In the mid-1800s, the invention of the telegraph allowed people to send messages more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau noted: “We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate.”
A modern-day comparison of social media aside, today’s world faces the equivalent of a religious freedom telegraph, said Elder Clark G. Gilbert, a General Authority Seventy and Church commissioner of education.
Like a transcontinental telegraph, Elder Gilbert said, there is an entire infrastructure for religious freedom that requires construction, maintenance and even defense of the infrastructure to function properly.
“But the stewardship of our first freedom causes us to ask, ‘How we are using those opportunities?’” he said. “We have a companion duty to use those rights in ways that amplify our faith as a source of meaning, hope and service to others.”
Elder Gilbert shared this message as part of his keynote address at the 10th Religious Freedom Annual Review at the BYU Conference Center in Provo, Utah, on Thursday, June 15.
The Religious Freedom Annual Review is a gathering of nationally recognized policymakers, scholars and religious leaders from a variety of faiths to discuss the role of religion and religious freedom in the United States. The event was sponsored by the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU’s J. Reuben Clark School of Law and the Wheatley Institute.
The theme for the 2023 conference was “Religious Communities: Worshiping, Serving and Learning Together.” This year’s event featured several panels, speakers and breakout sessions. Watch streams of selected sessions at BYU.edu.
New religious freedom resource
Prior to Elder Gilbert’s keynote remarks, the launch of a new religious freedom website was announced by Brett G. Scharffs, a BYU law professor and the director of BYU’s International Center for Law and Religion Studies.
Religiousfreedomlibrary.org is an online collection of talks and statements about religious freedom by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others.
Creators hope the new website will become a valuable resource to help promote, protect and increase understanding of religious liberty.
“Studying these and other resources can help us sharpen our thinking and clarify our message,” Elder Gilbert said.
‘The most important cause’
Jonathan Rauch — a senior fellow of the Brookings Institution, a contributing writer of The Atlantic and an author — participated in a panel during the first general session.
Rauch opened his remarks by expressing regret for writing an article 20 years ago that called for a decline in the interest of religion. “What a catastrophic mistake,” he said.
“I believe that the breakdown in the ability of religious institutions to transmit values — what you all call spiritual formation — is an underlying cause, if not the most important cause, of the political crisis we have,” he said.
Rauch went on to applaud the Church for its commitment to Christian values and theological vision “to foster negotiation, patience and compromise.”
‘Effective stewards of religious freedom’
One of Elder Gilbert’s central points stemmed from a statement by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the University of Oxford’s Pembroke College in 2019.
“There is no better demonstration of the great benefits associated with religious liberty than for devoted members of various faiths who feel accountable to God to model principles of integrity, morality, service and love,” the Apostle said.
“He was charging people of faith to be effective stewards of religious freedom,” Elder Gilbert said. “In this sense, our religious freedom stewardship extends not only to society but also to God.”
After discussing the historic context of religious liberty, Elder Gilbert reflected on recent religious freedom victories in the Supreme Court, including cases vindicating religious freedom in religious education. He said these triumphs are “a testament to the devoted work of modern champions of religious liberty, whose efforts extend the work of our early founders.”
“Now the question for tonight is ‘How will we use these hard-fought victories?’ Religious freedom, despite what our legal colleagues like to think, is not an end unto itself,” Elder Gilbert said. “Our first freedoms come as a stewardship for which we are accountable both to society and to God.”
Effective stewardship requires learning more about religious freedom and being courageous in defending religious liberty even when it doesn’t fit societal norms. Elder Gilbert encouraged others to be assertive and engage in conversations.
“We also have a duty to tell the broader story of faith’s impact,” he said.
Elder Gilbert concluded by expressing his gratitude to the founding fathers and modern-day defenders of religious freedom.
“Our defense of religious freedom is always compelling when it preserves our rights of conscience,” Elder Gilbert said. “But it is most inspiring when it moves us to articulate and act on our call to serve others, lift those who struggle and shine a light to the world.”
Welcomed by BYU’s President
BYU President C. Shane Reese welcomed participants to the event in the first general session. He expressed appreciation for those who support and protect religious freedom, which forms a foundation of what happens at BYU, a university sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The president lauded the fact that BYU faculty — in a statistics, law, engineering or business classroom, at the highest levels of academic rigor — can stand and discuss those topics and also share the important and meaningful parts of their religious conviction.
“We at BYU are committed to doing our part to add a religious component to our education at BYU. It forms a basis of our education. It is a critical component that has to be a part of the fabric of everything we do at this institution,” Reese said. “We have a responsibility to civil society to prepare people who can defend religious liberty, who can protect religious liberty.”
3 powerful drivers to change behavior
Years ago, a business consultant told Sharon Eubank, director of the Church’s Humanitarian Services, that there are three powerful drivers for people to change their behavior or beliefs.
“The three keys are humor, music and a powerful emotional or spiritual experience,” said Sister Eubank, who served as first counselor to President Jean B. Bingham in the Church’s Relief Society general presidency from 2017-2022.
Sister Eubank cited examples where people of different faiths came together to rebuild places of worship, as well as develop camaraderie playing team sports with one another.
Last year, Sister Eubank’s faith was strengthened when she participated in a program where people with different religious backgrounds sang songs of ministry, resilience and faith in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Sister Eubank encouraged people to connect with someone from a different faith tradition and get to know them by doing something together.
“I promise you, in 10 minutes you will have a significant experience,” she said. “It’s how we build resilience. For the times that are coming in this world, religion needs to give evidence that we are the solution. What we do is the solution to weave people back together.”
When opportunities to assist in humanitarian work come, Sister Eubank cautioned against proselytizing.
“We are working with people on the worst day of their life. That’s not the right opportunity to teach about faith,” she said. “What it is the right opportunity for is to minister according to our faith, to show our compassionate principles in action.”
Why religious freedom matters
In another general session, Kori Porter, the founder and CEO of Peacemakers Coalition, contrasted her own trials and personal faith journey in a country with religious freedom to those of a young African woman who does not.
“This is to show you that religious freedom is not just something we talk about,” she said. “It’s not just academic, it’s not just political entrapment, but it is a fundamental right that all humans should be able to hold on to.”
