Testimony Treasures, Volume 3 - Ellen G. White

To His institutions as well as to individual Christians are addressed the
words, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness," and His
promise is sure that all things needed for this life shall be added. Let it be
written upon the conscience as with a pen of iron upon the rock, that real
success, whether for this life or for the life to come, can be secured only by
faithful adherence to the eternal principles of right.
Demoralizing Literature
When our publishing houses do a large amount of commercial work,
there is a great danger that an objectionable class of literature will be brought
in. Upon one occasion when these matters were brought to my attention, my
Guide inquired of one occupying a responsible position in a publishing
institution: "How much do you receive in payment for this work?" The
figures were placed before Him. He said: "This is too small a sum. If you do
business in this way, you meet with loss. But even should you receive a
much larger sum, this class of literature could be published only at a great
loss. The influence on the workers is demoralizing. All the messages that
God shall send them, presenting the sacredness of the work, are neutralized
by your action in consenting to print such matter."
The world is flooded with books that might better be consumed than
circulated. Books upon Indian warfare and similar topics, published and
circulated as a money-making scheme, might better never be read. There is
satanic fascination in such books. The heartsickening relation of crimes and
atrocities has a bewitching power upon many youth, exciting in them the
desire to bring themselves into notice by the most wicked deeds. There are
many works more strictly historical whose influence is little better. The
enormities, the cruelties, the licentious practices, portrayed in these writings
have acted as leaven in many minds, leading to the commission of similar
acts. Books that delineate the satanic practices of human beings are giving
publicity to evil works. The horrible details of crime and misery need not to
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