The Neal A. Maxwell Institute recently published nearly two dozen of Elder Maxwell’s best—and hardest-to-find—talks. When his family proposed the idea, the institute immediately agreed and set to work. The addresses were selected in part for their relevance to modern church members. For example, “Great Answers to the Great Questions” examines whether a redeeming Christ still matters, while “A Choice Seer” distinguishes Joseph Smith’s paradigm-shifting revelations from his self-confessed flaws. The end result is a rare collection of discourses by Neal A. Maxwell that acquaints younger generations with the apostle who championed the concept of Latter-day Saints as “disciple-scholars.”
???? Learn More: The talks referenced in this article are available for free online at mi.byu.edu/elder-maxwell-addresses.
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New Rare Discourses: The Elder Maxwell Project
“We Were Off to the Races”: Compiling the Talks
As Maxwell Institute Fellow Rosalynde Welch explains, the project began with an invitation from the Maxwell family—particularly Elder Maxwell’s son, Cory Maxwell, who served for many years on the Institute’s advisory board.
The family proposed gathering some of their father’s lesser-known addresses and making them available to a new generation. “That garnered an immediate ‘yes’ from us,” Welch recalls, “and we were off to the races.”
They capture what many remember best about Elder Maxwell.
The family identified roughly two dozen talks that capture what many remember best about Elder Maxwell, particularly what Welch refers to as his “legendary intelligence” and “rhetorical skill.”
They also wanted discourses that could uniquely speak to Latter-day Saints living today—church members who never got the chance to learn from the alliterative apostle before he passed away in 2004.
In addition to transcripts, the family also provided the Maxwell Institute with photos and related materials, which have been made available online.
“Disciple-Scholars”: Furthering Elder Maxwell’s Legacy
Before his call to the apostleship (1981–2004), Neal Ash Maxwell was a political science professor and a senior university administrator. His experiences gave him expertise to speak about both the promise and the perils of academic life.
Yet, as Welch notes, the interests of the man who coined the term “disciple-scholar” extended far beyond the academy.
“He could speak with authority on both the importance of the life of the mind to the kingdom of God and to the spiritual and social pitfalls that can accompany life in the ivory tower,” she explained in an email to From the Desk.
Themes in the Newly Published Talks
The new talks cover a wide variety of themes, from autobiographical experiences such as Elder Maxwell’s famous Okinawa foxhole story (included in Saints 3) to examinations of faith and repentance.
True to form, the new discourses show the apostle scrutinizing discipleship with the same characteristic vigor as addresses that have long been available, including “The Pathway of Discipleship” and “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father.”
Elder Maxwell also reflects on his engagement with politics and public life. Welch says these topics are especially relevant given today’s similarities to the culture-war era of the 1970s and 1980s, which led the apostle to address “hot-button social issues.”
“It’s deeply instructive to see Elder Maxwell’s blend of boldness and gentleness when speaking politically,” she said.
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3 Highlights From the New Elder Maxwell Collection
1. “Great Answers to the Great Question” (1986)
Is there really a redeeming Christ? In this newly published discourse, Elder Maxwell uses teachings from the Book of Mormon to say, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Originally delivered in 1986, the talk offers contemporary Latter-day Saints a valuable perspective at a time when society’s concerns about faith are increasingly focused on relevance.
Powerful Phrases: Maxwellisms and Moving Alliteration
Elder Maxwell’s “Great Answers” address is a masterclass in his signature rhetorical style. He uses alliteration not just for flair, but to anchor deep doctrines, moving the listener from the depths of the human condition to the heights of the Restoration.
The Struggles of the Soul
— Elder Maxwell often used sharp, evocative alliteration to diagnose the spiritual anxieties and intellectual barriers of the modern world.
- “Literature of Lamentation.” His piercing contrast between secular works of despair and the “Gospel of Hope.”
- “Mortal Melancholy.” The heavy, existential weight of the human condition that finds its only cure in the “Great Answers” of Christ.
- “Slit-eyed Skepticism.” A vivid warning against approaching revelation with a closed mind.
- “Trail of Testifying Tombstones.” A hauntingly beautiful tribute to the pioneer Latter-day Saints whose headstones bore witness to the Restoration.
The Glories of the Restoration
— In contrast to the darkness of doubt, these “Maxwellisms” celebrate the expansive, rhythmic nature of revealed truth.
- “Luxuriant Meadows of Meaning.” A vivid metaphor for the spiritual nourishment found in the “green pastures” of the Book of Mormon.
- “Prophet-originator, Prophet-editor, and Prophet-translator.” A rhythmic “triad” honoring the divine chain of custody from King Benjamin and Mormon to Joseph Smith.
- “Rhythm of the Restoration.” The harmonic convergence where the Bible and the Book of Mormon move together in one purpose.
- “Triumphant Triad of Truth.” Elder Maxwell’s celebratory label for the three-fold scriptural witness of Christ: (1) the Bible, (2) the Book of Mormon, and (3) the yet-to-come records of the lost tribes.
???? Learn More. Explore the full talk from the 1986 BYU Book of Mormon Symposium, in which Elder Maxwell uses more than 60 scriptural citations in his landmark defense of the “Great Answer.”
2. “Becoming Like God and Jesus Christ” (1990)
How do you develop discipleship when society is obssessed with success? Elder Maxwell teaches how to transform temporary mortal skills into “portable” eternal truths.
The apostle’s intellectual reputation is on full display as he rebrands life’s crushing disappointments as a high-level curriculum, using the concept of “vocational crises” in the next life to humorously emphasize that our bank accounts and press clippings are mere “fluff” compared to the things of eternity.
Key Quotes: Becoming Like God
- The Requirement of Likeness: “If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses.”
- The “Portable” Nature of Character: “The skills you will acquire are useful here… But they’re obsolete. But patience is never obsolete. The capacity to love is never obsolete. So these qualities are eternal. They are also portable.”
- The Definition of Discipleship: “The resurrected Jesus said, ‘What manner of men and women ought you to be? I say unto you, even as I am.’ That is discipleship. And it is the only journey that really matters.”
???? Learn More. Read the full talk, including an introduction by the Maxwell Children about their father’s participation in the 1978 priesthood revelation.
3. “Joseph Smith: A Choice Seer” (1986)
Do we fully understand the teachings of Joseph Smith? Recently, Richard Bushman reflected on Rough Stone Rolling, concluding that he now sees the Prophet as “more inventive and ingenious” than he did when his landmark biography was published in the 2000s.
It’s a theme that mirrors Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s teachings from decades before.
In “Joseph Smith: A Choice Seer,” the apostle connects ancient prophecy with modern history, seeking to comprehend the Prophet’s “dazzling” scriptures that stretch our view of the universe while calling on Latter-day Saints to move beyond “doctrinal illiteracy” and “intellectual arthritis.”
It is important to remember what the Prophet said of himself.
Elder Maxwell opens his address by distinguishing between Joseph’s imperfections and revelations:
Whenever we talk about the Prophet Joseph Smith, it is important to remember what he said of himself:
“I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught.”
Neal A. Maxwell, “Joseph Smith: A Choice Seer.”
Noteworthy Quotes: A Choice Seer
- Scriptural Density: “From Joseph Smith, one unlearned and untrained in theology, more printed pages of scripture have come down to us than from any other mortal.”
- The Weight of Truth: “The doctrines that came through that ‘choice seer’… are often so light-intensive that, like radioactive materials, they must be handled with great care!”
- A Cosmic Identity: “Identity exists amid immensity. We are enclosed in divine purposes! There is no need for despair!”
- The “Platte River” Metaphor: “Our present appreciation of the restored gospel lags embarrassingly far behind the stretching significance of its doctrines and theology. … We have barely reached the Platte River, and it is time for us as a people to move on!”
???? Learn More. Read the full talk and see a 1994 photograph provided by the Maxwell Family of the apostle and his wife with their family in Winter Quarters.
“Our Highest Hope”: Appreciation for the Maxwell Legacy
All 22 hard-to-find talks were selected with the primary goal of increasing awareness of Elder Maxwell’s legacy.
“What I find most edifying, in the end, is his testimony of Jesus Christ,” said Welch, noting that her teenage son never got to experience Elder Maxwell’s “signature style” because he was born after the apostle died.
“Now,” she said, “he will have an understanding and appreciation for the Maxwell ministry and legacy.”
“That was our highest hope with this project.”
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Further Reading
Learn more about the life and teachings of Elder Neal A. Maxwell in these From the Desk articles:
- How Did Elder Maxwell Become a Disciple of Christ?
- Where Can I Find Books and Talks by Neal A. Maxwell?
- What Is in the Final Letters Between Elder Maxwell and Eugene England?
- How Did Truman Madsen Understand the Latter-day Saint View of Human Nature?
- Does Atonement Theory Matter to Latter-day Saints?
Links to 22 Rare Neal A. Maxwell Addresses
These hard-to-find transcripts were recently published by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at BYU:
- Become Like God and Jesus Christ (Link)
- “Behold, the Enemy Is Combined” (Link)
- Called to Service as Disciple of Jesus Christ (Link)
- For the Commandment Is a Lamp; and the Law Is Light (Link)
- Great Answers to the Great Question (Link)
- “In Him All Things Hold Together” (Link)
- Insights From My Life (Link)
- Joseph Smith: A Choice Seer (Link)
- Lord, Increase Our Faith (Link)
- “Meek and Lowly” (Link)
- Meeting the Challenges of Today (Link)
- “Murmur Not” (Link)
- Notwithstanding My Weaknesses (Link)
- O, Divine Redeemer (Link)
- “Our Creator’s Cosmos” (Link)
- Patience (Link)
- Repentance (Link)
- Take Especial Care of Your Family (Link)
- Teaching by the Spirit: The Language of Revelation (Link)
- “The Constitution: The Wisest Ever Yet Delivered to Men” (Link)
- Try the Virtue of the Word of God (Link)
- Why Not Now? (Link)
