PROVO, Utah — The astonishing work of God is greater than the known universe, said Elder Neal A. Maxwell Aug. 13.
"As we look at the universe, we do not see unexplained chaos or cosmic churning," he said. "It is like viewing a divinely choreographed, cosmic ballet — spectacular, subduing and reassuring."
Offering the keynote address at the Church Educational System annual conference, Elder Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve detailed "Our Creator's Cosmos." Seminary and institute teachers worldwide participated in the three-day conference, which originated from the BYU campus and was broadcast live via the Church Satellite System.
During his address, Elder Maxwell said Latter-day Saints should show reverence and awe when contemplating the universe in the context of divinely revealed truths.
"Given all that God has done to prepare a place for us in the stretching universe, might we not develop and display greater faith?" he questioned. "In the perplexities and crunches of life, will we have faith in the Creator's having made ample provision to bring to pass all His purposes?"
Elder Maxwell said greater appreciation of the universe will also help members to live more righteously in their own tiny universes of daily life. "A better understanding of God's governance of the vast galaxies can lead to our better self-governance."
Displaying a picture of the earth and the moon, Elder Maxwell asked the worldwide congregation to contemplate how long it took man to reach the moon.
Quoting the noted physicist Stephen Hawking, Elder Maxwell explained that the earth is a "medium-sized planet orbiting around an average star in the outer suburbs of an ordinary spiral galaxy, which is itself only one of about a million million galaxies in the observable universe."
"We do not know where or how many other inhabited planets there are, even though we appear to be alone in our own solar system," he said. "As to the Lord's continuing role amid His vast creations, so little has been revealed."
However, he added, "happily for us, the vastness of the Lord's creations is matched by the personalness of His purposes."
God's purpose can best be expressed in a familiar verse: "For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.)
Elder Maxwell explained, "In the expansiveness of space, there is stunning personalness, for God knows and loves each of us. We are not ciphers in unexplained space. Remember the Psalmist's query was, 'What is man that thou art mindful of him?' yet mankind is at the very center of God's work. We are the sheep of His hand and the people of His pasture. His work includes our immortalization — accomplished by Christ's glorious atonement.
"Think of it, brothers and sisters, even with their extensive longevity, stars are not immortal. But you are."
While scientists focus on "how, what and when" the universe was created, Church members are given vital and pivotal answers to the "why," Elder Maxwell continued.
"Having seen vast and spectacular things, Enoch rejoiced. But over what? He rejoiced over his personal assurance about God, 'yet thou art there' (Moses 7:30). Subsequently, Enoch even saw God weep over needless human suffering."
However, said Elder Maxwell, even given the remarkable revelations about the cosmos and God's purposes, people can still drift away.
"So as you and I ponder God's creative grandeur, we are also told to consider the beauty of the lilies of the field, remembering all things bear witness of Him. Added reverencing of divine design in the universe and in us, is miniatured in the lilies of the field. The miracle of life on this planet has so many on-going miraculous subtleties."
Elder Maxwell told the congregation that as they reverence what the Lord has created, they are to reverence Him and His character enough to strive to become ever more like Him, as He has directed.
"Unsurprisingly, therefore, the power of Godliness revealed in lilies is likewise revealed in the ordinances of His gospel. Thematically these ordinances concern our cleansing, covenanting, obeying and preparing — all behaviorally necessary in order for us to be empowered to make the homeward journey.
"These personalized expressions of divine love and power matter much more to us anyway than trying to number the wondrous galaxies or comparing the number of planets to stars. We lay people could not comprehend it anyway. Achieving spiritual sanctification matters so much more than cosmic quantifications."
Concluding, Elder Maxwell said as Church members probe, ponder and learn about the Lord's creations and His plans, they should be filled with reverence, awe, intellectual meekness.
"We know the Creator of the universe is also the Author of the plan of happiness. We can trust Him. He know perfectly what brings happiness to His children."
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