Elder Neal Ash Maxwell was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 1981 until his death in July 2004. In May 1945, on the island of Okinawa, eighteen-year-old Neal Maxwell hid in a foxhole. Japanese shells passed over him and his unit for several days until one exploded between his foxhole and the foxhole of his friend. Neal was sure he wasn't the only one praying for safety, but he promised that if God would spare his life, he would seek to serve God for the rest of his life. The shelling stopped, and Neal kept his promise. [1]