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Enoch; real learning experiences (Maxwell)

Enoch surely had received special lessons in patience in the development of his special city "in process of time." Though His enemies hated and feared the city of Enoch, they nevertheless stood "afar off" out of respect for Enoch's access to divine power, which access depended upon Enoch's personal righteousness.  As the results of his tutorials, the Enoch who had earlier felt inadequate later actually moved mountains.  A matured Enoch, once slow of speech, become so powerful the people trembled when he spoke, "so great was the power of the language which God had given him." But Enoch never forgot the Source of his eloquence...Yet it all began with a meek lad who was slow of speech and who was disliked by the people. (See also Ether 12:27)

Neal A. Maxwell, Even As I Am, p. 48

In acknowledging that we cannot comprehend all that God comprehends, this attitude should apply not alone to the galaxies, but also to the constellation of characteristics that make up our present personalities.

Neal A. Maxwell, Even As I Am, p. 59

It should not offend us, therefore to see even great men growing and developing.  Nor should we be offended to see the growth in ourselves as we move, grow by grace, from what we are to what we have the power to become.  On one hand, we see in the divine tutorials of The Lord has given to His friends how this mortal experience--in order for us to reach the Father's high purposes for His children--could not consist of anything resembling play-acting in which we go winkingly through the motions of stress, testing and proving.  The tutorials must be real, or the learning would be superficial.

Neal A. Maxwell, Even As I Am, p. 65

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