Elder Cook: be open about beliefs with others

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    By Abby Lyman

    The Annual Law Society featured a fireside recently with special guest Elder Quentin L. Cook, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and receiver of the J. Reuben Clark Society Distinguished Service Award.

    Elder Cook, who graduated from Stanford Law School in 1966, counseled lawyers and students around the world about the Constitution, competiveness in law school, missionary work and the importance of representing Jesus Christ, Friday.

    ?The law and the process of becoming a lawyer are very competitive,? Elder Cook said. ?The respect for credentials can reach an inappropriate level, where they are virtually idols.?

    Elder Cook asked the audience if receiving an ?A? in class was a requirement for happiness. He cited King Benjamin?s address from Mosiah 2:41 in the Book of Mormon and urged viewers to ?consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.?

    Cook went on to explain that the Constitution was a divinely inspired document with three important elements, including the separation of three powers of government, the Bill of Rights and equality of all men before the law.

    ?I enjoyed when Elder Cook talked about the divine inspiration of the U.S. Constitution and how we need to be careful not to think that every word is inspired, merely that many of its principles were inspired,? said second-year BYU law student Justin Townsend, from Jenks, Okla.

    Switching from law to religion, Cook said many people around the world are uninformed about the church. He said how important it is for highly educated individuals to proclaim the gospel and testify of the Savior. Cook urged viewers to use various media outlets to share the gospel.

    ?As a longtime blogger, I was thrilled to hear Elder Cook encourage us as members of the legal profession to be active in sharing our views through various forms of new media,? said BYU law professor D. Gordon Smith. ?Blogging has become an important means by which I participate in public debates about the financial crisis and other issues, and I hope that my blogging reflects well on BYU and the Church.?

    Cook closed by encouraging lawyers to be representatives of Jesus Christ. He explained that as they begin to work as lawyers, people will observe and relate to the values they represent.

    ?I?m not sure you can fully comprehend how significant you are and what you collectively accomplish for the rest of mankind and building the kingdom of God here on earth,? he said.

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