Excerpt
“May we now, in our time and turn, be willing to submit.”
Intro
Some lessons in life are about effort. Others are about patience. But Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that the deepest discipleship is not just about doing more — it is about yielding more. Submission is not weakness. It is trust in God’s wisdom when life does not unfold according to our plans.
Notes from Elder Maxwell
Elder Maxwell explains that spiritual growth often requires us to accept certain realities while actively improving others. True submissiveness is learning to discern the difference between what must be endured and what must be changed. It is the quiet willingness to trust God’s purposes even when life feels heavy or unclear.
Perspective (direct quotes)
“Suffice it to say, God ‘allotteth unto men’ certain things with which we are to be content. (See Alma 29:4, Philip. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:8.) A missing parent or limb is to be lived without. Yet temper and lust are to be tamed. One’s race is fixed, but one’s genetic endowment offers opportunity to be a careful steward. The submissive soul will be led aright, enduring some things well while being anxiously engaged in setting other things right — all the time discerning the difference.”
“We have been given three special words — but if not — by three submissive young men who entered their fiery furnace, knowing ‘our God … is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, … But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods.’ (Dan. 3:17–18.)”
Practice (today, not someday)
Today I will focus on surrendering control where I need to trust God more. I will work to improve what I can change — my discipline, my attitude, and my patience — while accepting the things God has allotted to me with humility and faith.
Personal Reflection
Last night I listened to Elder Maxwell’s talk repeatedly — over and over — until the early hours of Sunday morning. I kept my mind engaged and my hands busy. While listening, I converted my Ruger PC Carbine, did laundry, and prepared a healthy dinner. Moving from one meaningful task to another helped steady my thoughts.
When those were finished, I continued with two hours of non-stop shadow boxing and isometric exercises, still listening to the talk. By the end of the night, I had heard it nearly twenty times.
I am learning that submission is not always expressed in dramatic moments. Sometimes it is simply continuing to do good things — working, building, training, and trusting God to shape the heart quietly.
Final Reflection
Submission is not giving up. It is aligning our will with God’s will. Elder Maxwell reminds us that discipleship is not proven in comfort but in trust — especially when the answer is “but if not.” Faith means believing God can deliver us, while trusting Him even if He does not.
Pocket I’m Keeping
“The submissive soul will be led aright.”
What I Hear Now (direct quotes)
“Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
“May we now, in our time and turn, be willing to submit.”
Link to the talk
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1985/04/willing-to-submit
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