Things As They Really Are

by Neal A. Maxwell

This book is an intense treatment of a vital subject. Unlike portions of the author's previous books that focused on various dimensions of the gospel with discussions of the many insights it provides to us that are essential for coping with reality, this book attempts to probe reality itself-the very center of the gospel plan-the things that matter most, on which everything else hangs, and around which everything else must assemble.

Genres: Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Faith, Church, Lds Non Fiction, Mormonism

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Neal A. Maxwell was well known as an Apostle, author, administrator, and educator. A graduate of the University of Utah, he was the Commissioner of Education for the Church Educational System for six years. He also held a variety of administrative and teaching positions at the University of Utah, including that of executive vice-president.

In 1974 Elder Maxwell was called as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. From 1976 to 1981 he served as member of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and in 1981 was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Maxwell has written numerous books on Latter-day Saint themes, including "If Thou Endure It Well"; "Lord, Increase Our Faith"; "That Ye May Believe"; and "Not My Will, But Thine". He and his wife, Colleen Hinckley Maxwell, had four children.

Elder Maxwell died July 21, 2004.

Reviews

[Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and the clarity with which Elder Maxwell speaks/writes. As a demonstration of how much I liked it, I have 45 little tabs sticking out of the book, marking quotes and points I particularly liked. Elder Maxwell best summarizes what this book is about in the opening paragraphs:

This book is an intense treatment of a vital subject. Unlike portions of the author's previous books that focused on various dimensions of the gospel with discussions of the many insights it provides to us that are essential for coping with reality, this book attempts to probe reality itself—the very center of the gospel plan—the things that matter most, on which everything else hangs, and around which everything else must assemble.

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ gives us many truths, exceptional beauties, and innumerable blessings, but at its center are certain truths that reflect a stunning simplicity. There is, to be sure, a certain stark beauty about these reassurances, but one must not make the mistake of believing in them just because they are attractive; they are to be believed in because they are true, and for no other reason.

Tied irrevocably together, these eternal verities—that there really is the living God; there really is the living Church; there really are living prophets; there really are living scriptures; and there really will be a resurrection with a judgment—comprise the very center of reality.

For some, these truths are hard doctrines. They call for hard decisions. Really believed in, they require significant adjustments in one's life, a spartanizing of the soul, for within their simplicity and relentlessness is a compelling urgency that will not go away.

In the chapters to follow, each of these realities receives individual attention. The scriptures have been searched and the extractions shaped so as to underscore them. The illumination from these truths lights up the landscape of this life and what precedes and follows it, showing what would not be fully visible otherwise. We may still choose to look away, but the realities thus disclosed will not go away.

Although not a large book (in number of pages), I found the clarity in his speaking to be best taken in chunks at a time. Really, what a great book.

[Kristopher Swinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathtakingly, as always, Elder Maxwell tackles the nature of reality itself, for "in the end, we will have either chosen to act in accord with things as they really are--or we will have opted for the fleeting things of this world" (18). We must not repose too much confidence in fleeting "truths," even the imposing ones (2, 9), with which this world is stacked high (4), placing us in the unenviable position, as C.S. Lewis also noted, of being in "enemy territory" (109). "To be too quick to adjust to the ways of this world is to be maladjusted for the next" (3).

Truly, "these are not casual times" (xii), and Elder Maxwell fortifies the territory that members must learn to heed the prophet (xiii, 70-71, 74), as he "will always be in touch with eternity and, in a sense, will therefore stand outside time as he reflects God's will to a people who may be too much caught up in the fashion or problems of any particular age. . . . Prophets are alerted to tiny trends that bode ill for mankind" (76). The gospel still contains all the answers we don't think to seek (see 106), and Elder Maxwell made much of the point that there is a clarity, consistency, and correlation between all the scriptures and prophets. The devil confuses the issues (78-79), but herein he is ratted out in an extensive character sketch.

Few readers detect the steady vision of prophecy buried in Maxwell's beautiful writing concerning "worsening conditions" (14; see dedicatory page, 30-31, 76, 80), in his poetic acknowledgement that "a dying civilization can, of course, be annoyed by the living Church" (58-59). Proceeding from masterful scriptural hermeneutics regarding truth, Elder Maxwell downplays the knowledge of the world (20) in a "turning of things upside down" along God's standards:

Scientists devise costly means to 'speak' and 'listen' to outer space, hoping for an exchange of messages from out there somewhere. The messages from outer space have come, are coming, and will come through the living God and his living prophets. To miss these messages while searching for other sounds from space is like sitting in the front row of a concert hall, straining to hear the crunch of gravel in the symphony parking lot, while missing the glorious sounds of the orchestra. (21)

Furthermore, he has already redefined even "outer space" for the reader: "We . . . are so provincial when we speak of outer space. Outer from whom? Not from God! Outer from what? God has told us there is 'no space in the which there is no kingdom.' (D&C 88:37.)" (5). He continues to reiterate that the similarity and simplicity of truths will impress upon our minds that many worlds are populated and exalted on the same principles as ours. So that's the universal view.

He urges us to take that crucial step toward actually being "a member of a minority" (11), for "the only Roman 'club' to which early Christians obtained admittance was the Coliseum, and, unfortunately, other guests--four-legged and hungry--had been invited too" (14). "How sad that so many cannot see that to be put out of the secular synagogues for one's belief in Christ is the first step toward being let inthe kingdom of God! (John 9:22.)" (62; see 90). Though explaining that despising the crosses of the world is not disdain or reviling, he nonetheless concludes that "the language of diplomacy has its purposes, but they are not universal" (109). In discussing society, he queries, "Why do so many lack the capacity to be aroused, to be stirred over such declining standards?" (20), attributing it to ignorance, indifference, and intimidation, where evil has achieved "momentum," with the flagship sending warnings about pirates, only to learn that pirates already command so many of the ships. Maxwell has commented on the need for integrity in every aspect of life (joining many other Brethren in the call for leaders in the political walk of life whose private lives are also above reproach), and would have concurred with these socially loaded remarks:

Pollster Daniel Yankelovich reported in 1996 that "public distress about the state of our social morality has reached nearly universal proportions: 87 percent of the public fear that something is fundamentally wrong with America's moral condition." As the novelist John Updike put it, "The fact that . . . we still live well cannot erase the pain of feeling that we no longer live nobly." . . .

In my judgment, it is far worse to excuse wrongdoing, watch ethical standards sink, and allow justifiable outrage to die than to confront wrongdoing. . . .

To decry the lack of tolerance in late-twentieth-century America is (as C. S. Lewis once put it) akin to reaching for a fire hose during a flood. A rigid and inflexible embrace of moral truths is not the virus that has invaded America's body politic, nor are we suffering from an oversupply of consistent moral judgments. To the contrary, we live in an era when it has become unfashionable to make judgments on a whole range of very consequential behaviors and attitudes. To take just one example: 70 percent of people between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four say that people who generate a baby out of wedlock should not be subject to moral reproach of any sort. (William J. Bennett, The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals [New York, New York: The Free Press, 1998], 35, 64, 122)

Again, Elder Maxwell stated, "There is today more ecumenicism, but there is also more shared doubt. More and more people believe less and less--but they do believe it together" (48), and in another work, "It may be true, for instance, that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had absolute free speech, but did they have anything worth saying?" (Moving in His Majesty & Power [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 2004], 40).

May we profit from his warning that at the judgment, "we will all openly agree that there were for each of us far more unused opportunities than unpleasant inevitabilities" (115), all part of his explication of foreordination as against predestination or laxity. In many forms and places, he taught toward the end of his life that those who understand and obey the gospel are the only true realists, the only people sufficiently grounded in reality to abide the day.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. I have found that I enjoy Maxwell's later books more than some of his earlier ones, but I still got some really good things out of this.

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish this book because I had to put it down frequently to think about the profound truths found within. I especially enjoyed the last chapter..."things as they really will be". Not light reading, but thought provoking.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be the first to admit that this book is over my head. Elder Maxwell wrote so densely that every paragraph reads like a really important quote. There is condensed knowledge in this book such that 120 pages felt like 3x that.

It's not super accessible material. He drives deep into the Scriptures and ties revelations to modern (at the time, 1978) questions and problems. He wasn't even an apostle in 1978! It's incredible what he understood even prior to that call.

One day all of this book might make sense to me. It would help to break it out chapter by chapter, probably, so it could be digested in bite sizes.

[Elizabeth Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book for we mortals

Elder Maxwell seems to magically know just what say to those who are willing to hear, see and feel deep in their hearts and souls. His knowledge is priceless and so right to the point when i# able to touch each reading soul. Makes you feel the Holy Spirit is right there with you. He is truly a gem of a writer and an outstanding member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Thanks to him lives can be changed for good if they but read, listen. And feel how good it would to be “willing to do as the Lord commands”.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neal A. Maxwell's book defines spiritual realities with his elegant prose. He develops his ideas about each of the important spiritual realities that define "things as they really are": the reality of the spiritual, of God, of the living church, of prophets, of scriptures, explaining the truths about life that each envelops. The book is dense, abstract, so takes concentration to read and understand.

[Janet Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things that really make you think

Elder Maxwell puts things into perspective in this book about things as they really are in a living church. His astute observations keep us focused on what matters most, while warning us of the futility of worldly pursuits and attitudes. A thought provoking read that I would highly recommend.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find the author’s thinking inspiring and prose beautiful. Had I to choose a single word which captured my attention and continues to occupy my mind and influence hopefully allegiant choice and behavior, that word would be: LIVING.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super instructive. I have over 50 book darts throughout. It’s alway good to be reminded to view things as they really are, and as they really will be.

[Apzmarshl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after finding a reference to it when studying Jacob 4.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, Maxwell is a deep thinker and excellent writer. I miss his wisdom and witticisms.

[Voodohound · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Book by Elder Maxwell

Powerhouse book of uplifting doctrine cover to cover! Couldn’t recommend it more, and I have read my fair share of books.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without question, the greatest book written by Maxwell

[Tuly Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Maxwell's grasp of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Neal A Maxwell takes as his subject "things as they really are, and... things as they really will be." (Jacob 4:13) Throughout the book Elder Maxwell attempts to provide perspective to help us discern reality from what the world wants us to believe.

My favorite passage in the whole book:

"This planet earth is a mere microdot, we are told, at the edge of a galaxy that is but one of thousands of galaxies. Some urge us to succeed on this particular planet, at all costs, by yielding to transitory worldly ways. Such urgings are poppycock, and a very provincial poppycock at that. Would we ask someone who is in a jet flying over Europe to adjust to the culture and language of each country whose airspace he is over at the moment? Hardly. Likewise, the disciple of Christ is briefly in but not of this world; it is not his destination, for he follows the living God of the galaxies. The ways of this world are, in fact, alien to the better world he seeks to prepare for. Thus, he must be realistic, for to be too quick to adjust to the ways of this world is to be maladjusted for the next. It is so vital to know, therefore, about things as they really are."

[Rena Phung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Elder Maxwell. Powerful subject. Meaning packed in every word and between the lines of every sentence. I am Loving it. And it is sinking into my soul. And. I'm finding it's absolute truths very empowering as I learn to testify of these truths to those who have not yet learned to believe...
Upon finishing it I am rocked to the core. It ends by speaking of "things as they really will be". And has me longing to be again in the presence of The Lord and has my hoping with all my soul to hear Him say that I am good and faithful and "it is finished". And then I will be Home.
It ends with expansive quote:
"Each soul must--now or later--surrender to God. At that moment the universe becomes a vast home , rather than a majestic but hostile maze. Surprisingly with such surrender comes victory, and never have any received such surrender terms. To yield to Him is to receive ALL that He has!"

[Jargon Jester · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, the title really should have been The Living Gospel. The book covers four principles: the true and living (1) God, (2) Church, (3) prophets, and (4) scriptures. Each section introduces the concept, provides ample support, and then a barrage of unneeded additional text. It felt like the author would go on and on. He would indicate how the gospel was plain and clear, but often used verbiage that many would find difficult to understand. Each section had little nuggets of golden insight that made me think of the topic in a new way. I gained a greater appreciation for the need of a "living prophet" leading a "living church" towards a "living God". Parts of each section felt like the author was trying hard to come up with extra material to stretch it out. It is a bit forced or disconnected. The book could be easily condensed without losing the principles.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Oddly enough, disciples are often seen by others as being narrow; they are occasionally taunted for failing to live realistically in the world—and this by those who are themselves intellectually isolate from the deep, eternal perspectives.”
This is one of the many insightful quotes from this book. His messages about the future as well as our premortal past are incredible. I found it so neat how he described our current times so well (ex. new social morals and politics) when the book was published in 1975. Truly a prophet.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an obscure book of Neil A. Maxwell's that I picked up at D.I. for a song. It's a gem. This book instead of being focused on different aspects of the gospel focuses on reality itself--things as they were, things as they are, and things that are yet to be. He makes a point that we should not believe in things because they are attractive but believe in them because they are true and for no other reason.

Oh, that I could write in one very miniscule way as this man of God does.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was seriously amazing. This explains why people (disciples and apostles) are who they are, and why they do what they do. If we all knew the real truths in life, we would not be so easily tossed around by all the wordly debates. I highly recommend this book to anyone!!!!!!

[Andrew Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Elder Maxwell. He just has such an elegance of writting. I would say he has been one of the last great poets in the Quorum of the Tweleve Apostles. This is a great book among with other short other ones.

[Jackee]

Maxwell has a lovely way of explaining things and such a great mind! He has a far-reaching grasp of the eternities. (In fact, my Kindle wouldn't let me highlight anymore because I had marked the book too much!)

[Dixie Lee]

I am a realist and after reading this book I am glad to be one. Reality is seeing things as they really are and to say we have really lived means we see things as they really are. We know who we are, what we are doing here and what the Lords plan for us is.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several books by Elder Maxwell, but this is my favorite. I believe it is out of print. It is an amazing glimpse into how to get past all the subterfuge we invent in this life.

[Mara Sundwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Maxwell books. He's a master.

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the great writers of our day. he has a way with the english language that is so full of life and rich metaphors. loved it.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A living God. His gospel. The prophets. The scriptures. The things that matter the most! I love me some Elder Maxwell!

[Clayton Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trials and tribulations tend to squeeze the artificiality out of us, leaving the essence of what we really are and clarifying what we really yearn for.

[Marvelle Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elder Maxwell is a master teacher.