The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
President Dallin H. Oaks has spoken about religious freedom for much of his 38-year Apostolic ministry.
It is a subject he has been prepared to address, said the first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He served as a law clerk for the United States Supreme Court — becoming familiar with the essential judicial branch of government.
His work as a law professor for a decade at the University of Chicago gave him opportunities to think and sometimes write on that subject.
As president of Brigham Young University, he fought for religious liberties for the Church-owned university.
And while serving as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court, he concluded that the best way to approach religious liberty is to balance competing interests — including nondiscrimination and religious freedom.
“So as I look back on my professional life, I see that I have been led through a series of experiences that have enlarged my view,” he said.
Last month, President Oaks offered a powerful and historic address in Rome, calling for “a global effort to defend and advance the religious freedom of all the children of God in every nation of the world,” during the 2022 Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit.
During the three-day conference, held in a land of deep religious significance for many, faith leaders addressed the summit’s theme, Dignitatis Humanae — the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on religious freedom.
President Oaks’ address marked the second time in less than a year that he has delivered an important address on the topic of religious liberty.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
