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We will prove them herewith
The Savior has given us a plan of salvation which, if followed, will ensure our happiness and lead us back to God. Exactly what does that plan require? How does it function in eternity and in our immediate lives, and how necessary is it? What can we expect if we implement the plan fully in our lives? These are questions we must answer if we wish for the true happiness and eternal success that God has promised His faithful. In We Will Prove Them Herewith, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sensitively discusses these questions. He examines such frequently misunderstood topics as the function of time and God's eternal perspective of life as contrasted with our oftentimes shortsighted perspectives. He dwells on the need for trials, endurance, and obedience to God. He talks of the qualities we need to aid us eternally, especially in this season immediately preceding the second coming of the Lord. Elder Maxwell writes, "When life is viewed superficially, granted, it can seem routine and pedestrian. However, what appears on the surface can be a thin cover for developments of spiritual significance." This book will help all those who wish to maintain, in the words of Elder Maxwell, "gospel perspective in the midst of ordinariness, the pressures of temptation, tribulation, deprivation, and the cares of the world."
132 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2009
7 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Neal A. Maxwell
89 books153 followersNeal 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 12, 2020
I remember hearing from one of my parents many years ago that Elder Maxwell was one of the best speakers and writers among the LDS general authorities. I tried to read one of his books, but it didn't appeal to me at the time; I'm not sure if this was because the themes weren't relatable to me then or if the prose was, perhaps, beyond my grasp. Nevertheless, I've never forgotten hearing that, and I was inspired to revisit Elder Maxwell's teachings by reading this book.
I now understand what my mom or dad (can't remember which) meant. We Will Prove Them Herewith is one of the greatest books I've ever read. Maxwell's prose is sharp, concise, understandable, and littered with helpful analogies. His statements come across as both instructive and powerful. He is a truly gifted writer. However, what makes this book truly special are the teachings contained therein.
This book has changed my life in even the short time since I started reading it. The primary theme of We Will Prove Them Herewith is the purpose of our mortal lives here on Earth and I can honestly say that my paradigm has completely shifted as a result of this reading. Elder Maxwell succinctly explains that this life is a school wherein we learn, a proving ground wherein we are tested, and a bootcamp wherein the learning/proving cycle is repeated again and again. He goes further by explaining what it is we are supposed to learn (Christlike attributes).
Elder Maxwell addresses many of the challenges we face along the way--things that demotivate, discourage, and distract us. He anticipates many of the questions the reader will have and addresses those to0, often starting paragraphs by saying something to the effect of, "Now, you may wonder..." In all cases, I found his answers intellectually satisfying, if spiritually challenging. This book, if read correctly, is not a "feel good" book, though there are many lines of comfort and hope contained. Its primary purpose seems to be to challenge us to accept the harsh realities of mortal existence and overcome them through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To any that have wondered why they are here, why life is difficult, why life seems to be monotonous, if they are doing enough, what they should be focusing on, or for any wishing they had been born at a different time or in different circumstances, I recommend this book. In it I found answers to questions that have pestered me for many years and found deeper explanations to answers I already knew but wasn't satisfied with.
This is a wonderful book.
I now understand what my mom or dad (can't remember which) meant. We Will Prove Them Herewith is one of the greatest books I've ever read. Maxwell's prose is sharp, concise, understandable, and littered with helpful analogies. His statements come across as both instructive and powerful. He is a truly gifted writer. However, what makes this book truly special are the teachings contained therein.
This book has changed my life in even the short time since I started reading it. The primary theme of We Will Prove Them Herewith is the purpose of our mortal lives here on Earth and I can honestly say that my paradigm has completely shifted as a result of this reading. Elder Maxwell succinctly explains that this life is a school wherein we learn, a proving ground wherein we are tested, and a bootcamp wherein the learning/proving cycle is repeated again and again. He goes further by explaining what it is we are supposed to learn (Christlike attributes).
Elder Maxwell addresses many of the challenges we face along the way--things that demotivate, discourage, and distract us. He anticipates many of the questions the reader will have and addresses those to0, often starting paragraphs by saying something to the effect of, "Now, you may wonder..." In all cases, I found his answers intellectually satisfying, if spiritually challenging. This book, if read correctly, is not a "feel good" book, though there are many lines of comfort and hope contained. Its primary purpose seems to be to challenge us to accept the harsh realities of mortal existence and overcome them through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To any that have wondered why they are here, why life is difficult, why life seems to be monotonous, if they are doing enough, what they should be focusing on, or for any wishing they had been born at a different time or in different circumstances, I recommend this book. In it I found answers to questions that have pestered me for many years and found deeper explanations to answers I already knew but wasn't satisfied with.
This is a wonderful book.
September 3, 2014
I am gradually working my way through the set of Maxwell's books that my father received on his 75th birthday.
As with all of his books, the themes of adversity, endurance, hope, suffering, progression and discipleship crop up here. I love and miss Neal A. Maxwell. His selection of words is musical to me. I love to include him in my morning meditation time.
Good stuff.
As with all of his books, the themes of adversity, endurance, hope, suffering, progression and discipleship crop up here. I love and miss Neal A. Maxwell. His selection of words is musical to me. I love to include him in my morning meditation time.
Good stuff.
January 16, 2021
In We Will Prove Them Herewith, Neal A. Maxwell answers perhaps the most important question a human can ask: why am I here?
The answer to this question varies wildly depending on who you ask. Some will tell you that we're here to do the things that make us happy. Others will tell you that we're here simply by chance and that life doesn't have any inherent meaning or purpose. Elder Maxwell's answer is direct and simple: we're here to become perfect even as Jesus Christ is perfect.
Perfection in abstract is hard to understand and attain. Elder Maxwell removes this layer of abstraction by explaining that the way you become like Christ is by learning and internalizing Christlike attributes: humility, meekness, patience, charity among other things. Being perfect really means being perfectly humble, perfectly meek, perfectly patient, etc.
Elder Maxwell also explains that trying to become like Christ does not mean your life will be free from trials and temptations. In fact, some of the most important lessons we learn will be given during difficult periods of time. It is our job to recognize these lessons for what they are and use these experiences to draw closer to Christ.
In this way, life is much like school. We have subjects to study and assignments to complete, all in the hope that we really learned something along the way. If my schooling history is any indication, we'll do a good amount of struggling. Sometimes we'll get the wrong answer on a test. The beautiful thing about Christ is that He doesn't kick us out of school when we fail. Rather, He allows us to try again. And again. And again.
This book is incredible. I would recommend it to anyone who is wondering why they're here, what they should be focusing on, why life is sometimes so difficult, and to whom they should look for guidance.
The answer to this question varies wildly depending on who you ask. Some will tell you that we're here to do the things that make us happy. Others will tell you that we're here simply by chance and that life doesn't have any inherent meaning or purpose. Elder Maxwell's answer is direct and simple: we're here to become perfect even as Jesus Christ is perfect.
Perfection in abstract is hard to understand and attain. Elder Maxwell removes this layer of abstraction by explaining that the way you become like Christ is by learning and internalizing Christlike attributes: humility, meekness, patience, charity among other things. Being perfect really means being perfectly humble, perfectly meek, perfectly patient, etc.
Elder Maxwell also explains that trying to become like Christ does not mean your life will be free from trials and temptations. In fact, some of the most important lessons we learn will be given during difficult periods of time. It is our job to recognize these lessons for what they are and use these experiences to draw closer to Christ.
In this way, life is much like school. We have subjects to study and assignments to complete, all in the hope that we really learned something along the way. If my schooling history is any indication, we'll do a good amount of struggling. Sometimes we'll get the wrong answer on a test. The beautiful thing about Christ is that He doesn't kick us out of school when we fail. Rather, He allows us to try again. And again. And again.
This book is incredible. I would recommend it to anyone who is wondering why they're here, what they should be focusing on, why life is sometimes so difficult, and to whom they should look for guidance.
January 4, 2020
Maxwell lived on a higher plain than most of us even consider aspiring to. I appreciated this thoughts on trials and life's difficulties.
July 14, 2024
Absolutely fantastic. A short little book that is really just a series of essays about enduring trials. Well, remembering what really matters, and living a consecrated life. Highly recommended.
August 30, 2025
BOOK REVIEW - We Will Prove Them Herewith, by Neal A. Maxwell (1981)
Neal A. Maxwell was one of the great thinkers of the modern LDS Church. He maintained a true humility and curiosity despite substantial achievement, acclaim and brilliance. The is a short book, a series of essays, that blends rich doctrinal exposition with the eloquent cadence of a modern apostle. The title, drawn from the Book of Abraham (“We will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them”), captures the heart of the text: mortality as a proving ground, a divine tutorial in which human souls are tested, stretched, and ultimately sanctified.
The opening chapters frame mortality not as a punishment but as an essential stage in God’s plan. Maxwell points out that the very conditions we often resist—uncertainty, limitation, temptation—are the very things that make growth possible. He offers memorable reflections on agency, noting that choice is not simply about selecting between good and evil, but about forming character. Agency, for Maxwell, is a sacred trust, one that reflects God’s confidence in His children. Life’s trials are not detours but the curriculum. As he puts it, mortality is “a workshop of the soul,” where eternal attributes are patiently forged.
Several chapters are devoted to adversity. He refuses to sentimentalize suffering, yet he insists that it has purpose. Pain and loss, when met with faith, refine the soul more deeply than ease ever could. Maxwell’s pastoral nature emerges strongly here. He reminds us that God does not abandon them in their struggles. The Lord is not a distant examiner watching the test unfold, but a present, sustaining Father who strengthens His children to endure it.
The heart of the book lies in Maxwell’s reflections on Jesus Christ. Mortality’s proving would be unbearable, even futile, without Him. Grace is not a vague sentiment, Maxwell insists, but an enabling power that both lifts and transforms. He urges deliberate discipleship: small, consistent choices that align one’s will with God’s. The great victories of the soul are rarely dramatic; they are won in quiet, steady decisions of faithfulness.
Maxwell also turns his attention to modern challenges. He notes how distraction, pride, and rationalization undermine the proving process. Pride, he warns, is the “great disturber of the plan,” for it shifts attention from God to self. Distraction, in turn, is a subtle adversary, filling life with noise until there is no space for reflection or spiritual awareness.
He urges deliberate discipleship: small, consistent choices that align one’s will with God’s. The great victories of the soul are rarely dramatic; they are won in quiet, steady decisions of faithfulness. His writing is not only doctrinal but deeply practical. Each chapter carries implications for daily living: how we face disappointment, how we measure success, how we endure trials, and how we approach God with honesty and trust. He reminds us that mortality is not random, that suffering is not wasted, and that the Savior is not absent.
Quotes:
“Mortality is not an obstacle course designed to defeat us, but a proving ground designed to perfect us. Its trials are tailored, its tests are purposeful, and its seeming detours are, in truth, direct routes to the refining of our souls. We are not here to drift, but to choose; not here to escape struggle, but to be ennobled by it. And every choice, every test, is witnessed by a loving Father who both allows the proving and provides the power to prevail.”
“The plan of salvation is not a sterile examination but a sacred tutoring. God is not a distant examiner with folded arms, waiting to mark our failures. He is a present Father, leaning near, urging, strengthening, and rejoicing in our growth. Each hardship borne with faith, each temptation resisted, each act of quiet obedience is not lost in some vast cosmos. It is seen, it is recorded, and it is sanctified by the Savior who has already walked the path before us. In Him, the proving of mortality becomes not a burden too great to bear, but a journey leading us home.”
Neal A. Maxwell was one of the great thinkers of the modern LDS Church. He maintained a true humility and curiosity despite substantial achievement, acclaim and brilliance. The is a short book, a series of essays, that blends rich doctrinal exposition with the eloquent cadence of a modern apostle. The title, drawn from the Book of Abraham (“We will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them”), captures the heart of the text: mortality as a proving ground, a divine tutorial in which human souls are tested, stretched, and ultimately sanctified.
The opening chapters frame mortality not as a punishment but as an essential stage in God’s plan. Maxwell points out that the very conditions we often resist—uncertainty, limitation, temptation—are the very things that make growth possible. He offers memorable reflections on agency, noting that choice is not simply about selecting between good and evil, but about forming character. Agency, for Maxwell, is a sacred trust, one that reflects God’s confidence in His children. Life’s trials are not detours but the curriculum. As he puts it, mortality is “a workshop of the soul,” where eternal attributes are patiently forged.
Several chapters are devoted to adversity. He refuses to sentimentalize suffering, yet he insists that it has purpose. Pain and loss, when met with faith, refine the soul more deeply than ease ever could. Maxwell’s pastoral nature emerges strongly here. He reminds us that God does not abandon them in their struggles. The Lord is not a distant examiner watching the test unfold, but a present, sustaining Father who strengthens His children to endure it.
The heart of the book lies in Maxwell’s reflections on Jesus Christ. Mortality’s proving would be unbearable, even futile, without Him. Grace is not a vague sentiment, Maxwell insists, but an enabling power that both lifts and transforms. He urges deliberate discipleship: small, consistent choices that align one’s will with God’s. The great victories of the soul are rarely dramatic; they are won in quiet, steady decisions of faithfulness.
Maxwell also turns his attention to modern challenges. He notes how distraction, pride, and rationalization undermine the proving process. Pride, he warns, is the “great disturber of the plan,” for it shifts attention from God to self. Distraction, in turn, is a subtle adversary, filling life with noise until there is no space for reflection or spiritual awareness.
He urges deliberate discipleship: small, consistent choices that align one’s will with God’s. The great victories of the soul are rarely dramatic; they are won in quiet, steady decisions of faithfulness. His writing is not only doctrinal but deeply practical. Each chapter carries implications for daily living: how we face disappointment, how we measure success, how we endure trials, and how we approach God with honesty and trust. He reminds us that mortality is not random, that suffering is not wasted, and that the Savior is not absent.
Quotes:
“Mortality is not an obstacle course designed to defeat us, but a proving ground designed to perfect us. Its trials are tailored, its tests are purposeful, and its seeming detours are, in truth, direct routes to the refining of our souls. We are not here to drift, but to choose; not here to escape struggle, but to be ennobled by it. And every choice, every test, is witnessed by a loving Father who both allows the proving and provides the power to prevail.”
“The plan of salvation is not a sterile examination but a sacred tutoring. God is not a distant examiner with folded arms, waiting to mark our failures. He is a present Father, leaning near, urging, strengthening, and rejoicing in our growth. Each hardship borne with faith, each temptation resisted, each act of quiet obedience is not lost in some vast cosmos. It is seen, it is recorded, and it is sanctified by the Savior who has already walked the path before us. In Him, the proving of mortality becomes not a burden too great to bear, but a journey leading us home.”
June 21, 2012
This book was a classic Neal A. Maxwell, one of my favorite authors of all time. I read it with my son who summed it up nicely stating, "I feel smarter now from just reading his prose." With Elder Maxwell's writing, one not only gains knowledge of the topic, but can also broaden vocabulary and use of English in interesting ways. One of the best LDS authors ever, he is concise and illustrates points with everything from scriptures to daily life. I read this years ago and am glad I reread it with my son.
February 11, 2015
Just the bibliography list alone on this book will set you reeling. Which makes me parallel that a good writer is a good reader as well.
And speaking of good writers, Neal A. Maxwell, heads the list of them. Having suffered, silently, mostly as he has, lends so much more depth to the writing of this book that tells us we must be rooted and grounded to withstand the challenges of life. Elder Maxwell's writings help me make it more graciously and gratefully through these earthly trials.
And speaking of good writers, Neal A. Maxwell, heads the list of them. Having suffered, silently, mostly as he has, lends so much more depth to the writing of this book that tells us we must be rooted and grounded to withstand the challenges of life. Elder Maxwell's writings help me make it more graciously and gratefully through these earthly trials.
May 15, 2010
Excellent! As all of Neal A. Maxwell's books are. I learned much from him. What an amazing man.
September 18, 2016
Timeless. So much counsel ever applicable 34 years after publication.
September 6, 2024
Maxwell is a personal favorite.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews