Faith
When Law Meets Love: Dallin H. Oaks’ Ministry to Sexual and Gender Minorities
Dallin H. Oaks pairs law with love, showing humility, outreach, and a call to hold truth with tenderness.
Jeff Bennion
October 10, 2025
Dallin H. Oaks pairs law with love, showing humility, outreach, and a call to hold truth with tenderness.
The Public Square community looks to the themes they learned from the October 2025 General Conference
Can Latter-day Saints engage liberalism without compromise? Faith can lead with courage rather than fear.
Can early Church practices justify new sealings? The evidence affirms doctrinal continuity, not revisionist change.
Is theological silence a loophole? Air Bud logic misreads doctrine and undermines revealed foundations.
Is a church the key to saving democracy? Latter-day Saints’ beliefs could prove pivotal in the outcome of the next election.
Three years ago, Dallin H. Oaks gave a stirring denunciation of racism. What are the theological implications three years on?
How can Latter-day Saints best engage questions related to marriage, family, and sexuality? Through careful, prudent, public square dialogue.
President Dallin H. Oaks, of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke last night, Sunday, May 21, 2023, to a group of young single adults. The intimate conversation about marriage, family, identity, and love was broadcast to a worldwide audience. Oaks spoke on many topics frequently discussed in Public Square. So we wanted to share some articles if you’re interested in thinking more about the themes he presented. Truth & Love Holding the Tension of Truth and Love (and Where We All Get It a Little Wrong) Agape Love for Christmas Why Is It “Big News” That Believers Are Motivated by Love? Comparing Allyship and Discipleship Marriage Tying a Stronger Knot: Overcoming Contemporary Marital Myths Sexuality and Truth in Harmony The Philosophical Basis of Biblical Marriage Latter-day Saint Families: Eternal Perspectives Children Zero Population Growth Isn’t the Answer, My Friend The Lesson We Need From America’s Most Fertile Religion Sexuality Have Progressives Really Won this Contest of Ideas? Treasuring All That God Has Revealed Is Sexuality Who We Are or What We Do? Can Religious Freedom Heal the LGBT+ and Faith Divide? Transgender Questions Separating Fact from Fiction with Gender Identity Every Body Matters Identity Our Deepening Divide Over Identity On Symbols and Identities
Dallin H. Oaks, the second senior-most leader of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke Tuesday at Ensign College with Clark Gilbert, the Commissioner of the Church’s educational system. Oaks said: “In condemning and working against racism, we encourage our students, our teachers, and all our members to avoid extreme or polarizing positions and teachings that undermine the U.S. Constitution and other core institutions. … [The Constitution’s] inspired principles, including the freedoms of speech and religion and its authorized amendments, have allowed subsequent generations to continue to improve and strengthen the rights of all of its citizens. … A gospel-centered approach to combating racism empowers all parties to support, apply and teach the power and light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The remarks come just days after a race-based hate crime that killed ten people in New York, and during a time when the Church has been put under a prophetic injunction to “lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.” Oaks had previously said, “Of course, Black lives matter! That is an eternal truth.” The remarks centered around proclaiming truth with love, and seem to suggest that Latter-day Saints should not just end racism in their own lives, but work in trying to persuade those who disagree. The remarks also addressed LGBT+ issues. Oaks re-emphasized the fairness for all approach he’s spoken of on many occasions, while Gilbert added, “Individuals or groups who do not treat our LGBTQ members with empathy and charity are not aligned with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ.” While the remarks themselves don’t offer anything new to a faith that has been emphasizing these very issues recently, they come at a remarkably poignant time, when we could each use encouragement to be trying to persuade others who do not share our commitment to end racism.
In an age where Christians (and everyone else) tend to flow with the cultural current, the remarks of President Dallin H. Oaks on Friday at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville were striking in their departure from popular rhetorical trends.
Confusion, anxiety, despair, and anger are everywhere. Thankfully, we are not left “comfortless” or without inspired direction in these challenging times.