Dallin H. Oaks Quotes & Sayings

Don't be dumb. (don't get a tattoo) — Dallin H. Oaks

I just didn't spend enough time with my job. — Dallin H. Oaks

My duty as a member of the Council of the Twelve is to protect what is most unique about the LDS church, namely the authority of priesthood, testimony regarding the restoration of the gospel, and the divine mission of the Savior. Everything may be sacrificed in order to maintain the integrity of those essential facts. Thus, if Mormon Enigma reveals information that is detrimental to the reputation of Joseph Smith, then it is necessary to try to limit its influence and that of its authors. — Dallin H. Oaks

Priesthood power blesses all of us. Priesthood keys direct women as well as men, and priesthood ordinances and priesthood authority pertain to women as well as men. — Dallin H. Oaks

I believe many of us are overnourished on entertainment junk food and undernourished on the bread of life. — Dallin H. Oaks

We are overcome by the "cares ... of this life" when we are paralyzed by fear of the future, which hinders our going forward in faith, trusting in God and His promises. It is up to each of us to set the priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful. — Dallin H. Oaks

The word sharing affirms that we have something extraordinarily valuable and desire to give it to others for their benefit and blessing. — Dallin H. Oaks

In order to ask with real intent or to act with full purpose of heart, we must always make an accompanying commitment. — Dallin H. Oaks

Though we disagree, we should not be disagreeable. — Dallin H. Oaks

We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. — Dallin H. Oaks

Just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives. — Dallin H. Oaks

When we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we must have trust in him. We must trust him enough that we are content to accept his will, knowing that he knows what is best for us. — Dallin H. Oaks

If our bodies are sick, we seek to heal them. We do not give up. The same thing should be true of our marriages. — Dallin H. Oaks

The purpose of the gospel is to transform common creatures into celestial citizens, and that requires change. — Dallin H. Oaks

The good news is that when we do the Lord's work in the Lord's way, we are assured of His blessings to help us. — Dallin H. Oaks

If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow-through our premature death or through His unexpected coming-what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear? If we would do those things then, why not now? — Dallin H. Oaks

The most powerful teaching of children is by the example of their parents. — Dallin H. Oaks

From the perspective of the plan of salvation, one of the most serious abuses of children is to deny them birth. This is a worldwide trend. The national birthrate in the United States is the lowest in 25 years,2 and the birthrates in most European and Asian countries have been below replacement levels for many years. This is not just a religious issue. As rising generations diminish in numbers, cultures and even nations are hollowed out and eventually disappear.
One cause of the diminishing birthrate is the practice of abortion. Worldwide, there are estimated to be more than 40 million abortions per year.3 Many laws permit or even promote abortion, but to us this is a great evil. — Dallin H. Oaks

The leveling effect of the women's movement has contributed to discourage dating. As women's options have increased and some women have become more aggressive, some men have become reluctant to take traditional male initiatives, such as asking for dates, lest they be thought to qualify for the dreaded label male chauvinist. — Dallin H. Oaks

A good marriage does not require a perfect man or a perfect woman. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection. — Dallin H. Oaks

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' — Dallin H. Oaks

The greatest power God has given to His sons cannot be exercised without the companionship of one of his daughters, because only to his daughters has God given the power to be a creator of bodies so that God's design and the great plan might meet fruition. — Dallin H. Oaks

Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. — Dallin H. Oaks

Through the lens of spirituality, we see all the commandments of God as invitations to blessings. — Dallin H. Oaks

Service is an imperative for those who worship Jesus Christ and a covenant obligation of those who belong to his Church. — Dallin H. Oaks

To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being. — Dallin H. Oaks

Loving-kindness is required, but a follower of Christ-just like the Master-will be firm in the truth. — Dallin H. Oaks

Those who enjoy the blessings of liberty under a divinely inspired constitution should promote morality, and they should practice what the Founding Fathers called civic virtue. — Dallin H. Oaks

Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won't vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life. — Dallin H. Oaks

Revelation comes most often when we are on the move. — Dallin H. Oaks

judgments in choosing our friends, in choosing how we will spend our time and our money, and, of course, in choosing an eternal companion. Some of these intermediate judgments are surely among those the Savior referenced when he taught that "the weightier matters of the law" include judgment (Matthew 23:23). — Dallin H. Oaks

We should recognize that the Lord will speak to us through the Spirit in His own time and in His own way. — Dallin H. Oaks

The commandment to avoid contention applies to those who are right as well as those who are wrong. — Dallin H. Oaks

We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families. — Dallin H. Oaks

When you're involved in the work of the Lord, the power behind you is always greater than the obstacles before you. — Dallin H. Oaks

And so we understand that the atonement of Jesus Christ gives us the opportunity to overcome spiritual death that results from sin, and, through making and keeping sacred covenants, to have the blessings of eternal life. — Dallin H. Oaks

Testimony is to know and to feel, Conversion is to do and to become. — Dallin H. Oaks

The possession of wealth is not a mark of Heavenly favor and their absence is not evidence of Heavenly disfavor. — Dallin H. Oaks

I testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ, whose teachings and example we seek to follow. He invites all of us who are heavy laden to come unto Him, to learn of Him, to follow Him, and thus to find rest to our souls. — Dallin H. Oaks

What does it mean to be true to the faith? That word true implies commitment, integrity, endurance, and courage. — Dallin H. Oaks

Forgiving is divine. Plead for the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord to forgive wrongs, to overcome faults, and to strengthen relationships. — Dallin H. Oaks

Consider how we use our time. Not everything is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it. SOme things are better, and others are best. — Dallin H. Oaks

Having descended beneath it all, He is perfectly positioned to lift us. — Dallin H. Oaks

In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to KNOW something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to BECOME something ... The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan by which we can become what children of god are supposed to become ... Charity is something one becomes. — Dallin H. Oaks

Our lives of service and sacrifice are the most appropriate expressions of our commitment to serve the Master and our fellowmen. — Dallin H. Oaks

And young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are magnifying this problem by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you. — Dallin H. Oaks

Going forward with our service and work is an important way room qualify for revelation. In my study of the scriptures I have noted that most revelation to the children of God comes when they are on the move, not when they are sitting back in their habitations waiting for the Lord to tell them the first step to take. — Dallin H. Oaks

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. — Dallin H. Oaks

Our priorities are most visible in how we use our time. Someone has said, "Three things never come back - the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity." We cannot recycle or save the time allotted to us each day. With time, we have only one opportunity for choice, and then it is gone forever. — Dallin H. Oaks

Service that is given with little or no thought of personal advantage is an ideal to pursue for a lifetime. — Dallin H. Oaks

Pray that you will have good and correct attitudes about all your experiences - be they good or bad. — Dallin H. Oaks

Given love and opportunity, every child and adult can recover. All who know this and have the capacity to help others should assist as they can. — Dallin H. Oaks

Our earliest efforts will be heard with joy by our Heavenly Father, however they are phrased. — Dallin H. Oaks

The church doesn't seek apologies and we don't give them. — Dallin H. Oaks

To avoid all possibility for error is to avoid all possibility for growth. — Dallin H. Oaks

As Elder George F. Richards, President of the Council of the Twelve, said in a conference address in April 1947, 'when we say anything bad about the leaders of the Church, whether true or false, we tend to impair their influence and their usefulness and are thus working against the Lord and his cause.' ... The Holy Ghost will not guide or confirm criticism of the Lord's anointed, or of Church leaders, local or general. This reality should be part of the spiritual evaluation that LDS readers and viewers apply to those things written about our history and those who made it. — Dallin H. Oaks

Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a 'healing' cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are 'healed' by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us. — Dallin H. Oaks

Don't accommodate any degree of temptation. Prevent sin and avoid having to deal with its inevitable destruction. So, turn it off! Look away! Avoid it at all costs. Direct your thoughts in wholesome paths. Remember your covenants and be faithful in temple attendance. — Dallin H. Oaks

The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion. — Dallin H. Oaks

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the brightest light and the only hope for this darkened world. — Dallin H. Oaks

Intellectual methods-study and reason-are essential to our progress toward eternal life, but they are not sufficient. They can prepare the way. They can get the mind ready to receive the Spirit. But what the scriptures call conversion-the change of mind and heart that gives us the direction and strength to move resolutely toward eternal life-comes only by the witness and power of the Holy Spirit. — Dallin H. Oaks

The commandment to honor our parents echoes the sacred spirit of family relationships in which-at their best-we have sublime expressions of heavenly love and care for one another. We sense the importance of these relationships when we realize that our greatest expressions of joy or pain in mortality come from the members of our families — Dallin H. Oaks

Establish in the mind of a young person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God, and you have given self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life. — Dallin H. Oaks

Our society is not held together primarily by law and its enforcement but most importantly by those who voluntarily obey the unenforceable because of their internalized norms of righteous or correct behavior. Religious belief in right and wrong is a vital influence to produce such voluntary compliance by a large number of our citizens. — Dallin H. Oaks

God's love is so perfect that He lovingly requires us to obey His commandments because He knows that only through obedience to His laws can we become perfect, as He is. For this reason, God's anger and His wrath are not a contradiction of His love but an evidence of His love. Every parent knows that you can love a child totally and completely while still being creatively angry and disappointed at that child's self-defeating behavior. — Dallin H. Oaks

Fear not little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail ... Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. — Dallin H. Oaks

Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties. — Dallin H. Oaks

The ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity. — Dallin H. Oaks

Well-taught doctrines and principles have a more powerful influence on behavior than rules. — Dallin H. Oaks

We must change all elements of our behavior that are in conflict with gospel ... covenants. — Dallin H. Oaks

We must seek to be firmly rooted and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. — Dallin H. Oaks

Citizens ... should be practitioners of civic virtue in their conduct toward government. They should be ever willing to fulfill the duties of citizenship. This includes compulsory duties like military service and the numerous voluntary actions they must take if they are to preserve the principle of limited government through citizen self-reliance. — Dallin H. Oaks

All of us should banish hateful communications and practice civility for differences of opinion. — Dallin H. Oaks

Most angelic communications are felt or heard rather than seen. — Dallin H. Oaks

Hardships can deprive mortals of the power to ACT. But at the same time, hardships can be the means of eternal growth in ATTITUDE and DESIRE. If endured with the right attitude and accompanied by righteous desires, suffering and deprivation can be the agency of great growth in our spirits. — Dallin H. Oaks

There is not a right and a wrong answer to every question. — Dallin H. Oaks

The nature and extent of profanity and vulgarity in our society is a measure of its deterioration. — Dallin H. Oaks

The incomprehensible suffering of Jesus Christ ended sacrifice by the shedding of blood, but it did not end the importance of sacrifice in the gospel plan. Our Savior requires us to continue to offer sacrifices, but the sacrifices He now commands are that we 'offer for a sacrifice unto [Him] a broken heart and a contrite spirit' (3 Nephi 9:20). He also commands each of us to love and serve one another - in effect, to offer a small imitation of His own sacrifice by making sacrifices of our own time and selfish priorities. — Dallin H. Oaks

Our spirits ... require nourishment. Just as there is food for the body, there is food for the spirit. The consequences of spiritual malnutrition are just as hurtful to our spiritual lives as physical malnutrition is to our physical bodies. — Dallin H. Oaks

Those who are used to a clergy take very lightly those who do not have a formal divinity degree: like Paul and Peter and James and John. — Dallin H. Oaks

It's wrong to criticize leaders of the church, even if the criticism is true. — Dallin H. Oaks

We must not only do what is right. We must act for the right reasons. The modern term is good motive. The scriptures often signify this appropriate mental attitude with the words full purpose of heart or real intent. The scriptures make clear that God understands our motives and will judge our actions accordingly. — Dallin H. Oaks

Adversities are temporary. What is permanent is what we become by the way we react to them. — Dallin H. Oaks

As a General Authority, it is my responsibility to preach general principles. When I do, I don't try to define all the exceptions... I only teach the general rules. Whether an exception applies to you is your responsibility. You must work out individually between you and the Lord. — Dallin H. Oaks

A man is not required to run faster than he is able but it is a requirement to run. — Dallin H. Oaks

I am unpersuaded that relative poverty and hard work are greater adversities than relative affluence and free time. — Dallin H. Oaks

Man's laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral — Dallin H. Oaks

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. — Dallin H. Oaks

We should seek after spiritual gifts. They can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary. They can compensate for our inadequacies and repair our imperfections. — Dallin H. Oaks

When a choice will make a real difference in our lives - obvious or not - and when we are living in tune with the Spirit and seeking his guidance, we can be sure we will receive the guidance we need to attain our goal. — Dallin H. Oaks

When we undertake to cover our sins, ... behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man — Dallin H. Oaks

We need to remember the purpose of our service to one another. If it were only to accomplish some part of His work, God could dispatch 'legions of angels.' ... But that would not achieve the purpose of the service He has prescribed. We serve God and our fellowmen in order to become the kind of children who can return to live with our heavenly parents. — Dallin H. Oaks

We may have to struggle to achieve our goals, but our struggles may yield as much growth as our learning. The strengths we develop in overcoming challenges will be with us in the eternities to come. — Dallin H. Oaks

Become what our Heavenly Father desires you to become. — Dallin H. Oaks

Let us remember that desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. In addition, it is our actions and our desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life. — Dallin H. Oaks

The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ-whether it removes our burdens or strengthens us to endure and live with them like the Apostle Paul-is available for every affliction in mortality. — Dallin H. Oaks

I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism. — Dallin H. Oaks

When I think of happiness or joy in this life, I begin with some experiences that are simple and basic. I see the expression on the face of a one-year-old taking those first steps. I think of a child loving a puppy or a kitten. If the more mature have not dulled their physical or spiritual sensitivities by excess or disuse, they can also experience joy in what is simple and basic. — Dallin H. Oaks

Let us all improve our personal behavior and redouble our efforts to protect our loved ones and our environment from the onslaught of pornography. — Dallin H. Oaks

Spirituality is not a function of occupation or calling. A scientist may be more spiritual than a theologian; a teacher may be more spiritual than an officer. Spirituality is determined by personal outlook and priorities. It is evident in our words and actions. — Dallin H. Oaks