President Jeffrey R. Holland first met President Dallin H. Oaks in early 1974 when the latter was the president at Brigham Young University.
Unbeknownst to President Holland, BYU needed a new dean of Religious Education. Accepting an invitation to dinner, President Holland said there was an “instant” connection between the two men.
“We instantly hit it off, and I was terrifically impressed,” President Holland said, adding that he appreciated that unique opportunity to become better acquainted with the BYU president and supposed that was the end of it.
A month or two later, President Oaks came to President Holland’s office in Salt Lake City and asked President Holland, then 33 years old, to be BYU’s new dean of Religious Education.
President Holland said he accepted on the spot and moved his family to Provo, Utah, marking the beginning of a warm association and friendship that has spanned more than 50 years. President Holland later succeeded President Oaks as BYU president in 1980 and joined him in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1994.
“I have never been more humbled than to follow in the footsteps of Dallin Oaks. There was always a big, big pair of shoes to fill,” said President Holland, adding he was grateful for the education.
And he will gladly continue to learn and serve.
President Oaks was set apart and announced as the 18th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday, Oct. 14. President Holland was set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
President Holland paid tribute to President Oaks, saying he is “one of the great leaders I have ever known.” He praised President Oaks’ “hands-on” leadership style as “steady, calm and reassuring” while also highlighting his strong work ethic, attention to detail, determination to complete the task and faithful devotion to the Lord.
“He is hard to ruffle,” said President Holland, but if something comes up or goes wrong, President Oaks “immediately spins into action” to address it.
President Holland said he prays for and sustains President Oaks.
“He is the complete man of God, and I love him,” President Holland said.
President Holland was one of several Church leaders who spoke about how the Lord has prepared President Oaks to serve as the new Church president.
‘He has great faith’
Reflecting on their years of service together, President Holland said there have been times in meetings when something is being discussed and in the middle of a sentence, President Oaks will request a prayer.
“So we pray, and it does not mean we did not pray to start the meeting. We need reinforcement, we need help. He has great faith,” President Holland said. “He is wonderful to turn things over to the Lord.”
President Henry B. Eyring, who now serves as first counselor in the First Presidency, expressed gratitude for the sacred process through which a new prophet has been called.
“I feel blessed to live in a time where I can again follow in perfect confidence a prophet of God,” he said.
‘A man of action’
In a meeting a few years ago, President D. Todd Christofferson, who now serves as second counselor in the First Presidency, remembers President Oaks expressing an idea and someone else reacted with reasons why it would not work.
President Oaks responded, “Well, there is another bright idea mugged by a mob of unruly facts,” President Christofferson recalled.
“He does not take himself too seriously. He certainly has a sense of humor that does not always come across in a conference talk. He is quick to see the humor in things, as well as the analytical mind that he brings.”
President Christofferson called President Oaks “a man of action” and expressed appreciation for several admirable qualities of President Oaks: a keen intellect with an analytical and bright mind, the ability to express himself clearly, deep empathy and care for those in need, and openness to others’ ideas and opinions.
“One thing that strikes me is that he has been a good follower as well as a strong leader,” he said.
Of President Oaks’ many remarkable qualities and talents, President Christofferson particularly values his openness to the guidance of the Spirit.
“He knows how to pause, how to be quiet, how to listen to the Spirit’s voice. And he responds. He is attentive. He knows how to receive those impressions. He knows how to act on them. And I think because he does act on them, the Lord gives him a constant flow of that kind of direction,” he said.
President Christofferson believes the Lord has prepared President Oaks — with his talents, gifts and experiences refined and expanded by the Lord — to preside in a time when the world is in commotion and there is “a need for a clear and steady hand on the tiller — when you have someone who can express clearly the doctrine, the positions and the direction the Lord gives, who can lead and has led in many settings and has the capacity to feel as the Savior feels and love as the Savior loves, to bring people along as disciples of Christ.”
“To me, he is the perfect individual to take advantage of opportunity in a difficult and uncertain time,” President Christofferson said.
Remembering the downtrodden
During his service at BYU, a painting by Maynard Dixon called “Forgotten Man” spoke to President Oaks’ heart. The painting, which hangs in his office at Church headquarters, depicts a 1930s Great Depression-era man who is down on his luck, sitting on a curb, feet extended into the street as crowds of people walk by and pay the man no attention.
“And yet, you see the sun shining on his head,” President Oaks said in a previous Church News interview. “His Heavenly Father knows he is there. He is forgotten by the passing crowd, but in his struggles, his Heavenly Father knows he is there. … It speaks to me and reminds me of things that I need to remember.”
Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said President Oaks has been particularly sensitive to the downtrodden, having lost his father at a young age and being raised by a faithful, resilient mother. She has appreciated his invitations to step in and help children and women.
“President Oaks’ upbringing and his experience growing up with a widowed mother have naturally influenced his concern for the downtrodden,” President Johnson said.
“President Oaks has certainly addressed the women on a number of occasions in the past and has a great sensitivity to them. I have been in meetings with the First Presidency where he has expressed specifically his concern for the women of the Church, that they feel loved, that they know how valued and important they are. I know he will continue to speak to that.”
Observations
Primary General President Susan H. Porter has appreciated observing and learning from President Oaks in various meeting settings.
“He is so warm, and his warmth leaves you feeling comfortable to express your thoughts,” she said. “It was very interesting to observe President Oaks because he was always very engaged and very comfortable expressing concerns, thoughts, questions, observations, and then to watch how supportive and deferential he was to President [Russell M.] Nelson. It was a great learning experience for me to see that.”
Hearing President Oaks tell about seeing President Nelson’s transition to Church President in 2018 — from “supportive member of the Quorum of the Twelve” to decision-maker, causing President Oaks to “tighten my seatbelt a few more notches and said to myself, ‘Being a counselor in this First Presidency is going to be fun’” — was refreshing to President Porter.
“I thought, ‘OK, there is a taste of something that I think will continue.’ That clearly was something that he felt was important — that we enjoy our Church callings and our service to the Lord,” she said.
A blessing to the Church
As a trained lawyer herself, President Johnson knows President Oaks was a “highly regarded and esteemed lawyer” before his call to full-time Church service. He was part of a short list of names considered by U.S. presidents to serve on the United States Supreme Court. His legal experience and background have and will continue to bless the Church, she said.
“He understands the intricacies of the Constitution of the United States of America and the constitutional protections that needed to be in place in order for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be established,” she said. “He also has insight into and an understanding of those principles that need to be in place so that religious freedom flourishes and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can grow. ... President Oaks’ experience in the judiciary and as a lawyer will be invaluable to him as he moves forward as the President of our Church.”
President Oaks has already used the writing skills he developed as a lawyer to minister to others.
“One way that President Oaks ministers is through the written word,” President Porter said. “Many of us here at Church headquarters have received beautiful notes after we have given a talk where he has mentioned something specific that he appreciated or that he thought about or that would be a blessing to all of us. This is a great gift that he has that he uses to minister.”
