Dallin H Oaks has been a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1984. Prior to that calling he was an Eagle Scout, an attorney, the law clerk for a US Supreme Court justice, a state prosecutor, a law professor, the president of a university, a state supreme court justice and the 2013 recipient of the Becket Foundation’s Canterbury Medal. He is considered to be one who knows and understands the law well. He has been honored in the past as a champion of religious freedom. In his personal religious beliefs he does not condone same gender marriage. Neither does the church of which he is a general authority.
Elder Oaks, as he is known affectionately and officially, was invited to speak on 20 OCT at the 2nd Annual Sacramento Court/Clergy Conference held at Congregation B’nai Israel in Sacramento CA. During his presentation he never mentioned Kim Davis by name, but there was no question about whom he spoke regarding the behavior of public officials;
“Office holders remain free to draw upon their personal beliefs and motivations and advocate their positions in the public square. But when acting as public officials they are not free to apply personal convictions — religious or other — in place of the defined responsibilities of their public offices. A county clerk’s recent invoking of religious reasons to justify refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-gender couples violates this principle.”
He went even further and condemned civil disobedience by public officials, such as when governors or attorneys general refuse to defend or enforce laws with which they personally disagree;
“Constitutional duties, including respect for the vital principle of separation of powers, are fundamental to the rule of law. Government officials must not apply these duties selectively according to their personal preferences — whatever their source,”
You may read the full transcript of his remarks or download the video or the audio recording.
The main image by Laura Seitz, Deseret News.
All Content © 2017 Episcopal Café
You don’t find it odd: a headline about an Apostle of the LDS who’s meant to be an expert in a matter that has been thoroughly canvassed by experts already?
And of course the Christian Church of East and West has consensus about this much. God gave us an age of the Apostles. Just as he gave us an age of the Prophets. And just as he gave us the people of Israel and his Church. The LDS ‘Apostles’ are declared such because of a New Revelation given to a Latter Day Apostle.
I know it may sound enticing given some of the present-day rhetoric, but this conception is not one that traditional Christians have accepted.
1. There are historic Black churches in the US with “Latter-day” Apostles. Are you lumping them into the same boat?
2. You constantly post here & beyond about matters thoroughly canvassed by experts already.
The point of the headline and the sharing of the story was that a leader in a church which rejects same-gender marriage, who is an expert in the law, still realized, by his expertise, that Kim Davis was violating her oath of office in refusing to issue the marriage licenses based on her deeply held religious belief.
The point isn’t about whether you believe that this man is a special witness for Jesus Christ, called an Apostle by the church of which he is a leader.
Thanks, I feel a lot better about his credentials…
Classic argumentum ad hominem. Perhaps the good professor would care to enlighten us with regard to *his* opinion on the issues raised by Mr. Oaks. Or perhaps not. . .
An ‘apostle’ of the LDS is meant to be a guide in affairs civil, constitutional, and legal?
No, law was his profession by which he supported himself and his family prior to his apostleship. Latter-day Saints have a lay priesthood, their callings in the church are voluntary and part-time. The General Authorities of the church are called to serve full-time and they are provided a modest stipend if it is needed. An Apostle today is a special witness of Jesus Christ as were the former-day apostles 2000+ years ago.