Elder Oaks Mentions Global Warming as a Threat to the World

[Anonymous]

Elder Oaks spoke at BYU-Hawaii and mentioned explicitly the threat of global warming. I wanted to fist pump when I read about it.

The speech has some elements that, while phrased generically, can be read in ways that won’t resonate here, but I was pleased that he kept it at the “correct principles” level and never got specific in the areas where it could have been contentious here. I was struck particularly by the reference to global warming (twice), as we’ll as a few other places that give me even more hope that he is and will be more progressive than most people assume. It reminded me a little of his talk on the Priesthood in which he said that endowed women have Priesthood power and authority of their own and that all members, male and female, use Priesthood power and authority in their callings.

Here is a summary of his speech:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865674276/Push-back-against-the-world-Elder-Dallin-H-Oaks-encourages-BYU-Hawaii-grads.html

[Anonymous]

I’ll often see people that are of the attitude that god will take care of the environment or that god wouldn’t let anything truly bad happen.

Why not take a Pascal’s Wager-esque approach to environmental issues?

Take care of the environment. If god is taking care of the environment, you still have a healthy environment. If god is not taking care of the environment, you still have a healthy environment.

Don’t take care of the environment. If god is taking care of the environment, you still have a healthy environment. If god is not taking care of the environment, you’re in trouble.

So yeah, nice to see an ecclesiastical leader remind us that we’re stewards and that we have a responsibility.

[Author]

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