Quotessence
Home / Authors / Dallin H. Oaks
Dallin H. Oaks

Dallin H. Oaks Quotes

Author

Filter quotes by topic

AllIfsChristChildrenJesusJesus ChristEternalLordShouldBehaviorMen

Famous Dallin H. Oaks Quotes

“Let's not forget that for thousands of years the institution of marriage has been between a man and a woman. Until quite recently, in a limited number of countries, there has been no such thing as a marriage between persons of the same gender. Suddenly we are faced with the claim that thousands of years of human experience should be set aside because we should not discriminate in relation to the institution of marriage. When that claim is made, the burden of proving that this step will not undo the wisdom and stability of millennia of experience lies on those who would make the change.”

MenShouldYearsHumansPersonsHas BeensMadeCountryLyingForgetNumbersStepsProveClaimsRelationInstitutionsBurdenGenderStabilityHuman Experience
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“The time has come in our society when I see great wisdom and purpose in a United States Constitutional amendment declaring that marriage is between a man and a woman. There is nothing in that proposed amendment that requires a criminal prosecution or that directs the attorneys general to go out and round people up, but it declares a principle and it also creates a defensive barrier against those who would alter that traditional definition of marriage.”

PeopleMenStatesPurposeUnitedPrinciplesUnited StatesRoundsDefinitionsCriminalsTraditionalOur SocietyBarriersAmendmentsAttorneyDeclaringProsecutionConstitutional AmendmentsGreat Wisdom
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“There are people who oppose a federal Constitutional amendment because they think that the law of family should be made by the states. I can see a legitimate argument there. I think it's mistaken, however, because the federal government, through the decisions of life-tenured federal judges, has already taken over that area.”

PeopleThinkingShouldMadeI CanStatesGovernmentLawDecisionTakenJudgingAreasArgumentAmendmentsMistakenFederal GovernmentConstitutional AmendmentsAlready TakenFederal Judges
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“The 19th century Mormons, including some of my ancestors, were not eager to practice plural marriage. They followed the example of Brigham Young, who expressed his profound negative feelings when he first had this principle revealed to him. The Mormons of the 19th century who practiced plural marriage, male and female, did so because they felt it was a duty put upon them by God.”

FirstsFeelingsYoungFeltPrinciplesPracticeCenturyExampleDutyNegativeFemaleProfoundMalesIncludingAncestor19th CenturyNegative Feelings
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“God loves all of His children. He has provided a plan for His children to enjoy the choicest blessings that He has to offer in eternity. Those choicest blessings are associated with marriage between a man and a woman by appropriate priesthood authority to bring together a family unit for creation and happiness in this life and in the life to come.”

MenChildrenTogetherEnjoyPlansCreationBlessingOffersAuthorityEternityThis LifeGod LoveAppropriateUnitsPriesthoodFamily Unit
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“We urge persons with same-gender attractions to control those and to refrain from acting upon them, which is a sin, just as we urge persons with heterosexual attractions to refrain from acting upon them until they have the opportunity for a marriage recognized by God as well as by the law of the land. That is the way to happiness and eternal life.”

WayWellsPersonsLawOpportunitySinActingLandEternalGenderAttractionUrgesEternal LifeRefrain
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“It is Christ's atonement that makes it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and His resurrection that gives us the assurance of immortality and the life to come. It is that life to come that orients our views in mortality and reinforces our determination to live the laws of God so that we can qualify for His blessings in immortality.”

GivingLawChristSinViewsBlessingDeterminationImmortalityMortalityResurrectionForgivenAssuranceAtonement
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“Tolerance obviously requires a non-contentious manner of relating toward one another’s differences. But tolerance does not require abandoning one’s standards or one’s opinions on political or public policy choices. Tolerance is a way of reacting to diversity, not a command to insulate it from examination.”

WayDoePoliticalChoicesDifferencesOpinionPolicyDiversityStandardsToleranceCommandExaminationOaksReactingPublic PolicyContentious
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“The Atonement of Jesus Christ and the healing it offers do much more than provide the opportunity for repentance from sins. The Atonement also gives us the strength to endure "pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind," because our Savior also took upon Him "the pains and the sicknesses of his people" (Alma 7:11). Brothers and sisters, if your faith and prayers and the power of the priesthood do not heal you from an affliction, the power of the Atonement will surely give you the strength to bear the burden.”

PeopleIfsGivingKindPainOpportunityJesusChristPrayerSinHealingBrotherBearsOffersJesus ChristEndureBurdenHealTemptationSicknessRepentanceSaviorAfflictionBrothers And SistersOaksAtonementPriesthood
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“Our attitude determines how we evaluate our life's experiences. They determine how we evaluate ourselves. They also govern how we look at other people. Are we inclined to judge an eternal soul by the appearance of an earthly body? Do we see the beautiful soul of a brother or sister or do we only see that person's earthly tabernacle? Bodies can be distorted by handicap, twisted by injury or worn by age. But if we can learn to see the inner man and woman, we will be seeing as God sees and loving as He loves.”

PeopleIfsMenLooksPersonsSoulBodyAgeBeautifulAttitudeOur LivesSeeingBrotherJudgingEternalMen And WomenDetermineAppearanceInjuryWornTwistedEvaluateHandicapsBeautiful Soul
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“When we face seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the fulfillment of righteous responsibilities, we should remember that when we are involved in the work of the Lord, the obstacles before us are never as great as the power behind us. We should reach out and climb. Handholds will only be found by hands that are outstretched. Footholds are only for feet that are on the move.”

ShouldHandsRememberFacesMovingFoundBehindsResponsibilityLordFeetInvolvedAdversityObstaclesFulfillmentClimbsReach OutRighteousInsurmountable
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“Our attitude toward abortion . . . is fixed by our knowledge that according to an eternal plan all of the spirit children of God must come to this earth for a glorious purpose, and that individual identity began long before conception and will continue for all the eternities to come. We rely on the prophets of God who have told us that while there may be 'rare' exceptions, 'the practice of elective abortion is fundamentally contrary to the Lord's injunction, 'Thou shalt not . . . kill, nor do anything like unto it'”

MayChildrenLongEarthSpiritPurposeIndividualAttitudeLordPracticePlansIdentityEternalEternityIndividualityContraryFixedRelyProphetGloriousAbortionExceptionConceptionChild Of God
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image

“If we are practicing our faith and seeking the companionship of the Holy Spirit, his presence can be felt in our hearts and in our homes. A family having daily family prayers and seeking to keep the commandments of God and honor his name and speak lovingly to one another will have a spiritual feeling in their home that will be discernible to all who enter it.”

IfsHeartFeelingsHomeSpiritualSpiritNamesSpeakFeltPrayerHonorHolySeekingGhostHoly SpiritCommandmentsCompanionshipHoly GhostCommandments Of GodFamily Prayer
Author:Dallin H. Oaks
Create image