SELECTED TEACHINGS
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
“Communication, of course, needs to take careful account of the realities of our mortal relationships in order to avoid errors.
“William Edward Norris said:
“
If your lips can keep from slips,
Five things observe with care:
To whom you speak; of whom you speak;
And how, and when, and where.
“We must be prudent and discreet and yet be willing to communicate, for true brotherhood is such that our friends and families will blow away the chaff in our communications—and do so with the breath of kindness.
“Thus one of the biggest blocks to Christian communication is that we are so afraid of being misunderstood. So, when in doubt, we withhold. Yet Paul said to speak the truth in love; we can then take the chance. We worry (and understandably so) that some communications will only produce more distance. But silence is very risky, too. . . .
“Usually, when we do not know somebody, it is difficult for us to trust them, and this becomes a restraint upon communication and growth. Opening the windows of the soul helps us to build healthy relationships. But if those windows are always closed or the blinds are drawn, it is difficult to help; one simply does not know what is needed” ( All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, 81–82).