Strength of religious freedom must be built in US courts, LDS leader says

By Dave McCann

April 16th, 2014 @ 10:34pm

SALT LAKE CITY Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will give the keynote address at Utah Valley University's Spring Constitutional Symposium on Religious Freedom.

In an interview with KSL Newsradios Amanda Dickson and Grant Nielsen, he said he won't be speaking as a leader of the LDS Church, but as an interested, knowledgeable citizen concerned about the condition of democracy and free speech in the United States of America.

The contention that comes from unresolved controversies in this area is poisonous to the civic atmosphere, and it is a disadvantage to all of us as citizens, Elder Oaks said.

Over the last century the U.S. has faced many challenges to religious freedom, but Elder Oaks says his concern now is how political and divisive they've become.

Specifically, weve got non-discrimination which is a very important civic value being set in opposition to religious freedom, and people are choosing up sides as if you couldnt have both of them, he said.

He believes some of the current contests also impinge on free speech, and that should concern all citizens.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

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Strength of religious freedom must be built in US courts, LDS leader says