In this day of increased anxiety, how does one find peace? Furthermore, how should one understand the United Statesβ history of racism through contemporary eyes?
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints counseled students at Brigham Young University (BYU) on these topics during a campus-wide devotional address on October 27, 2020.
βThe shocking police-produced death of George Floyd in Minnesota last May was surely the trigger for these nationwide protests, whose momentum was carried forward under the message of βBlack Lives Matter,ββ said President Oaks. βOf course, Black lives matter! That is an eternal truth all reasonable people should support.
President Oaks repeated several recent teachings of Church President Russell M. Nelson on racism:
- βGod does not love one race more than another.β
- βFavor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments, and not the color of your skin.β
- We should βbuild bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.β
- βAny of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!β
- Latter-day Saints should βlead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice toward any group of Godβs children.β
These prophetic clarifications can, President Oaks said, help us repent, change and improve.
βOnly the gospel of Jesus Christ can unite and bring peace to people of all races and nationalities,β he said. βWe who believe in that gospel β whatever our origins β must unite in love of each other and of our Savior Jesus Christ.β
President Oaks noted that the efforts of some today to erase from history people associated with slavery may βaccomplish nothing but a bow to the cause of political correctness.β Instead, President Oaks encouraged βinspiration, education and clear thinking.β In his remarks, he related a recent and serendipitous encounter with some of the words of Winston Churchill from 1940.
Churchill was once a minority voice in Britain who warned of the evils of the Nazi government in Germany. Later, after many of his predictions came to pass, he became prime minister. Some of his colleagues in government wanted to punish those who had ignored his warnings and thus contributed to Britainβs lack of preparedness during World War II.
Churchill, however, saw folly in such an approach.
βThere are many who would hold an inquest in the House of Commons on the conduct of the Governments β and of Parliaments β¦ during the years which led up to this catastrophe. They seek to indict those who were responsible for the guidance of our affairs. This also would be a foolish and pernicious process. β¦ Of this I am quite sure, that if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future.β
This, President Oaks said, is important wisdom for our current moment.
βThe predecessors of many Americans of different backgrounds made great sacrifices to establish this nation,β he said. βWhatever those sacrifices β of freedom, property or even life β let us now honor them for what they have done for us and forgo quarrelling over the past. Ours is the duty to unite and improve the future we will share.β
Read the full text of President Oaksβ talk, titled βRacism and Other Challenges.β