Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

544 Testimonies for the Church Volume 1* * * * *[590]The following is the second testimony, written in May, 1867, andaddressed to the young who were laboring in the office:Dear Young Friends who are employed in the office of publicationat Battle Creek: A burden is resting upon me in regard to you. I havebeen repeatedly shown that all who are connected with the work ofGod in publishing the present truth to be scattered to every part of thefield should be Christians, not only in name, but in deed and in truth.Their object should not be merely to work for wages, but all engagedin this great and solemn work should feel that their interest is in thework, and that it is a part of them. Their motives and influence inconnecting themselves with this great and solemn work must bear thetest of the judgment. None should be allowed to become connectedwith the office of publication who manifest selfishness and pride.I was shown that lightness and folly, joking and laughing, shouldnot be indulged by the workers in the office. Those engaged in thesolemn work of preparing truth to go to every part of the field shouldrealize that their deportment has its influence. If they are careless,jesting, joking, and laughing while reading and preparing solemn truthfor publication, they show that their hearts are not in the work orsanctified through the truth. They do not discern sacred things, buthandle truth that is to test character, truth which is of heavenly origin,as a common tale, as a story, merely to come before the mind and bereadily effaced.While in Rochester I saw that we had everything to fear in regardto the office from a health standpoint; that not one connected withit realized the necessity of thorough ventilation. Their rooms wereoverheated, and the atmosphere was poisoned by impurities resultingfrom exhalations from the lungs, and other causes. It is impossible fortheir minds to be in a healthy condition so as to be rightly impressedby the pure and holy truths with which they have so much to do, unlessthey place the proper value upon the pure, vitalizing air of heaven.I was shown that if those who are so closely connected with revealedtruth give no special evidence in their lives that they are madebetter by the truth which is kept so constantly before them, if their livesdo not testify to the fact that they are loving the truth and its sacredrequirements more and more fervently, they are growing harder, and