Dallin H. Oaks introduced a new concept during the October 2024 General Conference. He states that while some commandments are permanent, others are temporary. He then provides a few examples of each before moving on in his talk and not returning to the subject to conclude that we must forgo contention, be peacemakers, and avoid what is harsh and hateful. But we are left to ponder, are these permanent commandments or temporary?
The Lord’s commandments are of two types: permanent, like the doctrine of Christ, and temporary. Temporary commandments are those necessary for the needs of the Lord’s Church or the faithful in temporary circumstances, but to be set aside when the need has passed. An example of temporary commandments are the Lord’s directions to the early leadership of the Church to move the Saints from New York to Ohio, to Missouri, and to Illinois and finally to lead the pioneer exodus to the Intermountain West. Though only temporary, when still in force these commandments were given to be obeyed.
Some permanent commandments have taken considerable time to be generally observed. For example, President Lorenzo Snow’s famous sermon on the law of tithing emphasized a commandment given earlier but not yet generally observed by Church members. It needed reemphasis in the circumstances then faced by the Church and its members. Recent examples of reemphases have also been needed because of current circumstances faced by Latter-day Saints or the Church. These include the proclamation on the family, issued by President Gordon B. Hinckley a generation ago, and President Russell M. Nelson’s recent call for the Church to be known by its revealed name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Dallin H. Oaks, Following Christ, October 2024 General Conference
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/18oaks
The Shifting Sands of “Permanent” Commandments in the LDS Church
Traditionally the church defined all commandments as permanent. Apostle L. Tom Perry stated emphatically just 11 years prior, while Oaks was also still an Apostle. He promised that even though the world changes, God and His commandments do not. He states, “They are immutable and unchanging.” Perry further clarifies that the commandments “have never changed and will never change”.
God reveals to His prophets that there are moral absolutes. Sin will always be sin. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. The world changes constantly and dramatically, but God, His commandments, and promised blessings do not change. They are immutable and unchanging. Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws…
In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers, nor should its stakes and wards, its families, or its individual members. We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God’s commandments. We must stand firm and steadfast, having perfect confidence in the Lord’s consistency and perfect trust in His promises.
May we ever be a light on the hill, an example in keeping the commandments, which have never changed and will never change.
L. Tom Perry, Obedience to Law Is Liberty, April 2013 General Conference
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/obedience-to-law-is-liberty
Oaks’ comments on “temporary” and “permanent” commandments present an effort to categorize LDS teachings in a way that both justifies past doctrinal reversals and reinforces obedience to the current leadership. A closer examination of LDS history reveals that many so-called “permanent” commandments have, in fact, undergone significant change—sometimes completely disappearing from modern practice. This raises serious questions about the credibility of the church’s claim to divine consistency and exposes the way leadership selectively reinterprets doctrine to suit institutional needs.
The Reality of “Permanent” Commandments
Oaks asserts that permanent commandments, such as “the doctrine of Christ,” remain unchanged. Yet, he hopes followers will not notice that the fundamental tenets of LDS belief have shifted over time, even the examples of “permanent” commandments have not been permanent at all.
The nature of God
Early LDS teachings, focused on the Godhead in the same manner as other protestant Trinity. Later, it became the position of the church that the Godhead was three distinct beings. The nature of God further developed, particularly in Joseph Smith’s King Follett Discourse, where he presented a new doctrine of God. Smith declared that God was once a man and that humans could become gods. This was further taught by church leaders for decades, with Lorenzo Snow coining an oft-quoted couplet, As Man is God once was, as God is, man may be. Later, and still currently the church distances itself from teaching this. President Hinckley even denied that it was taught by the church in a nationally published interview.
Priesthood Access
From 1852 through 1978, black men were denied the priesthood based on their skin color and African blood, what church leaders claimed was God’s unchangeable law. There were multiple statements and letters from church leadership defending this as a permanent commandment of God. After multiple social pressures, this restriction was lifted abruptly, despite decades of prior insistence that it was divinely ordained. Today the church celebrates this change, as divinely inspired, in hopes that it will be forgotten that it was defined multiple times by generations of leadership as unchangeable.
Tithing as a commandment
Oaks specifically cites Lorenzo Snow’s emphasis on tithing as an example of a permanent commandment being reinforced over time. However, the concept of tithing has not remained constant. In Joseph Smith’s time, it was initially a voluntary donation of surplus, not the rigid 10% income requirement enforced today. The oft-quoted Lorenzo Snow on tithing is even misquoted and manipulated to make the commandment of today seem permanent, yet analyzing the actual quotation, we find that tithing was intended for “those who have means,” yet today is demanded even of the poor and destitute and is used as a manipulative promise of prosperity.
The Proclamation on the Family
Oaks presents this 1995 statement as an example of a permanent commandment being “reemphasized.” However, its status as a commandment is debatable—it was never canonized and contradicts earlier LDS teachings on polygamy and gender roles, both of which have evolved significantly and still stand as current church doctrine and practice.
The Revealed Name of the Church
Oaks even referenced President Russell M. Nelson’s obsession with enforcing the world to use the “revealed” name of the church rather than any offensive nicknames. They forget that this revealed name of the church was retrofitted to match the legal corporate name of the church today. Previous leadership taught that the now offensive to God and “major victory for Satan” Mormon monicker, was acceptable and the church even sponsored multi-million dollar marketing campaigns in effort to “own” the term. Yet, today, Mormon is a pejorative term used by enemies of the church. How is this an example of permanence?
These examples illustrate that LDS doctrine is far from permanent; rather, it is fluid, shifting based on social and institutional pressures.
The Convenience of “Temporary” Commandments
This introduction of “temporary commandments” serves a convenient purpose: it allows the church to explain away problematic past teachings without fully acknowledging error. For instance, Oaks cites early church migrations as examples of temporary commandments, but conveniently ignores more controversial historical policies that were once framed as eternal laws:
Polygamy
Once preached as essential to exaltation, polygamy was defended with scriptural and prophetic authority. The LDS Church now claims it was merely a temporary commandment, despite its continued presence in doctrine (D&C 132 remains canonized) and practice (celestial polygamy is still endorsed through posthumous sealings).
The Word of Wisdom
Originally introduced as a suggestion, it became a binding commandment over time. The interpretation of what it includes has also changed—early LDS leaders, including Brigham Young, drank alcohol and tea, yet today, violation of this “permanent” commandment bars members from temple worship.
By framing past teachings as “temporary commandments,” the church sidesteps accountability for harmful doctrines and policies, recasting them as necessary for their time rather than acknowledging that they were human errors. Would Oaks agree that the Mountain Meadows Massacre was due to a temporary commandment? One that changed from the time Brigham Young ordered it and allegedly rescinded the order?
Preemptive Justification for Future Reversals
Oaks’ distinction between temporary and permanent commandments also provides a foundation for future doctrinal reversals. If leadership ever needs to change a major teaching—such as the church’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues—they can later claim it was always meant to be “temporary.” This rhetorical framework ensures that no commandment is ever truly permanent, except insofar as it is useful to the institution at a given moment.
The church already has many examples of these “temporary” commandments regarding LGBTQ members. In November 2015, a leaked policy change sparked outrage that defined members in same-sex relationships and marriages as apostates and forbade their children from being baptized. This was later reversed, thus making the policy only temporary. These policy reversals or temporary commandments shake membership to the core with insane mental gymnastics. No wonder leaders also state that in the latter-days, members must have unshakable faith to sustain the church leadership.
Doctrinal Inconsistency as a Feature, Not a Bug
Oaks’ categorization of commandments as either “temporary” or “permanent” serves as an attempt to explain away contradictions in LDS history, but it ultimately exposes a deeper issue: LDS doctrine has never been as unchanging as leaders claim. What is truly permanent is not any specific commandment, but rather the expectation of unquestioning obedience. By manipulating the narrative around past teachings, the church maintains control while avoiding accountability for the harm caused by doctrines that were once deemed eternal.
If the history of the LDS Church tells us anything, it’s that no commandment is truly permanent—except for the unspoken one: follow the prophet, no matter what he says today or how much it contradicts what was said yesterday.
Share Your Journey
The ever-shifting landscape of LDS doctrine raises an important question: If even “permanent” commandments can change over time, what does that mean for the trust placed in church leadership? The introduction of the “temporary commandment” framework conveniently justifies past contradictions, but it also exposes the reality that faith in the institution has often required members to rewrite their own history and ignore past teachings that no longer align with the present narrative.
If you’ve wrestled with these contradictions—if you’ve questioned why what was once called eternal has now been discarded or redefined—you are not alone. Many have navigated the same doubts, faced the same difficult realizations, and had to reconcile their beliefs with the shifting doctrines of the church. Your experience matters, and your story deserves to be heard.
At wasmormon.org, we invite you to share your faith journey. Whether you are questioning, transitioning, or have already stepped away, your perspective can help others who are facing similar struggles. By telling our stories, we create a space where doubt is not feared, where questions are valued, and where those who leave are no longer silenced. If we don’t tell our stories, the church will tell them for us—so let’s share the truth in our own words. Join us and add your voice to the growing collection of experiences.
More reading:
- Oaks Demonizing Criticism and Avoiding Accountability
- Dallin Oaks Lectures Senate Committee regarding Honesty
- Dallin Oaks Teaches “Research Is Not The Answer”
- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/18oaks
- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/obedience-to-law-is-liberty
- https://wheatandtares.org/2024/10/13/temporary-commandments/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/1fwxv8a/president_oaks_talk_during_the_first_saturday/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTPq6_I70QE
- https://discussmormonism.com/viewtopic.php?t=159211
- https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,2524203