President Dallin H. Oaks was set apart as the 18th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 14, 2025. Since that time, he has carried the holy mantle as the Lord’s Prophet to the world, sharing the invitation to “be optimistic” and to “stay on the covenant path.”
On this episode of the Church News podcast, Church News editor Ryan Jensen shares recorded excerpts from President Oaks’ interview prior to the Jan. 11 dedication of the Burley Idaho Temple and his Feb. 10 devotional at Brigham Young University.
Listen to this episode of the Church News podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, bookshelf PLUS, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts.
Transcript:
President Dallin H. Oaks: We love you, young and old, men and women. So does the Lord! God is relentless in His loving pursuit of each of you. Keep the commandments and be true to the covenants so many of you have made to guide you along the covenant path. Protect yourself with weekly renewing of your covenants by partaking of the sacrament and consistent efforts to live according to those sacred covenants. Those who have been endowed should include regular attendance at the temple. In sum, stay on the covenant path.
0:57
Jon Ryan Jensen: This is Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News. Welcome to the Church News podcast. Today, we are taking you on a journey of connection as we discuss news and events of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Dallin H. Oaks was set apart as the 18th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 14, 2025, shortly after the passing of his predecessor, President Russell M. Nelson. He now carries the holy mantle as the Lord’s Prophet to the world.
On this episode of the Church News podcast, we explore some of the impressions and invitations President Oaks has shared in the months since becoming President of the Church, including the invitation to be optimistic and to stay on the covenant path.
We focus on an interview with President Oaks the day before he dedicated the Burley Idaho Temple on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, as well as his Brigham Young University devotional given Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. Both messages, shared in different settings for different audiences, highlight President Oaks’ commitment to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, his desire for all who listen to know of God’s love for His children on the earth, and an invitation to follow Heavenly Father’s commandments on the road that returns to Him.
We start with President Dallin H. Oaks’ interview before the Burley Idaho Temple dedication. There, he sat with his wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks, and reflected on his new role as President of the Church.
2:24
President Dallin H. Oaks: All my life, I have wanted to do what my Heavenly Father wanted me to do. I have not aspired to additional jobs. I have just tried to be sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord on what the Lord has prepared me to do. And that same answer applies to being President of the Church. I am just sustained by the fact that the Lord has prepared me and now called me to do something, and I don’t flinch from that responsibility.
It feels new to be the President of the Church. I never aspired to that position. I have never had impressions that I would occupy that position. I loved being a counselor to President Nelson after 34 years of sitting side by side in the Quorum of the Twelve. It feels new, and the way it feels new is that I feel the responsibility. There is reference to the mantle of the Prophet. I have been used to seeing the mantle on other people, but now I have had the experience of feeling the mantle, and it is heavy and continuous, and it is a very holy responsibility, and I am trying to grow into it.
3:49
Jon Ryan Jensen: Just over a month later, President Oaks added his thoughts about that sacred mantle in his first devotional address as Prophet. Students, faculty, staff and other members of the Church filled the 19,000-seat Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
There, President Oaks reminded listeners that while he addressed a BYU audience, that his words apply to all who follow the words of a prophet.
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President Dallin H. Oaks: Now I address a BYU audience, but what I have to say applies to all who follow the words of a prophet.
Frequent reference to the “mantle” of the office settling on me have suggested that I begin with some observations on the significance of that term.
The word “mantle” is used in the Bible to describe the cloak of the prophet Elijah that descended on Elisha as a symbol of the passage of prophetic authority (See 2 Kings 2:8–15). The term “mantle” came into the restored Church’s history in many reports of the meeting in Nauvoo on who would succeed the murdered Joseph Smith. Many present recorded their experience that the “mantle of Joseph” settled on Brigham Young. Those experiences took many forms. Some had visual experiences, some heard Joseph’s voice, many had a feeling. Each of us receives revelation differently.
When Russell M. Nelson was called as our Prophet, I had a similar experience. I had sat beside this Apostle in the meetings of the Quorum of the Twelve for 34 years, but when the mantle of the Prophet settled upon President Nelson, I felt that his prophetic gifts were magnified. We all have witnessed his profound leadership.
Upon President Nelson’s death, I experienced another meaning of the mantle. To observers, it symbolizes a transfer of priesthood authority. To the person who receives that authority, it is very different and very real. Within a few minutes after learning of our President’s death, I felt the heaviness of responsibility settle upon me, along with important impressions of what I was required to do now.
As your leader, I pray for what our Heavenly Father wants for each of us — and that is to be or become active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, proceeding forward on the covenant path into the eternities. We need one another’s prayers. I feel the positive effect of your prayers. I am thankful, and I love you.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: President Oaks spoke of those same positive effects during his interview at the Burley Idaho Temple. When asked about advice he would have for people facing the hardships and challenges of the world, he said that an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ gives reason to be optimistic.
7:16
President Dallin H. Oaks: We have to remind them that challenges are not unique, that the Lord has provided us a way to get through all of this. And with youth, their parents and grandparents and predecessors have experiences that will help them, counsel them, how to get through this, but they should not be pessimistic. We should be optimistic, and that is a message the temple gives us. The Lord has not provided temples that dot the earth to fail to remind people of what the gospel of Jesus Christ means to us. And the visual image of a temple, like this beautiful temple we are about to dedicate, is a powerful symbol. I think it is part of the Lord’s plan.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: At BYU, President Oaks spoke about President Nelson’s teaching that spiritual survival in coming days will only be possible with the influence of the Holy Ghost.
8:20
President Dallin H. Oaks: I feel to emphasize the warning President Russell M. Nelson issued us, that “in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, comforting and constant influences of the Holy Ghost.” One of the many reasons you will need the constant influence of the Holy Ghost is that 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.
I want to help all our members overcome present or future doubts. Whatever those doubts, the way to overcome them is to get closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Again and again, He has taught us that He is the way.
I share four impressions that will draw us closer to our Savior: First, strengthen our faith in Him. Second, increase our humility. Third, seek help from others. And fourth, be patient.
Strong faith requires more than strong desire. 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, which states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” 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 fellow man.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: President Oaks explained in Burley that the temple is a powerful symbol or anchor of faith in Jesus Christ. He reminded individuals how temple service can change lives.
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President Dallin H. Oaks: A temple in a community changes the community. It is our experience that the people’s attention to the commandments of the Lord, the frequency of worshipping in the temple, the desire to learn more of the gospel and the impact on young people, whether we speak of their planning for missions or aspiring to go to the temple, when that is possible. I think the Lord has reserved — and whatever decisions are made about when we are born on this troubled earth — has reserved a choice generation to face the challenges of this generation and to prepare all of us for the return of the Savior, whenever that is programmed to occur.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Continuing President Dallin H. Oaks’ invitations that draw individuals closer to the Savior, he spoke of the power of the virtue of humility. Illustrating his own humility, he shared a life lesson from an early academic teaching experience.
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President Dallin H. Oaks: Increased humility draws us closer to Jesus Christ. This will help us overcome questions about the Lord’s doctrine. When we are humble, we can more clearly hear the Lord’s voice. We all need helpers to teach us humility. I share an early personal experience that helped get me back on the path of humility.
In my first year as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, a famous faculty member died, and the dean asked me to teach his classes for several weeks until a suitable teacher could be provided. The legal subject was one with which I was not very familiar, so I struggled hard and finally felt like congratulating myself on fulfilling the assignment.
Afterwards, a student gave me what I thought was going to be a compliment. He said, “Mr. Oaks, I was in that class you taught for Professor [so and so], and I must tell you I was really impressed. You will make a good teacher someday.”
Why did that experience help me? I was overly confident in my abilities as a teacher, and that student provided a perspective that has blessed me to this day.
Like faith in God, humility is a master virtue, given to help us learn other virtues necessary for us to become what our Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son created us to become.
Humility is one of the powerful commandments we have been given to guide us in our mortal journeys. It prepares us for our appointed meeting with our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Take care not to become distracted. Remember His parable of the ten virgins (see Matthew 25:1–13). We want to be among the five humble who were admitted to the presence of the Lord.
Humility, faith and trust in the Lord are the remedies for wavering. As the Book of Mormon teaches, the Lord “doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him” (Helaman 12:1).
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Jon Ryan Jensen: President Oaks gave another example in his BYU devotional when he spoke of the faith-promoting power that can come by surrounding oneself with those who bring them closer to Christ.
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President Dallin H. Oaks: A third way to draw closer to our Savior is to associate with other believers. This includes discussions with trusted associates, local Church members and other faithful friends.
Remember, “to survive spiritually,” you will need the “constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” An abundance of speculation and false information in podcasts and on social media surrounds us. Some may protest or question the truth of Church doctrine without knowing or even understanding the fullness of that doctrine.
Don’t be persuaded by false or inaccurate information. Discuss your concerns with faithful, well-informed friends, and always take those concerns to the Lord. Trusting God in what we know and what we don’t know is a great protection against doubts based on mistaken ideas instead of what God has chosen to reveal.
I share the experience of a wise stake president here on this campus. He was approached by a young man in his stake who admired him and asked him to mentor him in business. After a few weeks, the young man confided, “I should share with you I have decided to step away from the Church. I no longer believe.”
The surprised stake president immediately began to share his profound testimony of the gospel that had brought him so much joy, peace and inspiration. 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.”
I say to all of you, as that wise stake president said to this young man, seek friends and associates who are striving to follow the Lord, with whom you can feel the Spirit and reinforce your faith. Surround yourselves with people who believe.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: President Oaks said that remembering everyone is a work in progress can help draw individuals closer to Christ as they become more patient with others as well as themselves.
17:08
President Dallin H. Oaks: We are all a work in progress. We are all at different places on what President Nelson called “the covenant path.” We need to be patient with one another and, occasionally, even with ourselves.
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.
Hold on to the first article of faith, even if something else is uncertain. And while you wait, wait upon the Lord, which includes trusting in His timing as well as His promises. And while we wait, we should busy ourselves with service. Again and again, Jesus taught and demonstrated the power of service to others.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: During his interview in Burley, Idaho, President Oaks expanded on the steps that exist along the covenant path and gave one example of youth attending the temple.
18:24
President Dallin H. Oaks: Well, if you consider what they could do with their time on various other activities, which tend to be good and not best, I think it will support choices that are more harmonious with qualifying for and listening to the promptings of the Spirit in all of our temporal decisions, and also lifting our eyes to the end of the covenant path. President Nelson gave us that wonderful analogy in his first talk as President of the Church, and I have loved the metaphor of the covenant path because it affects how we relate to one another.
Sometimes we consider the commandments of the Lord and experiences we could aspire to in this life as a checklist, and we check off different points. I think it is much more wholesome to think of our mortal journey as a journey from birth to a return to where our Heavenly Father wants us to be and where it is possible we can attain because of His Son, Jesus Christ.
And the covenant path suggests a course of action and attainment in our journey through mortality. And covenants are the signposts that keep us on the covenant path. And the covenant path suggests that there are people ahead of us on the path which we should model our lives upon, and there are people behind us on the covenant path, not as close to the destination as we are, but part of our challenge is to help them. And that is why I love that metaphor of the covenant path. It just fits my idea of the purpose of life and how we can stay fixed on our destination.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: This covenant path requires intentional participation and humility to learn while keeping an optimistic eye on the horizon. At BYU, President Oaks reminded that all learning, both spiritual and secular, should bring individuals closer to Christ.
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President Dallin H. Oaks: Never let your secular learning limit your horizons. We are grateful to know that there are two methods of gaining needed knowledge: one, the evolving disclosures of man discovered by the scientific method, and two, the truths disclosed by the spiritual method, which begins with faith in God and relies on scriptures, inspired teaching and personal revelation.
There is no ultimate conflict between knowledge gained by these different methods, because God, our omnipotent Eternal Father, knows all truth and beckons us to learn by both methods. Those who don’t believe in God and formally reject traditional religious morality and rely solely on the tests of scientific evidence fulfill a Book of Mormon description of those “who live without God in the world” (Mosiah 27:31).
22:08
Jon Ryan Jensen: The truths restored in the gospel of Jesus Christ are numerous and uplifting. During his Burley temple interview, President Dallin H. Oaks discussed how the knowledge and perspective given has helped him to overcome many challenges in his life and to seek joy despite them.
22:24
President Dallin H. Oaks: One of the great blessings we have in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is to look at mortality as a small slice of our identity and eternal progress. And when my own father died at age 7, and my mother died many years later, and when other friends have died, I have felt that it is like a graduation from a course of instruction, whether high school or college or later, and a graduation is a time to celebrate.
And so we are pained when we lose the association of a close friend, as I was when I lost my wife, June, the mother of my children. And there is an adjustment to be made in trying to go on with your life without their association and example. But basically, death is a graduation to be celebrated. It is part of the purpose of life on earth to do what we can with it and then go on to another world, another set of associations and another set of responsibilities and opportunities for growth that we know very little about.
But be happy. Don’t be depressed. Trust in the Lord. It is always been that life has terrible challenges. That is what we are put here on earth to learn how to overcome. As I was growing up in my teenage years, we were in the years of World War II. Later on, there have been other challenges. I have just determined that the Lord gave us the gospel, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, the teachings of leaders to get us through these difficult times.
And by all means, people should not be depressed because we are surrounded with challenges, whether they are economic or political or social. That is part of what we were put here to experience. We don’t grieve over a textbook, and that is what these challenges are. They are textbooks of mortality. We are optimistic because we trust the Lord and know that He loves us and He has set us up to succeed, not to fail.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: We close this Church News podcast giving the Prophet the final word. He shares his and God’s great love toward all.
From the pulpit at the Marriott Center, President Oaks closed his devotional with another invitation to follow Jesus Christ and stay on the covenant path, and he shared his own powerful testimony of the Savior and His Church.
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President Dallin H. Oaks: You are an audience greatly loved by the Lord, and He desires all of you to return to His presence.
Those of diminishing faith and activity in the restored Church are a major source of concern to your prophet leaders. We love you, young and old, men and women. So does the Lord! God is relentless in His loving pursuit of each of you. Keep the commandments and be true to the covenants so many of you have made to guide you along the covenant path.
Protect yourself with weekly renewing of your covenants by partaking of the sacrament and consistent efforts to live according to those sacred covenants. Those who have been endowed should include regular attendance at the temple. In sum, stay on the covenant path. These simple practices will protect and strengthen you.
My dear brothers and sisters, I testify of Jesus Christ. As Apostles, we are taught to testify of His name, meaning His sacred work, in all the world. I testify of the truths taught by the restored Church. And I share with you and testify to the truth of these things I have said today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Thank you for listening to the Church News podcast. I’m your host, Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen. I hope you learned something today about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had your faith in the Savior increase by looking through the Church News window as a living record of the Restoration. Please subscribe, rate and review this podcast so it can be accessible to more people. And if you enjoyed the messages we shared today, please share the podcast with others. Thanks to our guests; to my producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen; and to others who make this podcast possible. Join us every week for a new episode. Find us on your favorite podcasting channels or with other news and updates about the Church on TheChurchNews.com or on the Church News app.
