Neal A. Maxwell

Neal A. Maxwell
edit data
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
July 23, 1981 (1981-07-23) – July 21, 2004 (2004-07-21)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
LDS Church Apostle
July 23, 1981 (1981-07-23) – July 21, 2004 (2004-07-21)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
Reason	Gordon B. Hinckley added to First Presidency
Reorganization at end of term	Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar were ordained following the deaths of Maxwell and David B. Haight
Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy
October 1, 1976 (1976-10-01) – July 23, 1981 (1981-07-23)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
End reason	Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
First Quorum of the Seventy
October 1, 1976 (1976-10-01) – July 23, 1981 (1981-07-23)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
End reason	Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 6, 1974 (1974-04-06) – October 1, 1976 (1976-10-01)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
End reason	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Neal Ash Maxwell July 6, 1926(1926-07-06) Salt Lake City, Utah
Died	July 21, 2004(2004-07-21) (aged 78) Salt Lake City, Utah
Resting place	Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772°N 111.858°W / 40.7772; -111.858 (Salt Lake City Cemetery)

Neal Ash Maxwell (July 6, 1926 – July 21, 2004) was an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1981 until his death.

Life

Neal A. Maxwell was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Clarence Maxwell and his wife Emma Ash. Clarence had moved to Salt Lake City from Montana about four years earlier and had joined the LDS Church not long after moving there.

Neal Maxwell attended Granite High School.

During World War II, Maxwell served as an infantryman in the United States Army, where he saw action on Okinawa.

After the war, Maxwell served as a missionary of the LDS Church for two years in Canada.

While pursuing his undergraduate education at the University of Utah before leaving on his mission Maxwell met Colleen Hinckley. After Maxwell returned from his mission he resumed courting Collen and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on Nov. 22, 1950.^[1] They were the parents of four children.

Maxwell earned bachelors and masters degrees in political science from the University of Utah. He spent 1952-1956 working in Washington D.C., first for the US government and then as an assistant to Senator Wallace F. Bennett.

Maxwell was a professor of political science at the University of Utah. He first joined the University of Utah staff as assistant director of public relations in 1956. In 1958 he was made Assistant to the President. In 1961 he became secretary to the Board of Trustees, in 1962 he was made dean of students. He was made vice president for planning and public affairs. In 1967 he became Executive Vice-President of the University of Utah.^[2]

From 1959-1962 Maxwell served as bishop of Salt Lake City’s University Sixth Ward. He was a member of the General Board of the YMMIA and a member of the Adult Correlation Committee for the next five years.

In 1967, Maxwell was called to be one of the first 69 regional representatives of the Twelve when that position was created.^[3] From 1970 to 1974, he served as the tenth Commissioner of Church Education overseeing the Church Educational System. It was under his direction that the system came to be known as the Church Educational System.

Maxwell began serving as a general authority of the church in 1974, when he was called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In 1976, Maxwell became one of the seven presidents of the seventy when the calling of Assistant to the Twelve was eliminated.

Maxwell was ordained an apostle by N. Eldon Tanner on July 23, 1981, following the calling of Gordon B. Hinckley as a counselor in the First Presidency. He was sustained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church on October 3, 1981. Among the many assignments Maxwell had as a general authority was to preside over the organization of new stakes of the church. One of the more notable of these was the organizing of the Aba Nigeria Stake in 1988 with David W. Eka as president. This was the first stake in the church staffed entirely by people of African descent.

Maxwell wrote approximately thirty books concerning religion and authored numerous articles on politics and government for local, professional and national publications. He is well known for his extensive vocabulary and elegant style of speaking and writing. His highly alliterative talks have always presented a great challenge to translators. During one General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the translators had categorized each of the talks to be given into five levels of difficulty. All of the talks were assigned to levels one through four, except Maxwell’s. His talk was alone at level five.^[4] Commenting on his speaking and writing styles at Maxwell's eulogy, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley said,

“

I know of no other man who spoke in such an interesting and distinct manner. His genius was the product of diligence. He was a perfectionist determined to exact from every phrase and sentence vivid imagery that brought the gospel to life. Each talk was a masterpiece, each book was a work of art. I think we shall not see one like him again.[5]

”

He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Utah; an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Westminster College, Salt Lake City; an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Utah State University, Logan, Utah; an Honorary Degree from Ricks College, Rexburg, Idaho; and an Honorary Degree from Salt Lake Community College.

The University of Utah established the Neal A. Maxwell Presidential Endowed Chair in Political Theory, Public Policy and Public Service in the fall of 1998.

Maxwell's business career included serving as a director of several business firms, including Questar Corporation, Questar Pipeline, and Deseret News Publishing Company. He also was active in public service, such as his service as chairman of the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission.

Maxwell received the Liberty Bell award from the Utah State Bar in 1967 for public service. In 1973, the Institute of Government Service at Brigham Young University named him Public Administrator of the Year.

Death

Maxwell died in his native Salt Lake City, Utah, from leukemia. He was originally diagnosed with leukemia in 1996, eight years before his death. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery. According to President of the Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, Maxwell "accomplished more in these last eight years than most men do in a lifetime."^[5] Maxwell was survived by his wife, the former Colleen Hinckley, 4 children, 24 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. The vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve caused by his death was filled by David A. Bednar.

The BYU Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts was renamed the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship after Maxwell's death.

• 

  Grave marker of Neal A. Maxwell.

Publications

• Maxwell, Neal A. (1969). ...A More Excellent Way: Essays on Leadership for Latter-day Saints. Deseret Book Company. OCLC 885816. 
•    (1970). "For the power is in them..." Mormon Musings. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-432-X. 
•    (1973). The Smallest Part. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-505-9. 
•    (1974). That My Family Should Partake. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-538-5. 
•    (1975). A time to Choose. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-482-6. 
•    (1975). Of One Heart: The Glory of the City of Enoch. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-604-7.  Republished 1981, ISBN 0-87747-298-X. Republished again as The Enoch Letters. 2006. ISBN 1-59038-647-7. 
•    (1976). Deposition of a Disciple. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-720-9. 
•    (1977). Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-685-3. 
•    (1978). Things as They Really Are. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-730-2. 
•    (1981). Notwithstanding My Weakness. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-855-4. 
•    (1983). Plain and Precious Things. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-979-8. 
•    (1984). We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-762-0. 
•    (1985). Sermons Not Spoken. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 0-88494-571-5. 
•    (1986). But For a Small Moment. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 0-88494-585-5. 
•    (1987). Meek and Lowly. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-071-2. 
•    (1990). Wonderful Flood of Light. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 0-88494-728-9. 
•    (1991). Men and Women of Christ. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 0-88494-785-8. 
•    (1991). Even as I Am. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-499-8. 
•    (1992). That Ye May Believe. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 0-88494-843-9. 
•    (1994). Lord, Increase Our Faith. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 0-88494-919-2.  Republished 1998, ISBN 1-57008-583-8 (paperback)
•    (1997). Women of Faith. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57345-259-9. 
•    (1998). All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-613-3. 
•    (2000). The Collected Works of Neal A. Maxwell. Eagle Gate Publishers. ISBN 1-57345-896-1. 
•    (2001). Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 1-57008-325-8. 
•    (2001). The Promise of Discipleship. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57345-983-6. 
•    (2002). If Thou Endure It Well. Bookcraft Publications. ISBN 1-57008-233-2. 
•    (2002). Not My Will, but Thine. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-88494-672-X. 
•    (2002). One More Strain of Praise. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57008-679-6. 
•    (2003). The Precious Promise: A Message for Women. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-59038-167-X. 
•    (2003). Whom the Lord Loveth: The Journey of Discipleship. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-59038-206-4. 
•    (2004). Moving In His Majesty And Power. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-59038-393-1. 

Notes

1. ^ Moore, Carrie A. (July 23, 2004). "Elder Maxwell dies at 78". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/595079314/-Elder-Maxwell-dies-at-78.html 
2. ^ Wilkinson, Ernest L.; Arrington, Leonard J.; Hafen, Bruce C., eds (1976). Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years. 3. Provo: Brigham Young University Press. pp. 749–750. ISBN 9780842507080. OCLC 1857978 
3. ^ Hugh B. Brown, Conference Report^{[dead link]}, October 1967.
4. ^ "Elder Neal A. Maxwell: A Devoted Life". New Era. September 2004. http://lds.org/new-era/2004/09/elder-neal-a-maxwell-a-devoted-life?lang=eng 
5. ^ ^{a b} Moore, Carrie A. (July 28, 2004). 'We shall not see one like him again'. Deseret News. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595080351,00.html 

References

• Hafen, Bruce C. (February 1982). "Elder Neal A. Maxwell: An Understanding Heart". Ensign: 6. http://lds.org/ensign/1982/02/elder-neal-a-maxwell-an-understanding-heart?lang=eng. Retrieved 2011-08-26 
• Hafen, Bruce C. (2002). A Disciple's Life: the Biography of Neal A. Maxwell. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. ISBN 9781570088339. OCLC 50560768 
• Mikita, Carole (July 27, 2004). Funeral Services For Elder Neal A. Maxwell. KSL-TV. http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=39&sid=109151 
• "Elder Neal A. Maxwell Dies After Long Battle With Leukemia". Newsroom (LDS Church). July 24, 2004. http://newsroom.lds.org/article/elder-neal-a.-maxwell 

External links

• Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Neal A. Maxwell
• Neal A. Maxwell Confluence, online resource of his published works
• Quotable Gems from Neal A. Maxwell from Famous Quotes.
• Listen to, How Choice a Seer, October, 2003 LDS General Conference sermon
• Neal A. Maxwell at Find a Grave

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by James E. Faust	Quorum of the Twelve Apostles July 23, 1981–July 21, 2004	Succeeded by Russell M. Nelson