Mormon Musings

​ What reason concludes are impassable mountains, revelation shows to be rolling hills over which we can pass if we press forward. Sitting and staring at the slopes can make them into stern Sierras.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell (Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward, p. 43.).

Promptings often come in short, crisp phrases, impressing upon us a certain duty. They come in other ways to each of us. We know what’s happening to us, but we don’t know all the implications of it. But God knows. It’s a sacred process. We know more than we can tell other people—not only for reasons of confidentiality but for what I will call “contextuality.” Those who are not a part of the process are not likely to value and understand its significance. They’re not apt to appreciate fully. The whole process of subtle inspiration and revelation is like this metaphor: An inspired painter working on a large canvas does not report to or ask patrons or friends to react to each brushstroke. Nor does he exclaim after each stroke of his paintbrush well before the canvas reflects any emerging pattern. Yet each stroke the painter registers on the canvas is a part of an inspired whole. Without those cumulative, individual strokes, there would be no painting. But each stroke, if examined by its

How often have you and I really pondered just what it is...that will rise with us in the resurrection? Our intelligence will rise with us, meaning not simply our I.Q., but our capacity to receive and to apply truth. Our talents, attributes, and skills will rise with us, certainly also our capacity to learn, our degree of self-discipline, and our capacity to work. Note that I said "our capacity to work" because the precise form of our work here may have not counterpart there, but the capacity to work will never be obsolete. To be sure, we cannot, while here, entirely avoid contact with the obsolescent and the irrelevant. It is all around us. But one can be around irrelevancy without becoming attached to it, and certainly we should not become preoccupied with obsolete things. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, BYU Devotional, September 1981

Correlation is a concept I'm often asked to define. I sometimes respond by citing a story that is told about the Church when a federal army was sent out here to harass the Saints. The Brethren had decided on a policy of irritation without violence. In keeping with that policy Porter Rockwell and Lot Smith were dispatched to a distant army camp where Lot Smith was to secretly and quietly remove the pins from the army's wagon wheels while Porter Rockwell was to drive off all the army's horses. In the dark of night, Lot was busily taking out wagon wheel pins, and Porter war-whooped into the camp and drove off all the horses, including Lot Smith's. Lot later walked wearily many miles back to Church headquarters and reportedly said, "Brethren, we've just got to get correlated." Today's correlation challenges are different, but the basic need remains. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, BYU Devotional 1976 http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=1153

The late Carl Sagan, who communicated effectively about science and the universe, perceptively observed that in some respects, science has far surpassed religion in delivering awe. How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, ‘This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said—grander, more subtle, more elegant. God must be even greater than we dreamed’? Instead, they say, ‘No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.’ A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths. Sooner or later, such a religion will emerge. [2] Latter-day Saints certainly should not lack reverence and awe—especially when we contemplate the universe in the context of divinely revealed truths. Yes, the cosmos “as revealed by modern science” is “elegant,” as Sagan wrote. Bu

Here is a link to the transcript and pictures from a talk given by Elder Maxwell in August, 2002. Absolutely amazing stuff!! http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/study-and-faith-selections-religious-educator/chapter-4-our-creators-cosmos

A superficial view of this life...will not do, lest we mistakenly speak of this mortal experience only as coming here to get a body, as if we were merely picking up a suit at the cleaners. Or, lest we casually recite how we have come here to be proved, as if a few brisk push-ups and deep knee bends would do. Neal A. Maxwell, April 1985 General Conference 

President Brigham Young once made a statement which has impressed me very much. In a quiet moment with his secretary and two others, someone asked, “President Young, why is it that the Lord is not always at our side promoting universal happiness and seeing to it that the needs of people are met, caring especially for His Saints? Why is it so difficult at times?” President Young answered, “Because man is destined to be a God, and he must be able to demonstrate that he is for God and to develop his own resources so that he can act independently and yet humbly.” Then he added, “ It is the way it is because we must learn to be righteous in the dark .” (Brigham Young’s Office Journal, 28 January 1857)(emphasis added) quoted by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, September 1982 fireside See also 1 Nephi 8:4-8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bazILfQd1uQ “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18; see also Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:2). “And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; . . . “. . . For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them” (Moses 1:33, 35). http://www.ldsces.org/content/talks/general/2002-maxwell-our-creators-cosmos__eng.pdf

All about us we see hypocrisies as between public and private behavior, as if God had issued two sets of commandments--one for indoors and another for outdoors. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "If Thou Endure It Well", p. 16)

Perhaps it is true in discipleship as it is in athletics that the legs go first. Good spiritual legs such as those of ancient Joseph, in the face of temptation from Potiphar’s wife, are so crucial. In that terse verse we read of Joseph that he “fled” (Genesis 39:12). It takes courage to run away from evil, and good legs. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, BYU Devotional January 1999 http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=805

The designation "chosen", of course, is not just status; it confers great responsibilities upon those chosen to reach their fellowmen.  God gives the picks and shovels to those "chosen" because they are willing to go to work and get callouses on their hands.  They may not be the best or most capable, but they are the most available. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (Deposition of a Disciple, p. 54) It makes sense to me that the Lord would chose out of the world those who are (or who could become) different from the world and, therefore, could lead the world to a different outcome.  We must be different in order to make a difference. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (Deposition of a Disciple, p. 54)

Like it or not, therefore, reality requires that we acknowledge our responsibility for our desires.   Brothers and sisters, which do we really desire: God's plans for us or Satan's [plans for us]?    Righteous desires need to be relentless, therefore, because, said President Brigham Young "the men and women to desire to obtain seats in the Celestial Kingdom will find that they must battle every day."   Therefore, true Christian Soldiers are more than mere weekend warriors.   Elder Neal A. Maxwell

On occasion, the biting of the tongue can be as important as the gift of tongues. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (Ensign, November 1990, p. 16)

As the Lord communicates with the meek and submissive, fewer decibels are required, and more nuances are received. Even the most meek, like Moses (see Num. 12:3), learn overwhelming things they “never had supposed.” (Moses 1:10 .) But it is only the meek mind which can be so shown and so stretched—not those, as Isaiah wrote, who “are wise in their own eyes.” (Isaiah 5:21 ; see also 2 Nephi 9:29  and 2 Nephi 15:21 .)  Elder Neal A. Maxwell  (1985 April General Conference)

It is so easy to be half hearted, but this only produces half the growth, half the blessings, and just half the life, really, with more bud than blossom.  A superficial view of this life, therefore, just will not do, lest we mistakenly speak of this mortal experience only as coming here to get a body, as if we were merely picking up a suit at the cleaners.  Or, lest we casually recite how we have come here to be proved, as if a few brick push-ups and deep knee bends would do. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 1985 General Conference https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/04/willing-to-submit?lang=eng

...we so blithely say in the Church that life is a school, a testing ground. It is true, even though it is trite. What we don't accept are the implications of that true teaching—at least as fully as we should. One of the implications is that the tests that we face are real. They are not going to be things we can do with one hand tied behind our backs. They are real enough that if we meet them we shall know that we have felt them, because we will feel them deeply and keenly and pervasively. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, BYU Fireside, September 1, 1974 http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1022