President Dallin H. Oaks was born on August 12, 1932 and is now 90 years old. To honor this milestone, Church News released a video highlighting President Oaks’s life and the lessons he has learned, starting with his experiences in childhood.

“I remember the goodness of my parents. I saw them treating others with respect and generosity, and it had an impact on my life—that I was supposed to be good like my parents,” he said.

In the video, he also shares some of his experiences as a student at BYU, his work ethic in law school, and his testimony of God’s living prophet.

“I have seen up close how the Lord guides His prophet President Russell M. Nelson, whom I’ve been privileged to sit beside for all my years as an Apostle,” he says. “And I’ve felt the witness of the Spirit to what he announces as prophet and President of the Church. And I know that God, our Heavenly Father, created a plan for His children.”

You can watch the full video in the player below.

Church News also shared an interview with President Oaks, which was held for his 90th birthday. Here are some of the other lessons he has learned throughout his nine decades of life:

Mortality has speed bumps. President Oaks’s father died unexpectedly when he was just 7 years old. His mother, faced with gaining an education and supporting her family, suffered an emotional breakdown and his grandparents stepped in to help. “Whether you consider your own experiences, or those of your family, or those around you, or those you read about, life is full of a lot of difficulties,” said President Oaks.

Treat others with respect and generosity: During the Great Depression, President Oaks’s father worked as medical doctor for many patients who couldn’t afford to pay him. When his father died and to show gratitude for his goodness, young President Oaks saw many of those patients and families bring his mother “produce or some modest payments” to help her through the early period of widowhood.

To read about the 10 other lessons President Oaks learned throughout his youth, education, career, and service in the Church of Jesus Christ, visit Church News.

In The Hands of the Lord

Dallin H. Oaks may not have seemed the likeliest choice to become an Apostle. His life path had been anything but conventional. He was only 7 when his mother became a widow. His young adulthood saw him joining the National Guard and marrying at 19. But all along that path, the Lord was preparing him for the call that would eventually come. This engaging biography by noted historian Richard E. Turley, Jr. takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the life of an extraordinary leader. It is filled with stories and photographs detailing his boyhood, his family life, his education and military experiences, and his distinguished academic and law career. Most important, we witness his willingness to set aside that career in favor of a higher responsibility. In 1984, when President Gordon B. Hinckley extended the call to the apostleship, Dallin H. Oaks replied, "My life is in the hands of the Lord, and my career is in the hands of His servants." His lifetime of dedication to the Lord's work gives truth to his words and offers inspiration and faith to all who read his story. Available now in Deseret Book stores and at DeseretBook.com.

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