Neal A. Maxwell Quotes

We can choose to gather to our hearts the thorns of disappointment, failure, loneliness, and dismay in our present situation. Or we can gather the flowers of God's grace, boundless love, abiding presence, and unmatched joy. I choose to gather the flowers.

I am of the opinion, and even more so the older I get, that it is more difficult to have hope than it is to despair. And I mean this in the sense that in order to have hope you must acknowledge the despair and then you have to get beyond it. Taken from a radio interview given on BBC Radio 4's Open Book

Some of my cronies call me a pessimist and a decadent, but there is always a background of faith behind resignation.

Never give up! it is wiser and betterAlways to hope, than once to despair.Fling off the load of Doubt's cankering fetter,And break the dark spell of tyrannical care.

When you're feeling full of doubt and fear has got you in a bind, love will save the day.

But hope is no less realistic than despair. It is still our choice whether to live in light or lie down in darkness.

To all who suffer- to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely- I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in. Never surrender. Never allow despair to overcome your spirit. Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart.

Life, that can shower you with so much splendour, is unremittingly cruel to those who have given up.

Faith given back to us after a night of doubt is a stronger thing, and far more valuable to us than faith that has never been tested.

Your struggle is your strength. If you can resist becoming negative, bitter or hopeless, in time, your struggles will give you everything.

If we want to cultivate hopefulness, we have to be willing to be flexible and demonstrate perseverance. Not every goal will look and feel the same. Tolerance for disappointment, determination, and a belief in self are the heart of hope.

I feel like I came through this year stronger and wiser, and I can go into 2015 in a much better place.

Regardless of what challenge you are facing right now, know that it has not come to stay. It has come to pass. During these times, do what you can with what you have, and ask for help if needed. Most importantly, never surrender. Put things in perspective. Take care of yourself. Find ways to replenish your energy, strengthen your faith and fortify yourself from the inside out.

Captain Cuttle, like all mankind, little knew how much hope had survived within him under discouragement, until he felt its death-shock.

When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.

Real hope is much more than wishful musing. It stiffens, not slackens, the spiritual spine.

Let us never yield to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day.

There are seldom, if ever, any hopeless situations, but there are many people who lose hope in the face of some situations.

When things are difficult, smile by faith. Don't wait until you feel better.

Do not despair of your life. You have force enough to overcome your obstacles.

May you find in yourself enough patience to endure and enough simplicity to have faith.

Take courage; pain's extremity soon ends.

There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too, have felt despair many times in my life, but I do not keep a chair for it; I will not entertain it. It is not allowed to eat from my plate.

God put self-pity by the side of despair like the cure by the side of the disease.

If we lose our hope, that's our real disaster!