Elder Dallin H. Oaks speech at Chapman University School of Law

[ExcellenceInAll]

@ 38:33 this touches me... he gets emotional here... can't we feel the love with which he speaks with such an important subject.

[ExcellenceInAll]

@ 34:08 I have never seen an Apostle of the Lord emphasize words in this way - PAY ATTENTION... Watch this part as many times as you need to in order to let what he says sink in.

[aloha42506]

A Great Discourse from a very smart and wise apostle.

[teasnuts]

Great discourse.

[MrGmarshall41]

How does Religious Freedom diminish if it is in the Constitution and it is a civil liberty to worship who and how they may? Is the Government removing this liberty? Legal protection, I thought Religious Freedom was protected by the Constitution?

[ViCe1986]

@MrGmarshall41

It is diminished when the state imposes unconstitutional regulations on religious ordinances that violate one's right to worship God according to the precepts of there faith.

The state has no right to change or alter a religious ordinance like marriage.

[Ambicatus]

I concur wholeheartedly that moral relativism is the problem. What reasonable person would put human intellect above absolute rules of a moral code or a religion, knowing that the flaws of religion (of which there are many) are the product of misapprehension of absolute codes of morality, or, at the very least, their misapplication? It seems utterly astonishing that anyone would wish to replace the absolutes of religion with the relative and flawed instrument of religion's misapplication.

[retiretoheber]

Our Founding Fathers deliberately

Placed religious freedom first in the Bill of Rights

So wanting to maintain the guarantee

Of a nation under God's guiding light

what a great reminder!

[iamsonny]

@sborrowman53

You know I am thankful that you point that out, most of the religious ideas are not debatable and it come out as conclusions; you either act in accordance with their faith or struggling with some of the aspects. It is not like human laws that can be change or alter into different ways because largely base on the fundamental truths we all accepted to live by, even for the non believers...

[pedrosonia]

amen

sonia&family

[sborrowman53]

The problem for many on the side with which Elder Oaks disagrees is that a religious answer often ends the debate rather than contributing to it. If I take the position that people should be able to marry someone of their own gender, I appreciate a good debate or rebuttal. I do not appreciate, because I am unable to respond to, an argument that God told you I am wrong. I can value your right to say it, but will of course be frustrated, because there's nothing else to discuss about the topic.

[salvelluto]

The practice of these principles would benefit all people.

[benwjames]

It is no coincidense that the Lord has called Elder Oaks--a former clerk to the US Supreme Court, a respected legal scholar and a former justice to the Utah Supreme Court--as one of his apostles in this day when legal processes are twisted to attack the religious principles they were enacted to protect. He is just one voice, but he is a voice with power, authority, experience and respect.

[Nixmix24]

Holy.. I can't believe I watched the whole thing. I was glued to it. He's such a smart man. He intellectually obliterates those who wish to destroy religion.

[dfwilcox]

This is a true message. We must preserve the free expression of religion.

[lonewolf4252]

Finally an Apostle speaks of U.S. Constitution and Religious Principles. Should be taught at General Conference but probably prohibited by federal law 501(c)3 tax exempt status (aka Ministers Muzzle).

[drewskione]

this is fantastic.

[sobarr91765]

Thank you Elder Oaks for defending the rights of all religions!  Let us now join together to protect these rights, independent of creed.