Truman G. Madsen: a poet philosopher in Zion

When Truman G. Madsen died on Thursday, May 28,

there was an outpouring of gratitude for his life. People spoke of his

unassuming personality, his speaking style, his work with interreligious

dialogue or his leadership at Brigham Young University's Jerusalem Center.But it was his words that captured people's imagination. Words that inspired

spirits and challenged minds. \"He transcended complexity and achieved simplicity

without being simplistic or simple-minded,\" said Philip Barlow, the Leonard J.

Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University.

\"Truman was a true poet of the most fundamental axioms of Mormon doctrine,

philosophy and theology,\" said John W. Welch, a professor at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law

School. \"By 'poet' I mean ... an inspired creator. One of the

things that I think is most highly admired in artistic geniuses is the ability

to take very complicated and almost bewildering things and crystallize them into

simple, unforgettable statements or expressions. Truman had that gift.\"

Mormon Times took a broad survey of Madsen's thoughts —

presenting quotes from several of his works that demonstrate his insight and his

poetic use of language.

\"'To be or not to be?' That is not the question. No one can choose to be or

not to be . ... What is the question? The question is not one of being, but of

becoming. 'To become more or not to become more.' This is the question faced by

each intelligence in our universe. At this point, and not before, the absolute

and inescapable need for God and His Christ arises.\" (Eternal Man, p. 31-32)

\"The redeeming truth is that Jesus Christ lived and died not only to heal,

lift, and fulfill all men but all of man — intelligence, spirit, and body.\"