A Disciple's Life: The Biography of Neal A. Maxwell

"In 1996 Latter-day Saints were stunned by the news that Elder Neal A. Maxwell had contracted acute leukemia. Confronted by his illness, Elder Maxwell experienced the "wintry doctrine" he had eloquently taught for years—that the Lord may deliberately choose to school his disciples in tutorials of afflication designed to enlarge their souls. Discipleship, the central message of Elder Maxwell's life, is a theme that helps us not only know Elder Maxwell but also know how to better follow the Savior ourselves. Compassionate, witty, politically astute, and spiritually authentic, Neal Maxwell was always pasionately engaged in life's battles. During his dark hours of chemotherapy, he whispered, 'I want a jersey. On the team, on this side [of the veil] or that side, I don't want to sit on the sidelines.' This instinct for action impelled him nto the infantry in World War II where, on Okinawa, shaking and crying in a foxhole full of mud and foul water, he pledged his life to the Lord and was miraculously spared. He discovered the power of the scriputres while fighting in the Lord's army as a missionary in Canada. Next came the intellectual engagements of university studies and the political skirmishes of Washington, D.C. Then, tutored by President Harold B. Lee, he became the Church's commissioner of education when an entire generation of LDS college students needed his fresh, open, and faithful mentoring. Ordained an Apostle in 1981, Elder Maxwell engaged in a broader struggle, between the sacred and the secular, the tension between faith and reason, and finally his greatest cause—his spiritual ministry. His eloquent defense of Christianity and his brilliant reconciliation of faith and intellect are a rich legacy. But beyond that, he showed us that with the Savior's help, oridinary people can be better, less competitive, more loving, and receive the soul-transforming gift of charity. In this inspiring, sometimes humorous, and moving biography, Elder Bruce C. Hafen has painted an intimate portrait of a beloved apostle, capturing the warm, personal stories that reveal the heart and mind of a true disciple of Christ." —Back cover.