Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Quotes By Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Elder Neal A. Maxwell served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1981–2004. Among others, Elder Maxwell’s most prominent books are All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, Not My Will, but Thine and the Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book. Maxwell was known for his great mind and ability to articulate his thoughts elegantly.

Just as the capacity to defer gratification is a sign of real maturity, likewise the willingness to wait for deferred explanation is a sign of real faith and of trust spread over time.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “Willing to Submit,” Ensign, May 1985, p. 71

Topics: Being Spiritual & Spirituality, Faith, Maturity

“Your lives, your friendships, your marriages, your families, your neighbors and coworkers currently constitute the sample of humanity which God has given you. We are each other’s clinical material, and we make a mistake when we disregard that sober fact. . . . These special moments – one-on-one, in small groups, in corridors, hallways, or wherever – do something so subtle that we are scarcely aware that it is happening. Yet these help to further define our relationships with the Lord and with each other. It is often the one-liners that come from these special moments which have such a long shelf life and which help us long after the dispersal of those friends has occurred.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “Jesus, the Perfect Mentor,” Ensign, February 2001, p. 8

Topics: Attitude, Family, Friendship, Marriage

“I am going to preach a hard doctrine to you now. The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. It is a hard doctrine, but it is true. The many other things we give to God, however nice that may be of us, are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him. And that hard doctrine lies at the center of discipleship.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “Insights from My Life,” Ensign, August 2000, p. 9

Topics: Discipleship, Humility, Sacrifice

“When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | The Women of God

Topics: Mothers & Motherhood, Politics, Women

“The strait and narrow path, though clearly marked, is a path, not a freeway nor an escalator. Indeed, there are times when the only way the strait and narrow path can be followed is on one’s knees!”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “A Brother Offended,” Ensign, May 1982, p. 37

Topics: Prayer

“When we pray, we are not conveying any information to God that he does not already have. Nor, when we confess our sins before him, is it news to him that we have misbehaved. More than we realize, being honest with God in our prayers helps us to be more honest with ourselves.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Topics: Forgiveness, Repentance, Sin

“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we ‘give’… are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 24.

Topics: Eternal Life, Sacrifice, Salvation, Service

The Lord loves each of us too much to merely let us go on being what we now are, for he knows what we have the possibility to become!

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “In Him All Things Hold Together”

Topics: Inspirational Quotes, Plan of Salvation, Potential, Salvation, Short Quotes

“Therefore, what we insistently desire over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts,” Conference October 1996

Topics: Change, Diligence, Perfection

“Creative expression can also represent the celebration of our gratitude to God for our gifts and talents.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell | “Creativity,” New Era, Aug. 1982, 4

Topics: Art