Good morning and aloha!
I am thrilled to be here with you. I love this campus, and I love this school. Lia and I love and admire your president and first lady. Sister Kauwe and I were high school classmates during the glory days of Provo High School. Indeed, I think we were the glory days of Provo High School, the incomparable class of 2000. It’s delightful to reconnect with the Kauwes and to spend this devotional hour with you. I’m honored and humbled by the invitation to speak. I pray that the Holy Spirit will magnify my modest offering to your lasting benefit.
On Easter Sunday 2021, President Dallin H. Oaks delivered a landmark general conference address entitled, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution.” Although President Oaks spoke specifically about the Constitution of the United States, I believe that his talk was for everybody—for every member of this Church and every inhabitant of this planet. As you might recall, President Oaks spoke about five inspired constitutional principles—popular sovereignty, federalism, the separation of powers, fundamental rights, and the rule of law—and about our duty as members of the Church to defend them. Today I want to speak about what those principles might mean for you—the future leaders of a global church.
I do so with great confidence in you. Although your generation is sometimes maligned in the popular media, prophets of God speak of your potential in soaring terms. Of your generation, President Russell M. Nelson has observed: “Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits—perhaps, I might say, His finest team—for this final phase” before the Lord’s return. “Those noble spirits—those finest players, those heroes—are you! . . . With the Holy Ghost as your companion,” He promised, “. . . You can be smarter than previous generations have ever been.” [1]
I share our prophet’s faith in you—in your nobility and righteousness, in your capacity and valor. Today, I hope to convey to you something of critical role I believe you will play, and the powerful impact I believe you can have, in helping to secure the freedom and happiness of all our Father’s children in every nation of this earth. As the Lord declared in the Doctrine and Covenants, the core principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution “belong to all mankind” (D&C 98:5) and “should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh” (D&C 101:77).
Before turning to those principles, I want to explain why they matter so much to the Lord and why they should matter to you—why they are so critically important that a counselor in the First Presidency would discuss them in general conference, and that an obscure professor would revisit them at your Tuesday devotional.
In the premortal council in heaven, the adversary “rebelled against [God], and sought to destroy the agency of man” (Moses 4:3). Even today, “the father of lies” seeks “to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will” (Moses 4:4). He remains an implacable enemy of agency, “for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Ne. 2:27).
By contrast, the Savior embraced the Father’s plan and emerged as eternity’s greatest champion of freedom. “Father,” He said, “thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2). In ways that I don’t fully understand, the Savior’s Atonement gives eternal effect to the Father’s gift of agency. Lehi prophesied: “And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon” (2 Ne. 2:25-26; emphasis added).
I love the Lord Jesus Christ and testify that He is the fount of every blessing, the giver of all good gifts, the eternal source of light and life, liberty and love. We who have covenanted to follow Him must join Him in defending human freedom.
One way He defends human freedom is by inspiring wise men and women to establish structures of government that promote moral agency. One such structure is the United States Constitution, which helped prepare the way for the latter-day Restoration of the Savior’s gospel. In 1833, the Lord directed His persecuted Saints to seek redress for their grievances.
“According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. “Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose.” (D&C 101:77-80)
These verses highlight three overarching principles:
- The Lord “established” the United States Constitution, including by “raising up” and inspiring the “wise men” who crafted it.
- The Lord did so to preserve and promote human agency. [2]
- The “just and holy principles” enshrined in the U.S. Constitution “should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh”—for all the children of God in every nation of the world. [3]
Although we affirm that the Lord “established” and inspired the U.S. Constitution, we do not claim that the original Constitution was perfect. President Oaks and others have spoken of the Constitution’s “birth defects,” most notably its compromise provisions regarding slavery. [4] I believe that the Lord’s inspiration has attended various amendments to the Constitution—including those banning slavery, promising equal opportunity to persons of all races, and empowering women to vote—as much as it attended the Constitution’s original framing.
On the topic of slavery, I reiterate that the Lord in the 1833 revelation condemned it, declaring that “it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another” (D&C 101:79). I also emphasize that the American Revolution—far from being waged to extend or perpetuate slavery, as some commentators contend—actually helped spark the first global movement for abolition. As the most eminent living historian of the U.S. founding era has observed: “the [American] Revolution created the first antislavery movement in the history of the world. In 1775 the first antislavery convention known to humanity met in Philadelphia at the very time the Second Continental Congress was contemplating a break from Great Britain. The Revolution and antislavery were entwined and developed together.” [5] Subsequent generations of Americans—including the generation that framed and ratified the Constitution—were too slow to honor the Revolution’s animating principles of liberty and equality for all persons. But the problem in this respect lies with human choices, not with core constitutional principles.
It is in these principles that we discern the divine inspiration that helped shape the U.S. Constitution. As noted earlier, after a lifetime of dedicated study—including as a legal scholar, as a judge, and as an apostle of the Lord—President Oaks identified five inspired principles at the Constitution’s core. These are:
- Popular Sovereignty—“the principle that the source of government power is the people.” [6]
- Separation of Powers—the decision “to delegate independent executive, legislative, and judicial powers so these three branches could exercise checks upon one another.” [7]
- Federalism—“the division of delegated power between the nation and its subsidiary states.” [8]
- Fundamental Rights—“the cluster of vital guarantees of individual rights and specific limits on government authority.” [9]
- The Rule of Law—the principle that “[w]e are to be governed by law and not by individuals.” [10]
I want to explore these inspired principles in the context of a global Church.
I hope that all of you will lead out in applying and defending them in your home nations. I shall illustrate each principle with examples drawn from the Book of Mormon.
I'll start with popular sovereignty. For five centuries, the Nephites were ruled by kings. But at the end of his reign, King Mosiah proposed a dramatically different form of government—one rooted in popular sovereignty—under which government officers would be chosen “by the voice of the people” (Mosiah 29:25). Mosiah offered both pragmatic and principled reasons for this change. On the pragmatic side, he explained that “it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right” (Mosiah 29:26). On the principled side, King Mosiah observed that rule by the people would reinforce gospel principles of agency and accountability, ensuring “that if these people commit sins and iniquities they shall be answered upon their own heads” (Mosiah 29:30).
Persuaded by their king’s arguments, Mosiah’s people “became exceedingly anxious that every man should have an equal chance” and “answer for his own sins” (Mosiah 29:38).
This new government also incorporated the separation of powers. In Mosiah’s scheme, officers called “judges” would check one another. If some judges “do not judge you according to the law . . . ,” Mosiah explained, “ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge. If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges . . . shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people” (Mosiah 29:28-29).
The Book of Mormon repeatedly warns against concentrating power in a single set of hands. Describing the tyrannical rise of Amalickiah, Mormon underscores “the great wickedness [that] one very wicked man can cause to take place” (Alma 46:9). Similar examples abound in our own time, as the war in Ukraine tragically attests.
The principle of federalism is illustrated by another Book of Mormon king. After a miraculous encounter with the missionary Ammon, the Lamanite high king granted his son Lamoni governmental autonomy within the broader Lamanite realm. “I will grant . . . that my son may retain his kingdom from this time and forever,” the high king said; “and I will govern him no more” (Alma 19:26). Tellingly, this same king later reinforced his commitment to federalism by proclaiming universal religious liberty throughout his kingdom (see Alma 23:8-15).
I pause briefly to suggest that the structural constitutional protections I have just described—popular sovereignty, the separation of powers, and federalism—do at least as much to protect human freedom as do declarations of human rights. The late Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court put the point colorfully. “Every banana republic,” he said, “has a bill of rights.” [11]
Many of our Father in Heaven’s children live under governments that remain profoundly unfree despite their lofty bills of rights. The Russian Federation’s bill of rights promises, for example, to honor “universally recognized principles and norms of international law”; it bans censorship, propaganda, and other restrictions on individual freedom. That bill of rights, however, has proven crushingly ineffective because it isn’t bolstered by structural constitutional protections. Instead, a single leader was able to amass all effective governing power, and the war in Ukraine came.
Dear friends, if you wish to preserve and promote human agency—including religious freedom—you will need to pay close attention to constitutional structures.
You will also need to focus on fundamental rights, as did several great heroes in the Book of Mormon. I have already mentioned Lamoni’s father and his commitment to religious liberty. Although enduringly converted himself, he did not compel his people to convert. In their better days, the Nephites similarly enacted “no law against a man’s belief” (Alma 30:7). Captain Moroni’s armies spent decades defending religious liberty and other basic freedoms (see generally Alma 43-62).
Throughout the Book of Mormon, the fate of different peoples correlates closely with their efforts to uphold or subvert the rule of law. Not long before the Savior’s birth, the rule of law collapsed among the Nephites, with corrupt rulers “[c]ondemning the righteous because of their righteousness” and “letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money” (Hel. 7:5). Later, a similar breakdown in the rule of law hastened the destruction of Nephite civilization.
As we have just seen, the inspired principles emphasized by President Oaks—popular sovereignty, the separation of powers, federalism, fundamental rights, and the rule of law—are powerfully highlighted in the Book of Mormon. To me this suggests that these enduring principles can bless God’s children in vastly different times and settings.
At its best, the United States constitutional tradition has honored these principles. As noted earlier, the U.S. Constitution and its promise of religious liberty provided a necessary prelude to the latter-day Restoration of the fulness of the gospel. We see a similar pattern in other nations. The Danish constitution of 1848 and the Mexican constitution of 1857 both guaranteed religious liberty, and in both countries those guarantees facilitated the preaching of the Savior’s restored gospel and the establishment of His restored Church.
After the Second World War, constitutional democracy spread throughout the globe. I believe that this happened, at least in part, in response to President George Albert Smith’s prayer, offered at the dedication of the Idaho Falls Temple in 1945, “that kings and rulers and the people of all nations under heaven may be persuaded” to embrace enduring constitutional principles. [12]
In my own research, I have been inspired to see how these constitutional principles have blessed the people of Germany after Nazism and the people of South Africa after apartheid. I have also been inspired by the work of my colleagues at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS), who have championed inspired constitutional principles around the world. Since its founding in 2000, ICLRS has supported law reform projects—mostly related to religious liberty—in more than 50 nations, including recent projects in Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
During the 1990s, the center’s founding director, Cole Durham, helped with reform projects in several post-Soviet nations. In one case, a government official observed that, whereas commentary from other groups struck him as “vitriolic,” “protesting,” and “complaining,” Professor Durham’s analysis was “the most valuable information we received concerning the draft law.” Since then, the center has become known for assistance that is respectful, informational, meaningful, instructional, positive, non-condemnatory, and collaborative. [13] I am pleased that ICLRS has recently increased its engagement on the BYU–Hawaii campus. I hope that some of you will feel impressed to get involved with the center’s essential work. Even more, I hope that all of you will become good constitutional citizens who promote inspired constitutional principles in your home nations.
How can we do this? How do we do the hard work of promoting and defending divinely inspired constitutional principles? There are many answers to this question, but for today let me suggest five principles of constitutional citizenship to complement President Oaks’ five principles of constitutional governance. These five principles are (1) knowledge, (2) optimism, (3) leadership, (4) virtue, and (5) charity. I believe that by living these principles, you will profoundly bless your home communities and your native countries. Let me say something about each one.
- Knowledge. We cannot be effective constitutional citizens if we are unversed in constitutional principles. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord exhorts us to “study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people” (D&C 90:15). He directs us to “hasten . . . to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, and of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion” (D&C 93:53). I encourage you to take full advantage of your rich opportunities to learn about constitutional principles at BYU –Hawaii.
- Optimism. We won’t contribute much to the cause of human freedom without hope for a better future. “We should trust in the Lord,” President Oaks declared, “and be positive about this nation’s future.” [14] I believe the same is true for members of the Church in all nations. We should thank the Lord for the freedoms we enjoy, plead for those that we or others lack, and work to preserve and promote human agency throughout the world, beginning in our home nations.
- Leadership. After explaining that inspired constitutional principles “belong to all mankind,” the Lord directed that “honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold” (D&C 98:6, 10). (This directive obviously applies to honest, wise, and good women as well.) Church leaders have long encouraged Church members to seek public office and to render public service. I believe that the world’s communities and nations sorely need the leadership—including the constitutional leadership—of BYU–Hawaii graduates. Our troubled world needs you. May the Lord bless your efforts to provide such leadership in your home nations following your studies on this beautiful campus.
- Virtue. “Our Constitution,” wrote John Adams, “was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” [15] Any constitutional democracy requires a virtuous citizenry—a citizenry willing to sacrifice selfish interests for the greater good. One crucial way to promote constitutional principles is simply to live the gospel.
- Charity. The principles I have just described are all critically important, but I believe that the last of them is the most important of all.
As the Apostle Paul said in a different context, “the greatest of these is charity” (1 Cor. 13:13). Many years ago, an influential German thinker observed that free governments depend on conditions that they cannot themselves guarantee. [16] Free governments cannot ensure the conditions of their own survival, that is, without ceasing to be free governments. One of those conditions is a citizenry voluntarily committed to defending constitutional freedom together.
In our day, that commitment is under strain. At least in the United States, devotion to core constitutional principles and freedoms is declining, especially among the rising generation. Relatedly, our society is increasingly polarized. Individuals are increasingly inclined to regard political adversaries as existential enemies, rather than as fellow citizens with whom they happen to disagree. Promoting constitutional principles will require that we restore our fraying bonds of civic charity. “On contested issues,” urged President Oaks, “we should seek to moderate and unify.” [17]
In this respect, the Lord’s living prophet has issued a clarion call. In his April 2023 General Conference message, President Nelson implored us to avoid contention and establish peace in our private lives and in our personal relationships. He also entreated us to become peacemakers in civic life and in the public square. He decried “the venomous contention that infects our civic dialogue” and called on Latter-day Saints to lead out “in a higher, holier way.” “[W]e can literally change the world . . . ,” the prophet promised, “ [b]y modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and dignified dialogue.” [18]
President Nelson concluded his stirring message with this rallying cry: “Let us as a people become a true light on the hill—a light that ‘cannot be hid.’ Let us show that there is a peaceful, respectful way to resolve complex issues and an enlightened way to work out disagreements. As you demonstrate the charity that true followers of Jesus Christ manifest, the Lord will magnify your efforts beyond your loftiest imagination.” [19]
Dear friends, I believe that you will be among the faithful, covenant-keeping disciples who help transform the world’s communities and nations with the pure love of Christ.
Beloved students, I have great hopes for you. This is a sacred campus and a consecrated community. I hope that you will do all that you can to banish contention from this holy place, to cultivate charity in all your interactions, to establish peace in your campus ‘ohana, and to build up Zion on this island of the sea.
Then, when your BYU–Hawaii adventure is over, I hope you will return to your home countries and become peacemakers there. I hope you will preserve and promote human agency by defending inspired constitutional principles such as popular sovereignty, federalism, separation of powers, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. I further hope that you will bless your communities and nations by practicing such citizen principles as knowledge, optimism, leadership, virtue, and charity. In doing so you will advance the work of our merciful Father in Heaven and that of His glorious, Only Begotten Son.
Brothers and sisters, I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Holy Messiah, our Savior and Redeemer. I testify that true freedom and enduring peace flow only from Him and His infinite Atonement. He wields “[a]ll power . . . in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). He sits enthroned on God’s right hand “to claim of the Father his rights of mercy” (Moro. 7:27). I promise that if you will come unto Him, He will assert those rights in your behalf. He is your advocate, champion, and friend—merciful, majestic, and mighty to save.
I bear witness of Him, of His true and living Church, and of His anointed witnesses, in the unconquerable name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Russell M. Nelson, “Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018,
[2] Cf. D. Todd Christofferson, “Preserving and Promoting Human Agency,” BYU Commencement Address, April 27, 2023,
[3] Cf. Dallin H. Oaks, “Pursuing Religious Liberty Worldwide,” Address at the 2022 Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit in Rome, Italy, July 20, 2022.
[4] Gordon S. Wood, Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution (Oxford University Press, 2021) 100.
[5-6] See Dallin H. Oaks & Clark G. Gilbert, “Stand Fast with Love in Proclaiming Truth,” Ensign College Devotional, May 17, 2022.
[7-10] Dallin H. Oaks, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” Liahona, May 2021.
[11] Antonin Scalia, The Essential Scalia: On the Constitution, the Courts, and the Rule of Law (Jeffrey S. Sutton and Edward Whelan, eds., Crown Forum, 2020) 41.
[12] In Ezra Taft Benson, “Heavenly Banner,” 16 (citing Improvement Era, October 1945, p. 564).
[13] Elizabeth Clark, “The Path to Healing: Collaboration Promoting Religious Freedom, Human Dignity, and Peace,” Annual Report 2021: International Center for Law and Religion Studies, p. 4.
[14] Dallin H. Oaks, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” Liahona, May 2021
[15] Ernst-Wolfgang Bӧckenfӧrde, “Die Entstehung des Staates als Vorgang der Säkularisation” in Säkularisation und Utopie. Ehebracher Studien, Ernst Forsthoff zum 65. Geburtstag (Kohlhammer, 1967) 75, 94.
[16-17] John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, October 11, 1798, Founders Online, National Archive: Founders Online.
[18] Dallin H. Oaks, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” Liahona, May 2021
[19] Russell M. Nelson, “Peacemakers Needed,” Liahona, May 2023.