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To Climb the Ladder of Law (Adapted from Divine Law, by Justin Collings)
His thoughts soared far beyond the stars, but he worried about the wind. He had, in a sense, waited his whole life to preach this sermon. “He lived his life in crescendo,” a later admirer wrote, and this was to be a kind of climax. He had a dazzling vision to unfold, a soaring theology to set forth. He had friends to comfort and eternity to hold before their gaze. If only the wind would cooperate. If only his lungs could hold up. If only his voice would carry. If only he could find the words to match his message.
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Wonder of Scripture Lecture Archive
The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship concluded the Wonder of Scripture Lecture series on April 11, 2025, with a concluding lecture from Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Institute. These lectures, organized by Maxwell Research Fellows Kimberly Matheson and Kristian Heal, have explored different books of scripture from various religions and inspired hundreds of students and faculty across campus. 24 speakers spanned two semesters, each bringing a unique perspective to scripture in and outside of the Latter-day Saint canon.
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Try the Virtue of the Word of God
I thank each of you for your attendance here, for the lovely invocation and the splendid music we had, and for that introduction. I’m pleased to be with you today, my sisters. Your Tolkien theme, “deep roots are not reached by the frost,” might well have had added to it, “nor are they scorched by the sun.” Jesus described the realities of that scorching sun when he talked in these terms, “and some fell upon the stony places where they had not much Earth and forthwith they sprung up because they had no deepness of Earth. And when the sun was up, they were scorched. And because they had no root, they withered away” (Matthew 13:5–6).
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Divine Silence and Indirection (Adapted from Revelation, by Janiece Johnson)
If revelation is abundant in the Restoration, then why are there times when we feel as though silence reigns? (38:12). At times we cry out, “O God where are thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?” (121:1–2). Even a half hour of “silence in heaven” in God’s timeline can feel like an eternity to us (88:95).
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O, Divine Redeemer
My brothers and sisters, I publicly express my deep gratitude to the Lord, to our remarkable and beloved President Kimball, and to his counselors for my call to the Twelve—among whom I shall be the least, long after being the last so ordained.
I express deep love and appreciation to my wife, who is splendid in every way; to my goodly and gracious parents and sisters; to my children, who are committed to the kingdom and who have been wise enough to have married committed eternal partners.
I express deep love and appreciation to my wife, who is splendid in every way; to my goodly and gracious parents and sisters; to my children, who are committed to the kingdom and who have been wise enough to have married committed eternal partners.
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Holy Records, Unholy Record-keeping (Adapted from Redeeming the Dead, by Amy Harris)
Joseph Smith’s teachings and revelations uniquely connected the seemingly mundane tasks of record-keeping to the theological bedrock of the Atonement and its ability to save each priceless soul. On one hand, this is not particularly surprising, given that Joseph’s first major revelatory action was to produce the Book of Mormon—a sacred text that emphasizes the importance of record-keeping as a bulwark against spiritual decay.
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For the Commandment Is a Lamp; and the Law Is Light
It is a privilege to speak to this distinguished group. I commend you or the service you render; let others be sarcastic about the legal profession. I respect those in your profession who practice advocacy without animosity. I admire those lawyers who go beyond merely resolving conflict by judicial decision—who manage conflict by peacemaking.
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Agency: A Power Grounded in Relationality (Adapted from Agency, by Terryl Givens)
Agency existed in those premortal worlds from which we come. And yet, we know that in some essential way agency became operative with new stakes and new conditions in the Garden of Eden. The Genesis narrative makes clear that human creation is not finished—we do not exist in any complete or perfect way—until the first human creation has been differentiated, organized, into two human entities.
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Patience
I have chosen to speak today about a very pedestrian principle: patience. I hope that I do not empty the Marriott Center by that selection. Perhaps the topic was selfishly selected because of my clear and continuing need to develop further this very important attribute. But my interest in patience is not solely personal, for the necessity of having this intriguing attribute is cited several times in the scriptures, including once by King Benjamin who, when clustering the attributes of sainthood, named patience as a charter member of that cluster (Mosiah 3:19; see also Alma 7:23).
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