Religious Freedom - LDS Newsroom

Religious Freedom - LDS Newsroom
13 October 2009 Transcript of Elder Dallin H. Oaks speech given at BYU-Idaho on 13 October 2009






The sound of battle
Is underway
We will not settle
But join in the fray

Religious freedom
Is under attack
And our founder's wisdom
Must be brought back

Those who understand
What's happening today
Must unite this land,
Educate, and pray

Our constitution
Divinely designed
Is a light to all nations
For freedoms defined

The rights of all flesh
Must needs be preserved
We've thoughts to express
And consideration's deserved

We've opportunities to act
As each man deems moral
Thus accountability's intact
With sovereignty for all

The inspired Founding Fathers
Wrote the Bill of Rights deliberately
With religion above all others
The source of their beliefs

This country's authored under God
And we sorely need His aid
If we do our part and give our all
Wise choices will be made

Summary of his five points of counsel:

First, we must speak with love, always showing patience, understanding and compassion toward our adversaries.

Second, we must not be deterred or coerced into silence by... intimidation. We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice...
We must also insist on this companion condition of democratic government: when churches and their members or any other group act or speak out on public issues, win or lose, they have a right to expect freedom from retaliation.

Third, we must insist on our freedom to preach the doctrines of our faith. (Such as:)
“We follow Jesus Christ by adhering to God’s law of marriage, which is marriage between one man and one woman. This commandment has been in place from the very beginning.”[xvi]


Fourth, as advocates of the obvious truth that persons with religious positions or motivations have the right to express their religious views in public, we must nevertheless be wise in our political participation. Preachers have been prime movers in the civil rights movement from the earliest advocates of abolition, but even the civil rights of religionists must be exercised legally and wisely.

As Latter-day Saints, we should never be reticent to declare and act upon the sure foundations of our faith. The call of conscience — whether religious or otherwise — requires no secular justification. At the same time, religious persons will often be most persuasive in political discourse by framing arguments and positions in ways that are respectful of those who do not share their religious beliefs and that contribute to the reasoned discussion and compromise that is essential in a pluralistic society.[xvii]

Fifth, ...the religion of a candidate should not be an issue in a political campaign.