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SALT LAKE CITY — Elder Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received the prestigious Canterbury Medal Thursday night in New York City for his lifetime of service in promoting the cause of religious freedom.

More than 500 people were in attendance, including religious leaders of numerous faiths, as the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty made the presentation to Elder Oaks, a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Oaks called it the most influential audience he's ever addressed on the subject of religious freedom.

He encouraged people of all faiths to unite and "walk shoulder to shoulder on the same path" to strengthen and defend religious freedom.

"The free exercise of religion is the basic civil liberty because faith in God and His teachings and the active practice of religion are the most fundamental guiding realities of life," Elder Oaks said.

Others attending the event spoke highly of Elder Oaks and his leadership on the issue of preserving religious freedom.

Robert P. George, a professor at Princeton University, said, "It is a very special night because we're honoring a great man — not only an LDS leader but an American leader."

Francis Cardinal George, archbishop of Chicago, presented the award to Elder Oaks.

Religious freedom must not be seen as something serving only the interests of churches and synagogues. It must be understood as a protection for religious people, whether or not their beliefs involve membership or behavior. –Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"In recent years, Catholics and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have stood more frequently side by side in the public square in order to defend human life and dignity. It's through this cooperation around shared principles and concerns that I've come to know (Elder Oaks)," he said.

The president of the Becket Fund, William P. Mumma, said in an interview prior to Thursday night's event that the interfaith efforts are reason for optimism.

"The experience of the Mormon church and the Catholic church really represent what's happening in the country at large," he said. "Who would've imagined 15, 20 years ago that Cardinal Dolan and members of the LDS church would be regularly meeting, would be friendly, would be cooperative. We aim for mutually desired aims, which is essentially to defend religious liberty. Not just for Catholics and Mormons, but for all Americans. That's a pretty optimistic course."

Addressing the audience, Elder Oaks noted that for the past half century scholars have observed the role of religion declining in American life.

"In this same period, the guarantee of free exercise of religion seems to be weakening in public esteem," he said. "It is surely under siege by the forces of political correctness, which would replace it with other priorities."

Public understanding and support of religious freedom is important for the future, he said.

He also noted encouraging signs, including a recent study showing that one-fourth of all Americans consider religion to be the First Amendment freedom most threatened.

Elder Oaks said it's important to understand that religious freedom is an issue for all religious people, not just those who belong to a church or synagogue. Studies show an increasing number of Americans considers themselves religious but not associated with organized religion. Elder Oaks called religious freedom "a protection for religious people, whether or not their beliefs involve membership or behavior."

He urged religious people and institutions to "insist on our constitutional right to exercise our beliefs and to voice our consciences on issues in the public square and in the halls of justice."

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