Mormon Musings

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 be more honest with ourselves. Elder Neal A. Maxwell

  While faith is not a perfect knowledge, it brings a deep trust in God, whose knowledge is perfect! Otherwise, one’s small data base of personal experience permits so few useful generalizations! But by searching the holy scriptures, we access a vast, divine data bank, a reservoir of remembrance. In this way, the scriptures can, as the Book of Mormon says, enlarge the memory. (See  Alma 37:8 .) Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 1991 General Conference

I promise you that as you willingly acknowledge and carefully treasure the spiritually defining events in your life, more and more will come to you. Elder Neal L. Andersen

Elder Neal A. Maxwell  Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Having all been richly nourished by this general conference, it is fitting to focus prescriptively on the few in the Church who remain spiritually undernourished, including those who have grown weary and fainted in their minds. (See  Heb. 12:3 .) A few of these few have had their faith scorched, such as by the circumstances of wrenching or unrelieved sickness, grinding economic pressures, loss of a loved one, or deep disappointment with a spouse or friend. Adversity can increase faith or instead can cause the troubling roots of bitterness to spring up. (See  Heb. 12:15 .) A few have been overcome by the preoccupying cares of the world, those wearying, surface things of life. (See  Matt. 13:6–7 .) Emerson’s plea is surely appropriate: “Give me truths: for I am weary of the surfaces.” (“Blight,” in  The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson,  New York: Wm. H. Wise & Co., 1929, p. 874.) A few a...

In 1936, an obscure rowing team from the University of Washington traveled to Germany to participate in the Olympic Games. It was the depths of the Great Depression. These were working-class boys whose small mining and lumber towns donated bits of money so they could travel to Berlin. Every aspect of the competition seemed stacked against them, but something happened in the race. In the rowing world, they call it “swing.” Listen to this description based on the book The Boys in the Boat: There is a thing that sometimes happens that is hard to achieve and hard to define. It’s called “swing.” It happens only when all are rowing in such perfect unison that not a single action is out of sync. Rowers must rein in their fierce independence and at the same time hold true to their individual capabilities. Races are not won by clones. Good crews are good blends—someone to lead the charge, someone to hold something in reserve, someone to fight the fight, someone to make peace. No rower is more v...

Latter-Day Saints need to remember that those who live now are being called upon to work out our salvation in a special time of intense and immense challenges.  [During] the last portion of the dispensation of the fullness of times...great tribulation and temptation will occur.  The elect will almost be deceived and unrighteous people will be living much as they were in the days of Noah.  Therefore, though we have rightly applauded our ancetors for their spritual achievements and we don't and must not discount them now, those of us who prevail today will have done no small thing.  The special spirits who have been reserved to live in this dispensation of the fulness of times will one day be praised for their stamina by those who pulled handcarts. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Notwithstanding My Weakness", p. 18

  For anyone today with pains so intense or so unique that you feel no one else could fully appreciate them, you may have a point. There may be no family member, friend, or priesthood leader—however sensitive and well-meaning each may be—who knows exactly what you are feeling or has the precise words to help you heal. But know this: there is One who understands perfectly what you are experiencing, who is “mightier than all the earth,” 17   and who is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that [you] ask or think.” 18   The process will unfold in His way and on His schedule, but Christ stands ready   always   to heal every ounce and aspect of your agony. As you allow Him to do so, you will discover that your suffering was not in vain. Speaking of many of the Bible’s greatest heroes and their griefs, the Apostle Paul said that “God … provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect.” 19 ...

Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results. David A. Bednar