Events

President Oaks told the BYU audience that this counsel has only grown more urgent.

“I feel to emphasize [this] warning,” he said. “You live in a season where the adversary has become so effective at disguising truth that if you don’t have the Holy Ghost, you will be deceived. Many obstacles lie ahead. The distractions will be many. Even active members may sometimes have concerns about some historical, doctrinal, or social issues connected with the Church.”

Four Simple Ways to Overcome Doubt

1. Strengthen our faith in Him

2. Increase our humility

3. Seek help from others

4. Be patient

“Whatever those doubts, the way to overcome them is to get closer to our Savior Jesus Christ,” he testified. “Again and again, He has taught us that He is the way.”

“Strong faith requires more than strong desire,” he taught. “It means daily trying, one step at a time, with prayer and scripture study. We can increase our commitment to the principles in the First Article of Faith.”

Such practices, he explained, provide spiritual stability in an unstable world.

“These principles anchor our faith in God and will keep us anchored to gospel truth and to our Savior’s example of service to our fellowmen.”

One practical way to cultivate humility, he said, is deceptively simple: “Look to the needs of others and humility follows.”

Drawing on teachings from Ezra Taft Benson and Spencer W. Kimball, President Oaks reminded listeners that humility includes teachability and a willingness to submit to God’s will.

“Humility is one of the powerful commandments we have been given to guide us in our mortal journeys,” he said, “which prepares us for our appointed meeting with our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”

He also issued a gentle caution: “Take care not to become distracted.”

To those who feel unsettled by new information — or who have stepped away from Church participation — President Oaks offered reassurance rooted in love.

“Those of diminishing faith and activity in the restored Church are a major source of concern to your prophetic leaders,” he said. “We love you, young and old, men and women. So does the Lord! God is relentless in His loving pursuit of each of you.”

He urged continued covenant faithfulness and intellectual openness without spiritual self-limitation. “Keep the commandments and be true to the covenants so many of you have made to guide you along the covenant path. Never let your secular learning limit your horizons,” he cautioned.

He illustrated this principle with an experience involving a BYU-area stake president and a young man who had decided to leave the Church.

“The surprised stake president immediately began to share his profound testimony of the gospel that had brought him so much joy, peace, and inspiration,” President Oaks recounted. “The young man sat stunned and stared back at him with tears in his eyes and said, ‘I have not heard anyone speak like that in months. I have been hanging out with friends who don’t believe.’”

The lesson, President Oaks said, is straightforward: “Surround yourself with people who believe.”

He further encouraged regular Church attendance and faithful worship in the Lord’s house as stabilizing spiritual practices.

“Overcoming doubt — resolving conflicts between the evolving understanding of science and the sometimes-incomplete teachings of religion can be a lengthy process, like building faith or acquiring humility,” he said.

During that process, he encouraged action rather than withdrawal. “We should busy ourselves with service,” he taught. “Again and again, Jesus taught and demonstrated the power of service to others.”

In closing, President Oaks’s message was both steady and hopeful: coming closer to Jesus Christ — through faith, humility, trusted counsel, and patient service — remains the surest path forward, no matter the complexity of the times.