Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s stimulating style, thought-provoking phrases and well-known quotes are organized into the new book, “The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book: Illustrated Edition.”
The book is a newer, picturesque version of the original “Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book,” published in 1997. The large, 448-page, possibly seven-pound book features 1,500 quotes on over 200 topics.
Elder Maxwell’s friends and acquaintances noted his eloquent speaking style and outlook on the LDS gospel. Elder Bruce C. Hafen was Elder Maxwell’s biographer and friend. Hafen told of his experience listening to one of Elder Maxwell’s first conference talks.
“His speaking style was so provocative that it left the brethren among whom I sat visibly breathless,” Hafen said in the introduction to the book. “They were not accustomed to such phrases as ‘the living of one protective principle of the gospel is better than a thousand compensatory governmental programs’ — which are, so often, like ‘straightening deck chairs on the Titanic.’”
As a general authority, the brethren of the church noticed Maxwell’s articulate phrases as well. President Gordon B. Hinckley said in Elder Hafen’s “A Disciple’s Life: The Biography of Neal A. Maxwell” that he sometimes read Elder Maxwell’s talks three times.
The first time “just to get a sense of it,” President Hinckley said. “The second time to learn what he said. The third to really appreciate it as gold.”
The author of the book is BYU graduate Cory H. Maxwell, Elder Maxwell’s son. When his father passed away in 2004 he felt a new edition would be useful.
“I have not added quotations from books or talks prepared by Elder Maxwell after the original edition of this volume was published,” Cory Maxwell wrote in the preface. “The purpose of an illustrated edition is to offer a keepsake version of the book rather than an updated or revised edition.”
Cory Maxwell thanked his father’s secretaries, editors, illustrators, Deseret Book, his wife, and of course, his father.
“Deciding which quotations to include in a work such as this is naturally a subjective process,” Cory Maxwell wrote. “While I attempted to include those that I felt were the most important, incisive and memorable expressions of gospel principles, another compiler would undoubtedly have included some that I have not. Some readers may be disappointed that a favorite quotation of theirs is not here, but I hope I have been successful in finding ‘most of the best’ and in conveying a sense of keenness of Elder Maxwell’s insights and his boundless love for the fullness of the gospel.”
“I love this book,” said Taryn Jones, an education major from Plano, Texas, as she was purchasing the book. “Elder Maxwell has amazing insights and he really was a brilliant and fascinating man.”
Customers have said the book is “great for daily meditation” and have called it a “powerful and inspirational book.”
The book is on sale at Deseret Book, Seagull Book and other local LDS bookstores.
Helen.Hovenier@gmail.com
Copyright Brigham Young University 2 Jun 2009
