SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dallin H. Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice, was appointed on Tuesday to lead The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has over 17 million followers globally.
Oaks’ appointment as president of what is commonly referred to as the Mormon church follows the recent passing of his 101-year-old predecessor, Russell M. Nelson. His rise to leadership is expected; a traditional church policy dictates that the longest-serving member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a key leadership group, becomes the subsequent president. This tradition is intended to facilitate a smooth transition and eliminate both internal and public lobbying efforts.
In his role as president, Oaks is regarded as a prophet and seer, tasked with steering the church through divine insights from God along with two chief counselors and members of the Quorum. He’ll establish church policies and manage its various business ventures.
The church’s change in leadership occurs as its members are dealing with distress from a fatal assault on a congregation in Michigan and confronting the well-publicized killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, the church’s headquarters.
Oaks, at 93, will be among the church’s oldest presidents, serving in the position until his passing. The durations of past presidencies have ranged widely, from nearly 30 years to just nine months.
Analysts believe it is unlikely that Oaks will drastically diverge from Nelson’s leadership style, given that he was one of Nelson’s closest confidants. However, some speculate that Oaks may shift focus from Nelson’s emphasis on the church’s global influence towards addressing domestic matters.
In the first major difference from Nelson’s presidency, Oaks announced during the faith’s recent general conference that the church will slow the announcement of new temples.
He also emphasized the importance of family while acknowledging that not all families look the same. In a departure from his typical sermons, which often appeal more to reason than emotion, Oaks shared a story about the day his grandfather told him at age 7 that his father had died. He went on to describe the value of being raised by a single mother and others who stepped into parental roles for him and his siblings.
Oaks is known for his jurist sensibilities and traditionalist beliefs on marriage and religious freedom. He has been a driving force in the church against same-sex marriage and in upholding a teaching that homosexuality is a sin — a position that causes uneasiness among LGBTQ+ members and their allies.
He said in 2022 that social and legal pressure would not influence the church to change its posture on same-sex marriage and matters of gender identity.
Yet in recent years, Oaks has been part of some key church moves that suggest he might not make the topic a centerpiece of his administration, experts say. Oaks was Nelson’s closest adviser in 2019 when Nelson rescinded a policy that banned baptisms for children of gay parents and labeled same-sex couples as sinners eligible for expulsion.
Oaks has also been a strong advocate for civil public discourse.
Early on as an apostle, he was involved in a crackdown on far-right extremism that resulted in some excommunications. In 2020, he gave a speech about having faith in elections without resorting to radicalism or violence.
