Dallin H. Oaks
A former state supreme court justice who traded the bench for a global pulpit, shaping modern Mormon doctrine and leadership for decades.
Born 1932 (age 94)·American religious leader and jurist·Birthday: August 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dallin H. Oaks has lived a life of parallel callings, each marked by rigorous intellect and deep faith. Before his religious ministry, he carved a distinguished legal career, becoming a clerk for the U.S. Supreme Court and later serving as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court. In 1984, he left the judiciary entirely when he was called to be an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For over forty years, his clear, doctrinal sermons have addressed complex social and theological issues, from religious freedom to family structure, making him one of the church's most influential voices. His ascent to the First Presidency in 2018 placed him at the very heart of the faith's global administration, where his legal mind continues to inform church policy and outreach.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dallin was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dallin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Dallin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2026Age 94 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court from 1980 until his religious calling in 1984.
- Was appointed president of Brigham Young University in 1971 at the age of 39.
- Became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a leading governing body of the LDS Church, in 1984.
- Served as First Counselor in the First Presidency of the church from 2018 to 2025.
Did You Know?
His first name, Dallin, is in honor of the Mormon apostle Dallin H. Oaks's distant relative, Apostle Dallin H. Oaks.
He worked as a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School.
He is a published author on both legal and religious subjects.
He served as a missionary for the LDS Church in the United States as a young man.
“Our priorities are most visible in how we use our time.”
