on some of the important current issues of our day. Finally, we assure you that with the help of the Lord, you can do this in powerful and loving ways.
President Oaks: Now, Elder Gilbert, would you like to offer your concluding testimony?
Elder Gilbert: Thank you. First of all, we hope each of you will carry the quiet strength of a disciple of Jesus Christ. President Oaks walked us through five ways we can stand fast with love in proclaiming truth. I conclude by reemphasizing once again his last point: to stay anchored in Jesus Christ.
President Nelson has emphasized this: “The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era.” [28] I used to read the prophet’s call to stay anchored in Jesus Christ as key to preserving our testimony. I believe that this is true, but I also believe when we stand for Jesus Christ, we will have the character, spirit, and demeanor to interact with others in proclaiming truth with love. I know Jesus Christ is our example. We can look to Him in all we do. I’m so grateful for His love and His teachings and I pray that each of us can stand fast with love in proclaiming truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
President Oaks: Thank you, Elder Gilbert. Brothers and sisters, I am one who has been called to testify of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world. This is more than to testify of Christ, which all of us are to do because we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost whose mission is to testify of the Father and the Son. To testify of the name of Jesus Christ includes the added responsibility to testify of His work, His Atonement, His great mission to be the light and life of the world and to testify of the restored gospel, which contains the teaching of the destiny that God, our Eternal Father, has established for each of us as His children including all who will become adopted into the covenant and promises of ancient Israel.
I testify that our prophet, President Nelson, is inspired of the Lord in teaching us, as he has taught so frequently, that gathering scattered Israel—those who have this covenant in their DNA and those who desire to enter into the covenant—we are responsible to do that. We can only do that if we stand fast in the truth of the great principles of the restored gospel revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith and the holy, sacred mission of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that each of us will be blessed to remember these great principles and these great responsibilities as taught by the servants of the Lord of whom I have spoken. I testify of Jesus Christ. I testify of His name, His work, His priesthood, and His mission to all the world, and I do so in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[1]
2 Nephi 15:20.
[2]
2 Nephi 28:7-8.
[3]
Spencer W. Kimball, 2nd Century Address.
[4]
Alma 30:14-15.
[5]
C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Chapter V: Back on This Side of the Door [Macmillian Publishing Co., Inc., 1950].
[6]
Alma 30:53.
[7]
Neil L. Andersen, “Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker,” General Conference, Apr. 2022.
[8]
John 13:35.
[9]
Thomas S. Monson, “As I Have Loved You,” Ensign, February 2017, 4-5.
[10]
Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27.
[11]
Matthew 5:16.
[12]
Doctrine and Covenants 27:17.
[13]
Joseph Smith–History 1:17.
[14]
Doctrine and Covenants 43:2-3.
[15]
D&C 1:38.
[16]
Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” General Conference, Oct. 2020.
[17]
Quoted in Neil L. Andersen, “Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker,” General Conference, Apr. 2022.
[18]
S. Mark Palmer, “A Life Centered on Jesus Christ,” BYU Commencement broadcast, Apr. 21, 2022.
[19]
Dallin H. Oaks, “Going Forward with Religious Freedom and Non-Discrimination,” Joseph Smith Lecture at the University of Virginia, Nov. 12, 2021.
[20]
The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
[21]
John 15:18-19.
[22]
Russell M. Nelson, “Choices for Eternity,” Young Adult Worldwide Devotional, May 15, 2022.
[23]
Dallin H. Oaks, “Going Forward with Religious Freedom and Non-Discrimination,” Joseph Smith Lecture at the University of Virginia, Nov. 12, 2021.
[24]
Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Second Half of the Second Century of Brigham Young University,” BYU University Conference, Aug. 23, 2021.
[25]
See John 8:11.
[26]
Church Handbook, Section 38.6.15.
[27]
D. Todd Christofferson, “The First Commandment First,” BYU Devotional broadcast, Mar. 22, 2022.
[28]
Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” General Conference, Oct. 2021.