An apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints addressed students at the annual Mormonism 101 Series convened at Harvard Law School (Read the full transcript of the speech).
From the Ames courtroom on the Cambridge, Massachusetts campus, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, discussed the tenets of his Latter-day Saint faith seeking to “illuminate several premises and ways of thinking that are at the root of some misunderstandings about our doctrine and practice.”
In his address, Elder Oaks offered a trio of topics as integral to understanding Latter-day Saint theology; our belief in the nature of God, the purpose of mortal life and the universal truth that man can gain earthly and spiritual knowledge through personal revelation.
“These teachings explain our testimony of Christ,” said Elder Oaks. “We are not grounded in the wisdom of the world or the philosophies of men – however traditional or respected they may be. Our testimony of Jesus Christ is based on the revelations of God to His prophets and to us individually.”
Prior to joining the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984, Elder Oaks served as justice on the Utah Supreme Court. He is also past president of Brigham Young University, a law professor at The University of Chicago Law School and as Law Clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren in the United States Supreme Court.
“To me, the miracle of the atonement of Jesus Christ is incomprehensible, but the Holy Ghost has given me a witness of its truthfulness, and I rejoice that I can spend my life in proclaiming it.”
At the end of his remarks, Elder Oaks answered questions from the audience.