Dallin H. Oaks addresses religious freedom at Constitution Day event
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KIFI)- Constitution Day is observed on Sept. 17, marking the date the U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787. The holiday is being celebrated with national events and local community activities.
The holiday was celebrated with an address on religious freedom delivered Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral by Dallin H. Oaks, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Titled “Faith, Freedom and the Common Good,” the gathering was part of the cathedral’s “A Better Way” series, which encourages Americans to find common ground in polarized times. The event was presented in partnership with the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University.
Oaks has spent seven decades studying the Constitution as a scholar, jurist and religious leader. Oaks previously served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren and later served as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court. Speaking at Washington National Cathedral, he described the Constitution as a primary tool for bringing divided groups together.
“The Constitution compels a divided people to build coalitions to allow them to act together,” Oaks said. “’Compels’ is a strong word, but it is exactly what the Constitution does. It puts what we now call ‘peacemaking’ at the heart of the Constitution’s process for achieving freedom and unity and fairness for all.”
Oaks encouraged citizens to view contentious political and social issues as opportunities to listen to and learn from fellow Americans.
“All of us should accept the reality that we are fellow citizens who need each other,” Oaks said. “This requires all of us to obey some laws we dislike and to live peacefully with some persons whose values differ from our own. We should make every effort to understand the experiences and concerns of others, especially when they differ from our own.”
He noted that negotiating coalitions does not require compromising core principles.
“This process calls upon common moral instincts,” Oaks said. “It produces peacemakers, even in those instances when competing core values may preclude ultimate conciliation.”
Oaks also pointed to disaster response work by tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints around the world as another practical model of peacemaking.
“When our volunteers bring help, people in distress do not ask for their beliefs. Likewise, the volunteers help everyone, not just fellow believers,” Oaks said. “Why? Simply because deeper moral needs about safety and family and hope take center stage. What is important is giving help and getting help, people-to-people.”
The full event can be seen here.
Local Constitution Day celebrations in Idaho Falls and Ammon feature a planned flyover of World War II era aircraft at around 1:45 p.m. Following the flyover, community members are invited to ring bells, honk horns, stand up and cheer at around 2 p.m.
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