Last Friday night I was invited by my dear friend, retired US Senator Orrin Hatch, to hear Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch speak at BYU at an event being put on by the Hatch Foundation. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Introducing Justice Gorsuch was President Dallin H. Oaks (the\nFirst Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day\nSaints). Prior to being called into\nchurch service, President Oaks had graduated law school, was a law clerk for US\nSupreme Court Justice Earl Warren, became a practicing attorney, was a law\nprofessor, was President of BYU, and was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court. President Oaks and his wife Kristen also happen\nto be two of my very favorite people that I think the world of. President Oaks has given some amazing talks\nin the past on the importance of protecting the US Constitution, the importance\nof religious freedom, and the need for greater civility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was also fun to get to see Elder D. Todd Christofferson\n(a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church) and his wife\nKatherine as I\u2019ve known both of them since I was in High School and we were\nboth living in Brentwood Tennessee. \nElder Christofferson is also a lawyer and was once a law clerk for Judge\nJohn J. Sirca during the Watergate hearings. \nHe has also given some incredible talks over the years on similar subjects.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This event was my first time meeting Justice Gorsuch and I\nhave to tell you that I was incredibly impressed by the things he shared in his\ntalk. He spoke mainly of the need for\ncivility in our country. He shared how\ncivility is always possible, even when we disagree on issues. He explained how\nhe and his fellow Supreme Court Justices have tremendous respect for one\nanother even though they fall on opposite sides of issues. He shared that mutual\nrespect and kindness mixed with some good old laughter and a few practical\njokes they play on one another helps them keep their relationship positive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also during his talk he shared his concern that many young\npeople in America don\u2019t recognize the importance of our Constitution. He said youth\noften express that they think of themselves as citizens of the world. \u201cI tell them if you mean you recognize the\ndignity and worth of all people, I\u2019m all in – If you mean that there is nothing\nspecial about the Constitution, the rule of law, this special gift you\u2019ve been\ngiven, think again.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Gorsuch ended his talk by asking everyone in the\naudience to exercise civility when advocating civility and to show more\nkindness to others. He shared that while he\u2019d been a professor he would ask\nstudents to write their own obituaries in class. He would then ask some of them\nto read it aloud to the class. He said that never in ten years of teaching had\nany student talked about how much money they made or the time they spent at work,\nbut rather they\u2019d written about the service they\u2019d done and the kindness they\u2019d\nshown to others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Great words from a clearly great man, and a great night in the presence of so many great people I look up to and respect so dearly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n