BONUS: Elder Dallin H. Oaks Addresses the Mormon LGBT Suicide Epidemic

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.5 • 5.7K Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2016

⏱️ 3 minutes

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Summary

Speaker: Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Title: The Free Exercise of Religion in Our Time

Date: February 9 2016

Location: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Description: Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right. Yet in many seen and unseen ways its validity is challenged at the margins every day. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will speak about the importance of maintaining and protecting religious liberty in the international sphere. After his remarks he will field questions in an audience Q&A.

Source: This presentation was recorded by Andrew Evans in accordance with District of Columbia law.

Note: As the final question of the evening, Andrew Evans asked Elder Oaks the following question:

Andrew's Question: "Less than a year ago, right here in Washington, DC, my friend killed himself. He was Mormon and gay. You've gone on record that, 'the Church does not give apologies'. Does religious freedom absolve you from responsibility in the gay Mormon suicide crisis?"

Elder Oaks' Response: "I think that's a question that will be answered on judgment day. I can't answer that beyond what has already been said. I know that those tragic events happen. And it's not unique simply to the question of sexual preference. There are other cases where people have taken their own lives and blamed a church--my church--or a government, or somebody else for their taking their own lives, and I think those things have to be judged by a higher authority than exists on this earth, and I am ready to be accountable to that authority, but I think part of what my responsibility extends to, is trying to teach people to be loving, and civil and sensitive to one another so that people will not feel driven, whatever the policy disagreements, whatever the rules of the church, or the practices of a church, or any other organization, if they are administered with kindness, at the highest level or at the level of the congregation or the ward, they won't drive people to take those extreme measures; that's part of my responsibility to teach that. And beyond that, I will be accountable to higher authority for that. That's the way I look on that. Nobody is sadder about a case like that than I am. Maybe that's a good note to end on."

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, this is John Delin welcome to Mormon Stories. The following is an excerpt from a presentation delivered by Elder Dalin H. Oaks,
0:08.0	member of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
0:13.0	delivered at Johns Hopkins University at their School of Advanced International Studies. On February 9th, 2016,
0:21.0	the presentation was entitled The Free Exercise of Religion in Our Time.
0:27.0	This presentation was given to me by Andrew Evans, who attended the event. And as far as we know,
0:34.0	this event was recorded in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for your support of Mormon Stories.
0:41.0	I think I can create one more question. Please. Thank you, Elder Oaks. My name is Andrew Evans. I have a degree in international relations, but not from here.
0:52.0	I have an Oxford regarding social warfare, like you said. Less than a year ago, right here in Washington, D.C., my friend killed himself.
1:04.0	He was Mormon and gay. You have gone on record saying that the Church does not give apologies. Does religious freedom absolve you from responsibility in the gay Mormon suicide crisis?
1:18.0	I think that's a question that will be answered on Judgment Day. I can't answer that beyond what has already been said.
1:28.0	I know that those tragic events happen, and it's not unique simply to the question of sexual preference.
1:39.0	There are other cases where people have taken their own life and blamed my church or the government or somebody else for their own life.
1:51.0	And I think those things have to be judged by higher authority than exists on this earth. And I'm ready to be accountable to that authority.
2:01.0	But I think part of what my responsibility extends to is trying to teach people to be loving and civil and sensitive to one another so that people will not feel driven.
2:16.0	Whatever the policy disagreements, whatever the rules of the Church or the practices of the Church or any other organization, if they are administered with kindness at the highest level or at the level of the congregation or the ward, they won't drive people to take those extreme measures.
2:38.0	That's part of my responsibility to teach that. And beyond that, the rightness or wrongness of it, I'll be accountable to higher authority for that.
2:47.0	That's the way I look on that one. Nobody is sadder about a case like that than I am.
2:56.0	Maybe that's a good note to end on. Thank you for your presence for a good question.
3:01.0	Thank you.

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