The Life and Teachings of Elder Dallin Harris Oaks

The Biography of Elder Dallin Harris Oaks

            The first thing that stood out to me about Elder Oaks was the he was on the Utah Supreme Court before he was called to be an apostle. I did a little research after reading this, and I found out the Elder Oaks was actually on President Reagan’s short list for appointees for the United States Supreme Court. What presence Elder Oaks must have had and still has to have made such a profound impact on one of our country’s greatest leaders. The second thing that stood out to me was his motto and how his family tried to “alter” it. “Work first, play later” are words we all should live by, but not to the extent that we neglect the most important things in life, like family and church callings.

The Testimony of Elder Dallin Harris Oaks

            I loved how Elder Oaks chose to bear his testimony on the Sacrament. The Sacrament has such a deep meaning for me. I have such a difficult week if I miss the opportunity to take the Sacrament. The Sacrament gives me the time to really review what I am doing to be a better example and disciple of Jesus Christ. It gives me the opportunity to reflect about what I am doing and think about what more I could be doing to become who our Savior needs me to be, so that He can place me in the path of those who are seeking the Gospel.

Recent Teachings

Elder Dallin Harris Oaks, The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood, April 2014 General Conference, Priesthood Session

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Marriage and Family

·         Priesthood Authority and Women

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “Whoever exercises priesthood authority should forget about their rights and concentrate on their responsibilities. That is a principle needed in society at large. The famous Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is quoted as saying, “It is time … to defend not so much human rights as human obligations.” Latter-day Saints surely recognize that qualifying for exaltation is not a matter of asserting rights but a matter of fulfilling responsibilities.”

o    I loved this quote because for me is plainly states that for a man to have the right to exercise his priesthood authority righteously, he must first fulfill his priesthood authority responsibilities. If we concentrate on our responsibilities, we are guaranteed that we are remaining worthy of our rights and at the same time qualifying for exaltation.

·         “As stated in the family proclamation, the father presides in the family and he and the mother have separate responsibilities, but they are “obligated to help one another as equal partners.” Some years before the family proclamation, President Spencer W. Kimball gave this inspired explanation: ‘When we speak of marriage as a partnership, let us speak of marriage as a full partnership. We do not want our LDS women to be silent partners or limited partners in that eternal assignment! Please be a contributing and full partner.’”

o    I loved this quote because it speaks straight to the heart of why I, for so many years was unwilling to consider the possibility of getting married. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be seen as the individual that I am, or even as part of the whole, but just as an “accessory” of sorts. From my friendship with my best friend, I have gained a better understanding that if I am dating a guy and he doesn’t value me or my opinion in the way that he should, he is not worth my time because in the long run, I will only experience heartache. This quote also reminds me of a saying that says, “I don’t want a man to stand in front of me, or behind me, but I want a man who will stand beside me.” It is so important that marriage be an equal partnership that when it isn’t the family unit does not function properly or the way our Father in Heaven would want it to.

Past Teachings

Elder Dallin Harris Oaks, Protect the Children, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2012 (General Conference October 2012, Saturday Afternoon Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Children are Vulnerable and Need Our Protection

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “When we consider the dangers from which children should be protected, we should also include psychological abuse. Parents or other caregivers or teachers or peers who demean, bully, or humiliate children or youth can inflict harm more permanent than physical injury. Making a child or youth feel worthless, unloved, or unwanted can inflict serious and long-lasting injury on his or her emotional well-being and development.”

o    I loved this quote because when I heard it, I felt as if I had been pierced through the heart. In my lifetime I have constantly been compared to my older brother and sister. Being asked why I can’t be more like my brother or sister has really had a negative impact on my ability to interact with others in a positive manner. It continues to impact my ability to form meaningful relationship with others, and has led me to be extremely distrustful of others. I don’t talk about it very much, but I have been known to self-inflict cuts and bruises on myself as a way of releasing the pain I feel when I am told I will never amount to anything or that I am not good enough. I wrote an essay about a year about on bullying, and it was extremely difficult to remain completely objective about the topic when for so many years I was bullied at home, in school, and even at church.

·         “There are few examples of physical or emotional threats to children as important as those arising out of their relationships with their parents or guardians. President Thomas S. Monson has spoken of what he called the “vile deeds” of child abuse, where a parent has broken or disfigured a child, physically or emotionally.”

o    Although I was not a victim of the worst kind of abuse from either of my parents, I was a victim of sexual abuse from someone who my family trusted. Because of this, I have had the most difficult time trying to be “normal” and form healthy relationships with others. Of the people who know about the abuse, the one person I have received the most support from is actually my best friend, Richard. It is because of him that I have been able to find the courage to forgive the person who sexually abused me as a child, and come to terms with how important it is that I move on with my life and not let the hatred I once felt for this person back into my heart. I have also learned from my best friend what is most important to me for when I someday have a family. I am so greatly blessed to have people like my best friend, Richard, as well as my best friend, Marissa, who when I told her about the abuse, she sat next to me and cried for much longer than I did. Marissa has been a light in the darkness for me since high school and she even credits me with her desire to become a therapist. She told me that she would rather be the one helping others to never get to the point where they would want to take their own life, than be the person who is trying to save them after they have already lost the will to live.