I've included a few passages from his talks over the years, where this idea is taught:
(Maxwell, Neal A., True Believers In Christ, http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=618)"[The True Believer] understands the difference between ends and means and sees that some Church aids are, in a sense, scaffolding for the soul, which scaffolding one day will be removed—like waterwings or training wheels."
Indeed it is in the context of such pleasing but challenging growth that the theme for today will be addressed—from the words of Paul and Peter, "grounded, rooted, established, and settled." This is a vital objective for all members of the Church, but especially for your generation because of the special circumstances which will confront you. In fact, you may be the first generation in Church history, because of lamentably changing conditions in the world, who will be asked to believe and to behave "because of the word" and not circumstances. In varying degrees, you will not have the same affirmative influence of societal institutions which once strongly supported the family and principles such as chastity and fidelity. Those supporting influences, in many respects, will, unfortunately fall away like so much scaffolding. Then we will see who stands, both on holy ground and on holy principles!
Jesus described some of these realities and the casualties of conversion and retention thusly:
Some [seeds] fell upon 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]
Happily, Alma elaborated concerning how that gospel seed can grow, nourished by "faith with great diligence, and with patience" (Alma 32:41). Properly nourished, it will develop a good root system, and even when the heat of the sun comes and scorches, it will not wither (see Alma 32:28–38). By using a word as graphic as scorched to describe the heat which believers will feel, the Lord, who is not given to hyperbole, tells us something about the heat that will come, not alone in the rigors of individual life, but also in the special summer of circumstances which Jesus said would come when the leaves of the fig tree sprouted (see Matthew 24:32). That summer is upon us, and only those who are grounded, rooted, established, and settled will survive spiritually."
"How often have you and I really pondered just what it is, therefore, that will rise with us in the resurrection? Our intelligence will rise with us, meaning not simply our I.Q., but our capacity to receive and to apply truth. Our talents, attributes, and skills will rise with us, certainly also our capacity to learn, our degree of self-discipline, and our capacity to work. Note that I said "our capacity to work" because the precise form of our work here may have no counterpart there, but the capacity to work will never be obsolete. To be sure, we cannot, while here, entirely avoid contact with the obsolescent and the irrelevant. It is all around us. But one can be around irrelevancy without becoming attached to it, and certainly we should not become preoccupied with obsolete things.
By these remarks I do not intend to create discontent with the paraphernalia of this probationary estate, but it is a grave error to mistake the scenery and the props for the real drama which is underway.
(Maxwell, Neal A., Grounded, Rooted, Established, and Settled, http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=910)Besides, when the Savior urged even his closest disciples to "settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you" (JST Luke 14:28), he spoke of the high cost of discipleship, "signifying there should not any man follow him, unless he was able to continue" (JST Luke 14:31). Clearly Jesus was underscoring the importance of having his followers become thoroughly grounded in the gospel, rooted in resolve, established in their expectations about life, and settled in their devotion to the Savior.
(Maxwell, Neal A., The Precious Promise, http://www.lds.org/ensign/2004/04/the-precious-promise)When so many mortals are falling and being dragged down, it is hard to imagine an exhortation and promise more relevant than Helaman’s statement: “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; … whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Hel. 5:12). The Great Deliverer, Jesus Christ, can deliver on this precious promise as well as on all His other reassurances.
Building on His firm foundation requires us to emulate Christ’s character. There is no joy nor is there any security in giving Him mere lip service. Emulating Him is the key, and our emerging character is the refined structure of our souls. After all the circumstantial scaffolding comes down, character is what is left.
(Maxwell, Neal A., Be of Good Cheer, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... ?lang=eng )In our striving to be prepared, therefore, let us be careful to rely on parents, priesthood, and principles—and on scriptures, and temples, and leaders who lead—to see us through. Let us not mistake program scaffolding for substance.
If we are of good cheer, we will find no use for nostalgia for another time, even though a wistful lamentation such as this one is understandable:
“Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, … then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity. …
“But behold, I am consigned that these are my days.” (Hel. 7:7, 9.)
(Maxwell, Neal A., Out of Obscurity, http://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/11/out-of-obscurity )Moreover, the faithful, then and now, understand why the resurrected Jesus did not appear to the Sanhedrin, to Caiaphas, or Pilate—but, instead, to the bands of believers at Bethany and Bountiful.
Why, for instance, did not ancient Church leaders more carefully record the fulfillment of certain prophecies of Samuel, the Lamanite? (See 3 Ne. 23:9–14.) Belatedly, at Jesus’ direction, it was written fully and precisely.
So, belatedly, the fulness of the history of the dispensation of the fulness of times will be written!
The final mosaic of the Restoration will be resplendent, reflecting divine design and the same centerpiece—the Father’s plan of salvation and exaltation and the atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ.
At the perfect day, we will see that we have been a part of things too wonderful for us. Part of the marvel and the wonder of God’s “marvelous work and a wonder” will be how perfect Divinity mercifully used us—imperfect humanity.
Meanwhile, amid the human dissonance, those with ears to hear will follow the beckoning sounds of a certain trumpet. (See 1 Cor. 14:8.)
Let's not mistake the scaffolding for the end result, but lets not dismantle the scaffolding before the project is complete. It does no good to build up new scaffolding around old scaffolding. It's better to focus on the project--bringing souls (starting with our own) unto Christ. Don't waste time focusing on the temporary drama about scaffolding. Recognize the scaffolding and use it for what it's worth. It can be a help and support. It should not be the goal. We are to become like Christ--finished souls--not a heap of sticks and bricks, planks and platitudes.
