Thomas Griffith, a retired federal appellate judge and Latter-day Saint, says he was moved by Church President Dallin H. Oaks' comment that his views on religious liberty changed when he learned they hurt other people. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Griffith called the acknowledgment unprecedented in his experience.

Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice, has spoken extensively on constitutional questions throughout his career. Griffith described the statement as evidence of Oaks' willingness to reconsider positions when confronted with their impact on others.