“The Desires of Our Hearts” | Dallin H. Oaks | 1985
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Unlike the laws of man, the law of God are concerned with more than our actions; we must also school our motivations, thoughts, and feelings - our desires.
This speech was given on October 8, 1985.
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"Each of us desires the ultimate blessing of exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Even when we fall short, we desire what is right. That is my subject-“The Desires of Our Hearts.”
I am interested in this subject because it highlights a critical contrast between the laws of God, as revealed in the scriptures, and what I will call the laws of man, as set out in the national and state laws with which I was concerned in my thirty years in the legal profession.
Laws-Man’s and God’s
The laws of man are never concerned about a person’s desires or thoughts in isolation. When the law inquires into a person’s state of mind or intent, it only seeks to determine what consequence should be assigned to particular actions that person has taken.
In contrast, the laws of God are concerned with spiritual things. Spiritual consequences are affected by actions, but they are also affected by desires or thoughts, independent of actions. Gospel consequences flow from the desires of our hearts.
A simple example will illustrate that contrast. Suppose your neighbor has a beautiful sports car parked in his driveway. You take no action. You just look on that car longingly, and covet it. You have sinned. You have broken one of the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:17). Eternal consequences follow.
Up to this point you have not broken any of the laws of man. However, if you take a particular action, such as jumping the ignition wires and driving away in the car, you will have committed a wrong that could be punished or redressed under the laws of man.
To determine what consequence should be assigned to your action, the law would attempt to determine your intent in taking the car. If you simply intended to borrow the car in the mistaken belief that your neighbor would consent, you might not be guilty of a crime. However, you would surely be liable for damages for the wrongful use of the car. If you intended to use the car contrary to the wishes of the owner and yet return it in a short time, you would have committed a minor crime. If you intended to take the car permanently, you would have committed a major crime. To choose among these various alternatives, a judge or jury would attempt to determine your state of mind.
This simple example makes the point that the laws of man will sometimes inquire into a person’s state of mind in order to determine the consequences of particular actions, but the law will never punish or give effect to intent or desires standing alone. It was so in Book of Mormon times. As we read in Alma, the people of Nephi could be punished for their criminal actions, but “there was no law against a man’s belief” (Alma 30:11).
It is good that this is so. The law is an imperfect instrument. It has no reliable way to look into a person’s heart.
In contrast, God’s law can assign consequences solely on the basis of our innermost thoughts and desires. There is no uncertainty in the administration of this law. As Ammon taught King Lamoni, God “looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning” (Alma 18:32).
Similarly, Paul warned the Hebrews that God “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” and “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
In other words, God judges us not only for our acts, but also for the desires of our hearts. He has said so again and again. This is a challenging reality, but it is not surprising. Agency and accountability are eternal principles. We exercise our free agency not only by what we do, but also by what we decide, or will, or desire. Restrictions on freedom can deprive us of the power to do, but no one can deprive us of the power to will or desire. Accountability must therefore reach and attach consequences to the desires of our hearts.
This principle applies both in a negative way-making us guilty of sin for evil thoughts and desires-and in a positive way-promising us blessings for righteous desires.
Sins of Desire
The best-known scriptural designation of sin on the basis of the desires of our hearts concerns sexual sin. The Savior declared..."
Bad thoughts come, it's whether or not we dwell on them or act on them. I'm always casting out bad thoughts. Also, I am a convert from prison who made a lot of terrible choices. However, I have faith the Lord will save me if I follow Him, and not act on the random nonsense that plagues my mind at times.
A brilliant legal mind applied to the True and Everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. WONDERFUL! Oh THANK YOU Elder Oaks.
I just had a whole handful of questions answered, apparently I have been doing most of them right. What a great speaker Elder Dallin H Oaks. I am so grateful that we have a prophet and Twelve Apostles just like in the old days when Jesus was here. What a great group of men and women even the Relief Society. I thank all of them for their service in the church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is so far ahead then a great majority of churches in the United States and other countries. Not to brag or boast of these great things, it is only a blessing because Jesus Christ being the leader of His church.😁
Wish all speakers were “introduced” this way! Love Pres. Osks!
This is beautiful& just called me to repent& evaluate my intentions behind everthing I do.
Wow!
Perhaps some of us may want to hear this message again!?
...and then maybe hear it again and again...
May we remember this counsel, and apply it to our own life with a complete change of heart!
For it was given to us the possibility to repent and become new...
Through the Atonement of Christ we are giving the way and the meaning to start new every single day! 💝
We can learn to forgive ourselves in the process of doing so, because this priceless Gift was given to each and everyone of us from the biginning of time!
Please accepted fully, and make an attempt to reach up to Him every day, in prayer if necessary, when it seam too hard to do so only by ourselves...
Let's reach His hand now, while we still can, and learn how to well master this life, even in our own thoughts, so one day we may enter His Presence!
🙏🌈💞
This speech is the greatest speech I have heard all my life and it is, to me, a call to reexamine my entire life and personal belief. I have come to the true understanding of what the Bible meant by "God judges the intent of the mind."
Thank you Elder Oaks for reeducating me.
And so we discern that which is good and that which is evil by the light of Christ. Everyone has that gift here in mortality. Our struggle, trials come when we are conformed to this world even though we are warned not to.
Trials and struggles are inevitable, God will test His people whether we will do all He has commanded us.
1985 Elder Oaks is already a member of the Quorum Of The Twelve... Wow!
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Trust in Jesus Christ. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I wish I could be as intelligent
And you are!! Sometimes we don't have the same intelligence that others have, but you are a child of God and He created in his images, so you have divine potential to develop everything just always choose the right.
I am now afraid that I cannot do think see or even pray with out gilt of some form of wrong please help
Just do your best every time you can, and when the mistakes comes, or you forget something use the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repent because we are humans is part of life make mistakes, but please don't justify yourself the bad is bad, the good is good, just Choose the right and be happy.
Bad thoughts come, it's whether or not we dwell on them or act on them. I'm always casting out bad thoughts. Also, I am a convert from prison who made a lot of terrible choices. However, I have faith the Lord will save me if I follow Him, and not act on the random nonsense that plagues my mind at times.
"Worthiness is not flawlessness, worthiness is being honest and trying." -Brad Wilcox
If your desires are honest as Dallin H. Oaks said, and we make honest actions to strive to live the commandments--while repenting and relying on the saving power from Christ's Atonement--we can attain eternal life.
I wonder how the Lord is going to judge this: For years I have had to take some very powerful drugs and shots prescribed by my LDS doctor to stay alive. These drugs affect my mind, my thinking, and my thoughts. I have been able to cut down the doses in some cases but the results are still very disturbing!