Manager of the Sanitarium and Food Factory
“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California
April 9, 1902
Portions of this letter are published in MM 171-172, 182-185.
To the manager of the Sanitarium and of the Food Factory,—
All our institutions should be missionary agencies in every sense of the word. No work is to be allowed to hinder the work of soul-saving. In every institution there is missionary work to be done. From the manager down to the humblest worker, all should feel a responsibility for the unconverted among their own number. They should put forth earnest efforts to win them to Christ. As a result of such effort, many will be won to the Saviour and will become faithful and true in service to God. The consistent, religious life, the holy conversation, the unswerving integrity, the godly example—these are the means God uses to fasten conviction on the hearts and consciences of unbelievers. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 1
My brethren, in the providence of God, young men who have not accepted Christ as their Saviour have been brought into association, in business lines, with you. You have had years of experience in the truth. You have children of your own. You ought to know how to deal with these young men in a way that will draw them nearer to the Saviour. And yet, as the matter has been presented to me by the Lord, you have made little effort to win them, little effort to show love and respect for them. If converted, these young men could be used by the Lord in His work. But who of you who are so much older, so much more experienced, have carried on your hearts the burden of their salvation? Christ died to save them. Have you revealed for them a Christlike tenderness? Do you talk with them as if you thought them worth saving, or do you repulse them? Have you given them evidence that you have a loving, tender interest in them, or have you, by your attitude toward them, shown that you regarded them as beneath your notice? 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 2
God holds the managers of His institutions accountable to treat the youth in the employ of these institutions with courtesy, respect, and fatherly kindness. They are to deal with them as they themselves wish to be dealt with by Christ. Our first work, as the Lord has presented it to me, is to be so kind to the youth, so thoughtful of their interests, that they will feel at home in our presence. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 3
Have you tried to be unselfish, to be kind, to make your words and actions fragrant? Can those in your charge look up to you as true Christians? You are fathers. Will you ask yourselves if you would be willing to have your children treated as you have treated some of the youth in your charge? From the light given me, I know that there are some bearing responsibilities here, who, unless converted, will never see the kingdom of heaven. It pains me to know that in the life-practice they are not revealing wisdom, faith, and love for perishing souls. The treatment that some youth have received has given them hardly a ray of warm, genial friendship. They need an experience altogether different from the experience they are receiving in their association with men who ought to know God. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 4
At times you have encouraged the workers to think that their wages would be raised, and then you have failed to fulfil the promise made. Is this letting your light shine forth in good works? Is such service acceptable to the Master? Is this kind of work to continue in God’s institutions, which were established to do a work for the saving of the souls of those connected with them? You have restitution to make for wages as long as possible withheld. Did you not know, when withholding these wages, that you were not doing as you would be done by? Why will men profess to be Christians, and yet follow the sharp practices of the enemy. He will flatter your vanity. He will try to deceive you, to lead you to think that the course you are pursuing is the best course to follow in dealing with minds. But you will be without excuse in allowing him to deceive you; for God has marked out a plain path for you to follow. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 5
God is now giving you an opportunity to bring yourselves into order, to learn what is meant by Christlike dealing with those who connected with you in labor. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 6
“Ye are the salt of the earth,” Christ said; “But if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.” [Matthew 5:13.] Do not forget that your profession of Christianity may be as salt that has lost its savor. In our words we may acknowledge Christ, while in our works we put Him to open shame. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 7
For Christ’s sake, be converted. Do not be Christians in name only. When we are in line with Christ, our attitude toward the youth will be Christlike. We need an experimental knowledge of Christ in order to draw the youth to Him. The strongest evidence we can give of the sincerity of our profession of allegiance to our Redeemer is to manifest unselfish, self-sacrificing love for our fellow men. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 8
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” [Colossians 3:12-15.] Remember that the religion of Christ works a reformation in the life and character. The true Christian seeks constantly for the grace that changes the objectionable features of the natural character. Instead of speaking sharp, dictatorial words, he speaks the words of encouragement that Christ would speak were He in his place. From his life shines forth the purity and unselfishness that shone forth from the life of the Saviour. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 9
Christ came to the world to seek and save the lost. When accused by the Pharisees of eating with publicans and sinners, He replied, “I am not come to call the [professedly] righteous, but sinners to repentance.” [Matthew 9:13.] He came to save, not to destroy. Souls are very precious in His sight; for by creation and by redemption they are His. Do not you realize that He holds you responsible for the salvation of those with whom you are dealing? Do your realize that He will require at your hands the souls you have not tried to save? Have you sought to outwit the enemy, who is constantly trying to lead the youth to think that the course of unbelievers is more nearly correct than the course of those who claim to believe the truth? 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 10
Unless managers cherish the love of God, young men and young women might better not be brought within the sphere of their influence. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 11
Is it not time that you accepted the invitation, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:29, 30.] You will find, when you are yoked up with Christ, that He carries the weight of the burden. And in learning of Christ, in wearing His yoke, you will become meek and lowly in heart, and you will learn by experience that which the world cannot explain—that rest is found in service. With joy you will bear the testimony, “His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.” 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 12
Remember that day by day the great Master-artist is taking a picture of your character. Your thoughts, your words, your actions, are transferred to His record book, as the features of the human countenance are transferred to the polished plate of the artist. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 13
We are to be Christ’s representatives on the earth—pure, kind, just, and merciful, full of compassion, showing unselfishness in word and deed. Avarice and covetousness are vices that God abominates. They are the offspring of selfishness and sin; and they spoil every work with which they are allowed to mingle. Roughness and coarseness of character are imperfections which the Scriptures decidedly condemn as dishonoring to God. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 14
“Let your conversation”—your disposition and habits—“be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” [Hebrews 13:5.] “Therefore as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also”—the grace of Christian liberality. [2 Corinthians 8:7.] “To do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” [Hebrews 13:16.] 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 15
The Word of the Lord to those connected with His institutions is, “Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” [Isaiah 52:11.] In all our institutions let self-seeking give place to unselfish love and labor. Then the golden oil will be emptied from the two olive branches into the golden pipes, which will empty themselves into the vessels prepared to receive it. Then the lives of Christ’s workers will indeed be an exposition of the sacred truths of His Word. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 16
The fear of God, the sense of His goodness, His holiness, will circulate through every institution. An atmosphere of love and peace will pervade every department. Every word spoken, every work performed, will have an influence that corresponds to the influence of heaven. Christ will abide in humanity, and humanity will abide in Christ. In all the work will appear not the character of finite men, but the character of the infinite God. The divine influence imparted by holy angels will impress the minds brought in contact with the workers; and from these workers a fragrant influence will go forth to all who choose to inhale it. The goodly fabric of character wrought through divine power will receive light and glory from heaven, and will stand out before the world as a witness, pointing to the throne of the living God. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 17
Then the work will move forward with solidity and double strength. A new efficiency will be imparted to the workers in every line. Men will learn of the reconciliation from iniquity which the Messiah has brought in through His sacrifice. The last message of warning and salvation will be given with mighty power. The earth will be lightened with the glory of God, and it will be ours to witness the soon coming, in power and glory, of our Lord and Saviour. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 18
My brethren in the food factory, in your dealing, do not forget to travel in the only safe path. When one of your number is injured at his work, as was the case some time ago, deal with him as you would like to be dealt with under similar circumstances. Show Christlike sympathy. This is God’s way of dealing. Anything short of this is not true justice or nobility. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 19
Special care should have been shown in dealing with the one hurt; for he was an unbeliever. You have reason to thank your heavenly Father that his life was spared. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 20
If the one injured has to be taken to the Sanitarium, the charge made for his treatment should be light, if any charge at all is made. And let it also be considered if justice does not require that his wages be paid during the time that he is away from his work because of the accident. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 21
In no case is advantage to be taken of any worker; for all things are open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. He requires that integrity be cherished in the soul and revealed in the life. 17LtMs, Lt 58, 1902, par. 22