Notable quotes:

President Oaks spoke about understanding eternal truths taught in the plan of salvation during his October 2018 general conference address on Saturday morning:

“We find true and enduring joy by coming to know and acting upon the truth about who we are, the meaning of mortal life, and where we are going when we die.”“God’s great plan of happiness provides a perfect balance between eternal justice and the mercy we can obtain through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”“The work of the Lord is going forward despite the organized and constant opposition that confronts us as we strive to practice the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Talk summary:

Truth and the plan of salvation provide a knowledge of things present, past and future. While information is more easily available now than ever before, not all information is true. “We need to be cautious as we seek truth and choose sources for that search.”

True joy is found by “coming to know and acting upon the truth” that we are as children of God. The doctrine of the Church provides the knowledge that “there is a God, who is a loving Heavenly Father” and that God created the earth for His children to “have the opportunity to progress” and to “choose eternal life.”

The conditions of God’s eternal plan include the temptations from the adversary but also provide the gift of repentance through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. “The purpose of (the Church) is to qualify His children for the highest degree of glory, which is exaltation or eternal life.”

Application:

Honor the agency of all of God’s children.Sharing the gospel as “missionary people” provides a way for members to “esteem all mortals as children of God” and “share our spiritual and temporal abundance with everyone.”Because mortal life is sacred, “God’s plan requires us to oppose abortion and euthanasia.”Understanding the essential and eternal nature of gender “requires us to oppose current social and legal pressures to retreat from traditional marriage or to make changes that confuse or alter gender or homogenize the differences between men and women.”Children and posterity are part of God’s eternal plan. Because of their sacred nature, “we must teach and contend for principles and practices that provide the best conditions for the development and happiness of children — all children.”“Opposition is part of the plan.” As the adversary seeks to destroy what is most important to God’s plan, it is important to remember the principle of repentance, exercise faith, and seek help.

Speaker snapshot:

President Dallin H. Oaks was set apart as first counselor in the First Presidency at the beginning of this year. He was set apart as an Apostle on April 7, 1984.He received an education from Brigham Young University and The University of Chicago Law School. He was also a professor at the University of Chicago.Before his call as an Apostle, President Oaks was a law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren of the U.S. Supreme Court for a year.In 1980, President Oaks became a justice of the Utah Supreme Court until 1984 when he joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.In addition to practicing law, President Oaks was the president of Brigham Young University for nine years from 1971 to 1980.He married Sister June Dixon Oaks in 1952. After her passing in 1998, President Oaks married Sister Kristen M. McMain on Aug. 25, 2000 in the Salt Lake Temple.

On the Web:

You can follow President Oaks on both Facebook and Twitter.Forty years after the 1978 revelation on the priesthood, President Oaks reflected on the announcement and its importance for today and the future.

President Oaks often uses social media to share personal thoughts and insights. Recently, his Facebook account shared a picture he took while on a morning walk, accompanied with a message about “small and simple things.”

Important topics:

President Oaks has often emphasized the importance of religious freedom and has urged Church members to defend it.In May 2013, President Oaks was awarded the Canterbury Medal from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.President Oaks is also known for teaching about the doctrine of the family.In a devotional in Los Angeles to young married couples, President Oaks covered the topics of Church history, LGBT issues and mental illness.