Apostle Quentin L. Cook Urges Young Adults in Laie, Hawaii, to Avoid Anonymity and Hidden Cruelty

Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave a special worldwide devotional on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. It was broadcast from the campus of Brigham Young University–Hawaii in Laie, Hawaii. In the address, he invited young adults around the world to become a positive influence on the people around them.

Cook recalled living in San Francisco in the 1960s, a period of protests, violence and social tensions. He said that then-Elder Harold B. Lee had advised Church members in the Bay Area to follow the prophet, build Zion in their hearts and homes, be a light to the community and stay focused on the temple.

Cook warned that hiding behind anonymity to attack, humiliate or harm others is incompatible with being a light. “If we are to be a light, we should never seek to diminish that of another person,” he said, according to one report. A second report, from The Salt Lake Tribune, said Cook stated that remaining anonymous online can be spiritually dangerous and bring “terrible consequences,” and that wanting to be anonymous is a serious sign of danger and one of the adversary’s tools.

Cook cited historical examples of concealed identity. One report said he pointed to the Ku Klux Klan and to the mob assault on Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, whose members hid their faces. The Tribune’s account said the mob painted their faces when they tarred and feathered the two men. That report also said Cook recounted that a Jewish friend had explained the importance of not hiding one’s identity, and referred to the masked Klan’s hostility toward Jews, Black people, Catholics and immigrants.

Cook, who is 86, cautioned young adults never to put on a false face or a mask of anonymity. According to the Tribune, he urged members to be a light on the hill rather than hide their identity, especially in what he described as toxic times.

Cook encouraged members to steer clear of anonymity both online and in person, and to be peacemakers, a call to make peace rather than wound others (Matthew 5:9).