President Oaks - BYU Devotional

[cyclOps]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4470054930

As a former president of BYU, I was pleased to speak to students and faculty during this morning’s devotional. I have thought often of President Spencer W. Kimball’s great ‘Second Century Address’ given during my service as president. He challenged Brigham Young University to be unique, not “shackled by worldly ideologies and concepts.”

The uniqueness of our Church education has two significant purposes: education for eternity as well as education for our mortal experience. We go forward with that goal.

I invited the students to consider if they dare to be different and if they are going forward against the world’s opposition. More important than what an individual does as a student are the choices they are making in their personal lives—the priorities they are adopting consciously or subconsciously.

We must not forget the Savior’s teaching that the “first and great commandment” in the law is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and the second commandment “is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”


The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments. If we truly love God and serve Him as He has taught us, we will love our neighbor as God loves him or her and as He would have us love and serve them.

Jesus was ever-loving, but invariably direct in His commandments and expectations. To the woman taken in adultery He refrained from condemning her then, but concluded by directing her to “go thy way, and sin no more.”

And He concluded the rigorous teaching of the Sermon on the Mount with the incomparable direction “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” We proceed toward that divine condition by priorities that follow the Savior without being compromised by worldly values and behavior.

Keeping gospel standards does not make you second class or condemn your example to obscurity. All of us know of persons whose performance is enhanced in quality and visibility by being different from the crowd.

I echo the words President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Please believe me, that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power.”

[nightlight]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4470054930

As a former president of BYU, I was pleased to speak to students and faculty during this morning’s devotional. I have thought often of President Spencer W. Kimball’s great ‘Second Century Address’ given during my service as president. He challenged Brigham Young University to be unique, not “shackled by worldly ideologies and concepts.”

The uniqueness of our Church education has two significant purposes: education for eternity as well as education for our mortal experience. We go forward with that goal.

I invited the students to consider if they dare to be different and if they are going forward against the world’s opposition. More important than what an individual does as a student are the choices they are making in their personal lives—the priorities they are adopting consciously or subconsciously.

We must not forget the Savior’s teaching that the “first and great commandment” in the law is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and the second commandment “is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”


The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments. If we truly love God and serve Him as He has taught us, we will love our neighbor as God loves him or her and as He would have us love and serve them.

Jesus was ever-loving, but invariably direct in His commandments and expectations. To the woman taken in adultery He refrained from condemning her then, but concluded by directing her to “go thy way, and sin no more.”

And He concluded the rigorous teaching of the Sermon on the Mount with the incomparable direction “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” We proceed toward that divine condition by priorities that follow the Savior without being compromised by worldly values and behavior.

Keeping gospel standards does not make you second class or condemn your example to obscurity. All of us know of persons whose performance is enhanced in quality and visibility by being different from the crowd.

I echo the words President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Please believe me, that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power.”

"The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments..."

This is true

The church should expound on this more imo

[KosherDad]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4470054930

As a former president of BYU, I was pleased to speak to students and faculty during this morning’s devotional. I have thought often of President Spencer W. Kimball’s great ‘Second Century Address’ given during my service as president. He challenged Brigham Young University to be unique, not “shackled by worldly ideologies and concepts.”

The uniqueness of our Church education has two significant purposes: education for eternity as well as education for our mortal experience. We go forward with that goal.

I invited the students to consider if they dare to be different and if they are going forward against the world’s opposition. More important than what an individual does as a student are the choices they are making in their personal lives—the priorities they are adopting consciously or subconsciously.

We must not forget the Savior’s teaching that the “first and great commandment” in the law is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and the second commandment “is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”


The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments. If we truly love God and serve Him as He has taught us, we will love our neighbor as God loves him or her and as He would have us love and serve them.

Jesus was ever-loving, but invariably direct in His commandments and expectations. To the woman taken in adultery He refrained from condemning her then, but concluded by directing her to “go thy way, and sin no more.”

And He concluded the rigorous teaching of the Sermon on the Mount with the incomparable direction “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” We proceed toward that divine condition by priorities that follow the Savior without being compromised by worldly values and behavior.

Keeping gospel standards does not make you second class or condemn your example to obscurity. All of us know of persons whose performance is enhanced in quality and visibility by being different from the crowd.

I echo the words President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Please believe me, that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power.”

Says a man that does not understand the "first and great commandment", nor its relation to the second. Nor does he understand adultery. And for that matter, he clearly doesn't understand D&C 98:4-7. Especially verse 7:

D&C 98:7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, COMETH OF EVIL.

[Moroni104]

Says a man that does not understand the "first and great commandment", nor its relation to the second. Nor does he understand adultery. And for that matter, he clearly doesn't understand D&C 98:4-7. Especially verse 7:

D&C 98:7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, COMETH OF EVIL.

What does he not understand?

I may agree with you. However your post is not very specific.

[KosherDad]

Says a man that does not understand the "first and great commandment", nor its relation to the second. Nor does he understand adultery. And for that matter, he clearly doesn't understand D&C 98:4-7. Especially verse 7:

D&C 98:7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, COMETH OF EVIL.

What does he not understand?

I may agree with you. However your post is not very specific.

He doesn't understand that love is an action, not a feeling. He doesn't understand that Christ is quoting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). He doesn't understand how the "first and great commandment" is also tied to the Passover and the 2nd coming of Christ. He also doesn't understand that it is connected to Deuteronomy 30.

He doesn't understand that the directions for how to love your neighbor are found in Leviticus 19 (which is what Christ is quoting). He doesn't understand that in the verse directly before "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18) it states, (in the NKJV) "You SHALL surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him." (Leviticus 19:17)

He doesn't understand that the story of the "adulterous" woman is not a story of an adulterous woman being forgiven. It is a story about a woman being falsely accused of adultery. He doesn't understand this because he doesn't know or understand the sin of adultery or the penalty for it. Nor does he understand the sin of a false accusation or the penalty for it.

Finally, he recently gave a conference talk on the U.S. Constitution. In that talk, he did not mention D&C 98:4-7. How can he give the official position of the church on the U.S. Constitution without mentioning D&C 98:4-7? Well, he had to because he made several points that were in contradiction to those verses as did RMN in the previous general conference when he announced a new temple in China.

Here's more on the 1st Great Commandment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPB34TVxxa4&t=97s

Here's more on the 2nd Commandment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcEwLBU9MwM&t=278s

[Moroni104]

Finally, he recently gave a conference talk on the U.S. Constitution. In that talk, he did not mention D&C 98:4-7. How can he give the official position of the church on the U.S. Constitution without mentioning D&C 98:4-7? Well, he had to because he made several points that were in contradiction to those verses as did RMN in the previous general conference when he announced a new temple in China.

Can you elaborate on this?

[spiritMan]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4470054930

As a former president of BYU, I was pleased to speak to students and faculty during this morning’s devotional. I have thought often of President Spencer W. Kimball’s great ‘Second Century Address’ given during my service as president. He challenged Brigham Young University to be unique, not “shackled by worldly ideologies and concepts.”

The uniqueness of our Church education has two significant purposes: education for eternity as well as education for our mortal experience. We go forward with that goal.

I invited the students to consider if they dare to be different and if they are going forward against the world’s opposition. More important than what an individual does as a student are the choices they are making in their personal lives—the priorities they are adopting consciously or subconsciously.

We must not forget the Savior’s teaching that the “first and great commandment” in the law is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and the second commandment “is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”


The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments. If we truly love God and serve Him as He has taught us, we will love our neighbor as God loves him or her and as He would have us love and serve them.

Jesus was ever-loving, but invariably direct in His commandments and expectations. To the woman taken in adultery He refrained from condemning her then, but concluded by directing her to “go thy way, and sin no more.”

And He concluded the rigorous teaching of the Sermon on the Mount with the incomparable direction “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” We proceed toward that divine condition by priorities that follow the Savior without being compromised by worldly values and behavior.

Keeping gospel standards does not make you second class or condemn your example to obscurity. All of us know of persons whose performance is enhanced in quality and visibility by being different from the crowd.

I echo the words President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Please believe me, that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power.”

"The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments..."

This is true

The church should expound on this more imo

Sure could have fooled me . . .with all this open homosexuals are worthy in every way crap.

https://mobile.twitter.com/LatterGaySa1 ... UBU33CpwYk

This guy just got back from his mission. Advocates for all things LGBTQ. He served as an open homosexual. We have open homosexual missionaries who went on same-sex romantic dates prior to their mission and they are good to go.

Yeah E. Oaks, your words are real, real hollow until you do something to clean up this mess.

[nightlight]

Says a man that does not understand the "first and great commandment", nor its relation to the second. Nor does he understand adultery. And for that matter, he clearly doesn't understand D&C 98:4-7. Especially verse 7:

D&C 98:7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, COMETH OF EVIL.

What does he not understand?

I may agree with you. However your post is not very specific.

He doesn't understand that love is an action, not a feeling. He doesn't understand that Christ is quoting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). He doesn't understand how the "first and great commandment" is also tied to the Passover and the 2nd coming of Christ. He also doesn't understand that it is connected to Deuteronomy 30.

He doesn't understand that the directions for how to love your neighbor are found in Leviticus 19 (which is what Christ is quoting). He doesn't understand that in the verse directly before "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18) it states, (in the NKJV) "You SHALL surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him." (Leviticus 19:17)

He doesn't understand that the story of the "adulterous" woman is not a story of an adulterous woman being forgiven. It is a story about a woman being falsely accused of adultery. He doesn't understand this because he doesn't know or understand the sin of adultery or the penalty for it. Nor does he understand the sin of a false accusation or the penalty for it.

Finally, he recently gave a conference talk on the U.S. Constitution. In that talk, he did not mention D&C 98:4-7. How can he give the official position of the church on the U.S. Constitution without mentioning D&C 98:4-7? Well, he had to because he made several points that were in contradiction to those verses as did RMN in the previous general conference when he announced a new temple in China.

Here's more on the 1st Great Commandment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPB34TVxxa4&t=97s

Here's more on the 2nd Commandment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcEwLBU9MwM&t=278s

Jesus wont forgive the adulter?

[Subcomandante]

I find it pretty interesting to know that KosherDad advocates for the reinstitution of slavery or the prohibition of women and minorities to vote.

Slavery was permitted by the Constitution until the 13th Amendment expressly prohibited it. That was written 30 years after D&C 98:3-4, therefore it must come from evil!

Women weren't allowed to vote for another 40 years in the earliest cases and that wasn't made federal until about 1920, nearly 90 years afterwards.

Minorities were not permitted to vote de praxis until the 14th Amendment and wasn't codified de jure for another 100 years after that.

[Moroni104]

Well, I just now watched the talk.

While I understand that many people on this forum are hurt by the actions of this man, including 1) his weird fueding with Ezra Taft Benson to prevent conservatives from becoming professors at BYU back in the late 70s (before he was an apostle), 2) His (correct) participation in the proclamation on the family followed by a complete about-face in urging Utah, Arizona and the nation to pass laws that prevent businesses and rentors from making their own decisions about transexuals, and prevent parents and counselors from making their own decisions with regards to teenager with challenges regarding LGBT, and 3) his participation in the infamous email to urge people to be vaccinated...

I have to say this was a good talk.

I gotta call it like I see it.

I appreciate everyone's comments, including KosherDad, and don't wish to get in a back-and-forth with anyone.

[KosherDad]

I find it pretty interesting to know that KosherDad advocates for the reinstitution of slavery or the prohibition of women and minorities to vote.

Slavery was permitted by the Constitution until the 13th Amendment expressly prohibited it. That was written 30 years after D&C 98:3-4, therefore it must come from evil!

Women weren't allowed to vote for another 40 years in the earliest cases and that wasn't made federal until about 1920, nearly 90 years afterwards.

Minorities were not permitted to vote de praxis until the 14th Amendment and wasn't codified de jure for another 100 years after that.

Wow. No.

[KosherDad]

Jesus wont forgive the adulter?

No. The story of the "adulterous" woman is being incorrectly explained by people (like Mr. Oaks) to be a story about Christ forgiving a woman who committed adultery. It is not.

We get the statute from Exodus 20:24 (NKJV):
You shall not commit adultery.

We get the consequence from Leviticus 20:10 (NKJV):
The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, THE ADULTERER AND THE ADULTERESS, shall surely be put to death.

From John 8:4 (NKJV):
they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, IN THE VERY ACT."

If that is true, where is the man? The absence of the adulterer indicates this is a false accusation because an element of the "crime" is missing.

We get the statute from Exodus 20:16 (NKJV):
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

We get the consequence from Deuteronomy 19:18-19 (NKJV):
And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you SHALL DO TO HIM AS HE THOUGHT TO HAVE DONE TO HIS BROTHER; so you shall put away the evil from among you.

In other words, if Christ pronounces judgement, it would be against the false accusers. They would be put to death. No doubt they realized this and withdrew their false accusation. In the end, there was no one left accusing her. If that is a story of forgiveness, it is Christ forgiving the false accusers and allowing them to withdraw it before He pronounced judgement according to God's Commandments.

Keep in mind everyone, this isn't deep stuff. This is the 10 Commandments. Pretty basic stuff. Yet, almost never taught correctly. Not even by the men that profess to be speaking for Christ Himself on this earth. What does that tell us?

[KosherDad]

Finally, he recently gave a conference talk on the U.S. Constitution. In that talk, he did not mention D&C 98:4-7. How can he give the official position of the church on the U.S. Constitution without mentioning D&C 98:4-7? Well, he had to because he made several points that were in contradiction to those verses as did RMN in the previous general conference when he announced a new temple in China.

Can you elaborate on this?

Yes.

The final talk of the April 2020 General Conference was "Go Forward in Faith" by RMN. When explaining the context for the plan for the new temple in Shanghai, China he said, "In every country, this Church teaches its members to honor, obey, and SUSTAIN the law.

That is a true statement. The church does teach that.

There is a hyper-link in the library app on the word law. There should be no surprise, it takes you to Article of Faith 12.

If you go to Article of Faith 12 in the Pearl of Great Price, the library app also has a hyper-link for the word law there. I takes you to D&C 58:21-23. Verse 21 is the relevant verse: "Let no man break the laws of the land, FOR HE THAT KEEPETH THE LAWS OF GOD HATH NO NEED TO BREAK THE LAWS OF THE LAND."

If you go to Doctrine and Covenants 58:21, the library app has another hyper-link on the word law. If FINALLY links to D&C 98:4-10. Verses 4-7 make the point:
4 And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land, it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatosoever I command them.
5 And that law of the land WHICH IS CONSTITUTIONAL, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, BELONGS TO ALL MANKIND, and is justifiable before me.
6 Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending THAT LAW WHICH IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW OF THE LAND;
7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.

In context of this discussion, the part of the Constitution that is relevant is found in the first ammendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" In other words, Congress shall make no law that prevents our free exercise of religion. In this case, our freedom to follow the Commandments of God.

THAT is why we should have no need to break the laws of the land is we keep the laws of God. There aren't supposed to be any laws that conflict with His law.

Now, back to RMN's talk. Let's assume for a minute that we all agree that it is important to have missionaries throughout all of the countries of the world (including China) for all of the reasons. While they are in those countries (especially China), if they do not honor and obey the laws of the country they are in, they will either be sent home, or they will have to do their missionary work in prison.

However, the church teaches its members to SUSTAIN the laws of the country they are in. Big difference. In fact, for several weeks leading up to that General Conference, the topic of discussion in the Elders Quorum was what it means to SUSTAIN. There in lies the problem. It is in direct conflict with the Word of God to SUSTAIN a law of man that is in conflict with the law of God. In fact, D&C 98:7 declares that to be evil.

Finally, for Mr. Oaks to discuss the U.S. Constitution without the context of D&C 98:7-10 is a big deal. That context is required for a full understanding of Article of Faith 12 as well as D&C 58. Without it, we have to yardstick with which to determine if we are submitting to "proper" authority. We are specifically called throughout Scripture to recognize false prophets (people turning us away from God) so that we DO NOT follow them (or their ungodly laws).

[nightlight]

Jesus wont forgive the adulter?

No. The story of the "adulterous" woman is being incorrectly explained by people (like Mr. Oaks) to be a story about Christ forgiving a woman who committed adultery. It is not.

We get the statute from Exodus 20:24 (NKJV):
You shall not commit adultery.

We get the consequence from Leviticus 20:10 (NKJV):
The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, THE ADULTERER AND THE ADULTERESS, shall surely be put to death.

From John 8:4 (NKJV):
they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, IN THE VERY ACT."

If that is true, where is the man? The absence of the adulterer indicates this is a false accusation because an element of the "crime" is missing.

We get the statute from Exodus 20:16 (NKJV):
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

We get the consequence from Deuteronomy 19:18-19 (NKJV):
And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you SHALL DO TO HIM AS HE THOUGHT TO HAVE DONE TO HIS BROTHER; so you shall put away the evil from among you.

In other words, if Christ pronounces judgement, it would be against the false accusers. They would be put to death. No doubt they realized this and withdrew their false accusation. In the end, there was no one left accusing her. If that is a story of forgiveness, it is Christ forgiving the false accusers and allowing them to withdraw it before He pronounced judgement according to God's Commandments.

Keep in mind everyone, this isn't deep stuff. This is the 10 Commandments. Pretty basic stuff. Yet, almost never taught correctly. Not even by the men that profess to be speaking for Christ Himself on this earth. What does that tell us?

Maybe look in the mirror.
You are the one who doesn't understand

If you don't think Jesus will forgive the adulter, but it's the death sentence....you are spiritually inept. And you lack basic comprehension. Go read the sermon on the mount...then forget what you thinks "kosher" and maybe empty your cup

We're not Jews. You're quoting the lower law like it means something to me.

KosherDad..... Lol

What the difference between the Higher and Lower law?

Why do Jews have such a hard time comprehending this?

"Jesus wasn't saying anything new, he was just a quoting Leviticus"

Bahaha

[endlessQuestions]

I find it pretty interesting to know that KosherDad advocates for the reinstitution of slavery or the prohibition of women and minorities to vote.

Slavery was permitted by the Constitution until the 13th Amendment expressly prohibited it. That was written 30 years after D&C 98:3-4, therefore it must come from evil!

Women weren't allowed to vote for another 40 years in the earliest cases and that wasn't made federal until about 1920, nearly 90 years afterwards.

Minorities were not permitted to vote de praxis until the 14th Amendment and wasn't codified de jure for another 100 years after that.

Wow. No.

Oh, don’t mind Sub. He’ll come around eventually… at least he eventually does.

[Subcomandante]

I find it pretty interesting to know that KosherDad advocates for the reinstitution of slavery or the prohibition of women and minorities to vote.

Slavery was permitted by the Constitution until the 13th Amendment expressly prohibited it. That was written 30 years after D&C 98:3-4, therefore it must come from evil!

Women weren't allowed to vote for another 40 years in the earliest cases and that wasn't made federal until about 1920, nearly 90 years afterwards.

Minorities were not permitted to vote de praxis until the 14th Amendment and wasn't codified de jure for another 100 years after that.

Wow. No.

You just said that anything more than less than the constitutional law of the land was evil, as written in the 1830s.

In the 1830s, slavery was legal and women and minorities were not allowed to vote.

[HVDC]

I find it pretty interesting to know that KosherDad advocates for the reinstitution of slavery or the prohibition of women and minorities to vote.

Slavery was permitted by the Constitution until the 13th Amendment expressly prohibited it. That was written 30 years after D&C 98:3-4, therefore it must come from evil!

Women weren't allowed to vote for another 40 years in the earliest cases and that wasn't made federal until about 1920, nearly 90 years afterwards.

Minorities were not permitted to vote de praxis until the 14th Amendment and wasn't codified de jure for another 100 years after that.

I didn't read any of that in his posts.

However.

If he had.

It wouldn't bother me any.

"Cause.

Slavery still exists.

We just call it something else.

Women being allowed, encouraged to vote, hasn't been a good thing for society as a whole.

So called Minorities, Slaves and " Indians" could not Vote because they were, and are, members of different Nations within the geographical boundries of the United States.

Those Constitutional ammendents merely exchanged our Republic for a Democracy.

And we are now eating the bitter fruits thereof.

Have a double portion.

Sir H

[DesertWonderer2]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4470054930

As a former president of BYU, I was pleased to speak to students and faculty during this morning’s devotional. I have thought often of President Spencer W. Kimball’s great ‘Second Century Address’ given during my service as president. He challenged Brigham Young University to be unique, not “shackled by worldly ideologies and concepts.”

The uniqueness of our Church education has two significant purposes: education for eternity as well as education for our mortal experience. We go forward with that goal.

I invited the students to consider if they dare to be different and if they are going forward against the world’s opposition. More important than what an individual does as a student are the choices they are making in their personal lives—the priorities they are adopting consciously or subconsciously.

We must not forget the Savior’s teaching that the “first and great commandment” in the law is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and the second commandment “is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”


The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments. If we truly love God and serve Him as He has taught us, we will love our neighbor as God loves him or her and as He would have us love and serve them.

Jesus was ever-loving, but invariably direct in His commandments and expectations. To the woman taken in adultery He refrained from condemning her then, but concluded by directing her to “go thy way, and sin no more.”

And He concluded the rigorous teaching of the Sermon on the Mount with the incomparable direction “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” We proceed toward that divine condition by priorities that follow the Savior without being compromised by worldly values and behavior.

Keeping gospel standards does not make you second class or condemn your example to obscurity. All of us know of persons whose performance is enhanced in quality and visibility by being different from the crowd.

I echo the words President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Please believe me, that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power.”

Says a man that does not understand the "first and great commandment", nor its relation to the second. Nor does he understand adultery. And for that matter, he clearly doesn't understand D&C 98:4-7. Especially verse 7:

D&C 98:7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, COMETH OF EVIL.

(Yawn)

[Moroni104]

Jesus wont forgive the adulter?

No. The story of the "adulterous" woman is being incorrectly explained by people (like Mr. Oaks) to be a story about Christ forgiving a woman who committed adultery. It is not.

I didn't intend to get in a back-and-forth on this thread, but I thought your explanation of the adulterous woman is/was really interesting.

It may have some merit.

But, here is the story, https://biblehub.com/csb/john/8.htm:

Then the scribes and the Phariseesa brought a woman caught in adultery,b making her stand in the center. 4“Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.a 5In the law Mosesa commanded us to stone such women.b So what do you say? ” 6They asked this to trap him,a in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sina among youb should be the first to throw a stone at her.”c 8Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. 10When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ”

11“No one, Lord,”A she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,”a said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore"

The story doesn't read like it seems you are implying.

If the story was like you are saying, this is how it would be written (remember, Jesus' followers wrote the bible, not the scribes and pharisees):

Then the scribes and the Phariseesa brought a woman for whom it was alleged to have commited adultery but with no eye witnesses.

4“Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. 5In the law Mosesa commanded us to stone such women.b So what do you say? ” 6They asked this to trap him,a in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “WHO SAW HER IN THE ACT?” 8Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. 10When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ”

11“No one, Lord,” she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you. I Testify OF YOUR INNOCENCE OF THIS DEED” said Jesus. “Go, and be ye perfect even as I am perfect"

But it doesn't read this way.

In fact, Jesus says "do not sin anymore".

It seems like a weird thing to say to someone who was falsely accused of sinning.

I would be pretty offended if I had been almost killed by people even though I had not committed adultery and then Jesus said "do not sin anymore". I would feel offended that he didn't stand up for me and say "I know you didn't commit adultery. No go your way and be perfect, even as I am perfect."

Anyway, those are my 2 cents.

I just listened again to the talk. I thought it was a good talk.

You are free to have your own interpretation of this scripture and so is Bro. Oaks. I think Bro. Oaks interpretation makes more sense.

I don't agree with several things Bro. Oaks has been a part of, but I agree with his interpretation of that scripture and i think this latest talk was a move in the correct direction for the institutional Church.

[Chris]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4470054930

As a former president of BYU, I was pleased to speak to students and faculty during this morning’s devotional. I have thought often of President Spencer W. Kimball’s great ‘Second Century Address’ given during my service as president. He challenged Brigham Young University to be unique, not “shackled by worldly ideologies and concepts.”

The uniqueness of our Church education has two significant purposes: education for eternity as well as education for our mortal experience. We go forward with that goal.

I invited the students to consider if they dare to be different and if they are going forward against the world’s opposition. More important than what an individual does as a student are the choices they are making in their personal lives—the priorities they are adopting consciously or subconsciously.

We must not forget the Savior’s teaching that the “first and great commandment” in the law is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and the second commandment “is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”


The love of neighbor—however important—does not come ahead of love of God and obedience to His commandments. If we truly love God and serve Him as He has taught us, we will love our neighbor as God loves him or her and as He would have us love and serve them.

Jesus was ever-loving, but invariably direct in His commandments and expectations. To the woman taken in adultery He refrained from condemning her then, but concluded by directing her to “go thy way, and sin no more.”

And He concluded the rigorous teaching of the Sermon on the Mount with the incomparable direction “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” We proceed toward that divine condition by priorities that follow the Savior without being compromised by worldly values and behavior.

Keeping gospel standards does not make you second class or condemn your example to obscurity. All of us know of persons whose performance is enhanced in quality and visibility by being different from the crowd.

I echo the words President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “Please believe me, that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power.”

Says a man that does not understand the "first and great commandment", nor its relation to the second. Nor does he understand adultery. And for that matter, he clearly doesn't understand D&C 98:4-7. Especially verse 7:

D&C 98:7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, COMETH OF EVIL.

This contradicts what joseph smith said in the articles of faith........ is joseph wrong?