Food For Thought

This is from a talk given by Elder Maxwell over 30 years ago. I think it's very applicable to today.


"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and yearsahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not hewill follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult tohalt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, manyyears ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of theAuthorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional orpolitical life.'

"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a societywhich is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not beingashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of theprophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time whensuch religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligiousimperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinionsgrow out of religious convictions.

"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over theinstitution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened....Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmisheswill be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that thechoices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of propheticcounsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seemsprobable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness bywhat we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened aslumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was,till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees putforth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us,let us not then complain of the heat."
--- Elder Neal A. Maxwell