Elder Oaks

The organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is patterned after the church in Christ's time, with prophets and apostles. These men are called of God and it is a privilege if you ever get to cross paths with one of them. It's almost like meeting a spiritual celebrity! 

On Thursday evening, Dallin H. Oaks, one of the 12 apostles, was awarded the 2012 Lee Leiberman Otis Award for distinguished service by the Federalist Society at The University of Chicago Law School.  Aaron and I decided it would be a neat opportunity to see a Church leader recognized for service outside the Church. So we grabbed our friends -- a fellow lawyer and his wife -- and made it a double date. 

It was really neat to hear stories from Elder Oaks's life and realize all he has done for the legal world. What an impact he has had. The presentation was held in a small auditorium with maybe 50-75 people. It's rare to meet with an apostle in that small a setting. At the beginning of his remarks, Elder Oaks clarified that he was not speaking for the Church and he didn't want his words published on the internet. These leaders have to be so careful, don't they? He also mentioned that he had not prepared a formal address as that would have fallen outside the scope of his responsibilities as a general authority for the Church. Isn't that amazing? His calling as an apostle is so important that he really shouldn't take much time doing anything else. Wow! Pretty awesome. I was just really grateful to have the opportunity to hear him speak for a moment and to feel of the spirit he brought with him, particularly when he spoke about service.

I felt like a star struck fan afterward when we approached him and asked for a picture. Aaron made sure to mention that we are from Twin Falls, Idaho. Elder Oaks told us that he went to first and second grade at "the Washington School" on Blue Lakes Boulevard (the school isn't there any more), and that he might still live in Twin Falls if his father had not died at an early age. Cool, eh?! It was fun to have a little connection to make with him. 

I'm grateful for wonderful men like Elder Oaks to help guide us through this crazy world we live in, and so grateful we were able to meet him in person. Thanks for coming with us, Foxes!