Plain and Precious Things

by Neal A. Maxwell

With gratitude for all the pages of holy scripture, we read the plain and precious truths about the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement of our Savior. In Plain and Precious Things, Elder Maxwell teaches and instills gratitude for the gospel knowledge available in this dispensation. The scriptures - the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price - together all elaborate, reinforce and clarify God's purposes for mankind, at the center or which is our Savior, His atonement, and His plain, precious and redemptive gospel.

Genres: Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Church, Spirituality

103 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1983

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

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Maxwell. It is small volume but I went through it slowly so I could record the quotes and scriptures I liked.

[Spencer Willardson]

This thin volume is as thick with interesting insights, deep doctrine, and moral clarity as anything that Elder Maxwell ever wrote. His focus on the ways that the newer books of scripture augment, clarify, amplify, and justify those of the Bible is incredibly relevant today.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elder Maxwell is awesome. In this book, he took the Restoration scriptures and showed how they clarified things in the Bible. It was a great way to start out the Book of Mormon year.

[Joshua Guest · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? I believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I believe in modern prophets and apostles that speak the word of God today. As a Latter-day Saint I believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal and will yet reveal. This is knowledge I have acquired not through empiricism, but through spiritual confirmation. Notwithstanding my having considered the arguments of atheists, agnostics and even anti-Mormons, I conclude that that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God called to the work of translating it, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Kingdom of God on the earth today. All these additional beliefs are logical conclusions derived from my having gained an independent testimony of the Book of Mormon.

All aside, this book by Neal Maxwell demonstrates just how helpful the Book of Mormon and modern scripture can be when combined with the lessons of the Bible. Those who feel that Mormonism is a threat to Christianity or a perversion thereof strike me as unserious in their examination of the content of the Book of Mormon's origin, to say nothing of its content. There is a great deal of saving truths in the scriptures, and I am grateful for this book Plain and Precious Things for reminding me of them.

[Gena Lott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book discussing the value of all the scriptures used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price clarify are compared with the Bible showing that all books are filled with the same religious ideas which solidify and clarify the truths of the Bible.

[Don Gubler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, he definately has a way with words.