- The How and Why of this Book
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- Respect the Aged Pioneers
- Vivid Memories of the Past
- The Dead Still Speak
- Deep Appreciation for the First Burden-bearers
- Reprint Articles of Pioneers
- G. I. Butler a Most Valuable Laborer
- Grow Old Gracefully
- Growing Older but Continuing to Testify
- Guard Memory of Pioneers
- Avoid Criticism of the Pioneers
- Let Us Encourage One Another
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- Aged Workers Not Released From Service
- Older Workers Needed in Crises
- They Know How to Help Others
- Special Grace and Knowledge
- Older Ministers to Speak at Camp Meetings
- Experienced Workers Needed in the Home Field
- Old Age More Productive Than Youth
- Efficiency May Constantly Increase
- Last Days May Be the Best
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- Age No Excuse for Relaxing Self-Discipline
- Be Content Where You Are
- Maintaining Personal Tidiness
- Shun Overwork and Distrust of Brethren
- “Be Not Accusers of the Brethren”
- Aged Not to Labor In Cities
- Avoid “Shut-in Religion”
- Childish Behavior in Senior Workers
- Danger of Accepting Infidel Sentiments
- Anxiety in Regard to Money
- Money Cannot Ransom Your Soul
- Place Affections on the Better Land
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- During Prolonged Illness
- Prayer and Anointing—but Not Instantly Healed
- Jesus Knows Our Griefs and Pains
- “Make Me a Healthy, Fruit-bearing Branch”
- “Let No Unkind Words Be Spoken by Me”
- “I Will Not Complain”
- “The Lord Strengthens Me”
- No Thought of Beating a Retreat
- God Knows What Is Best
- Lessons From The Months Of Suffering
- Expect Short-Term Memory Problems
- Rest in His Love
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- The Faith of Abraham
- David's Prayer
- David Planned Ahead
- How Peter Faced Death
- The Aged Apostle on Patmos
- The Best Time of John's Life
- Comfort From Experiences of Bible Characters
- Solomon's Life of Backsliding
- Solomon's Weakness a Beacon of Warning
- Worldly Renown versus Godly Integrity
- Influence for Good or for Ill
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Dying Charity Versus Living Benevolence
I saw that many withhold from the cause while they live, quieting their consciences that they will be charitable at death; they hardly dare exercise faith and trust in God to give anything while living. But this deathbed charity is not what Christ requires of His followers; it cannot excuse the selfishness of the living. Those who hold fast their property till the last moment, surrender it to death rather than to the cause. Losses are occurring continually. Banks fail, and property is consumed in very many ways. Many purpose to do something, but they delay the matter, and Satan works to prevent the means from coming into the treasury at all. It is lost before it is returned to God, and Satan exults that it is so.RY 89.1
If you would do good with your means, do it at once lest Satan get it in his hands and thus hinder the work of God. Many times, when the Lord has opened the way for brethren to handle their means to advance His cause, the agents of Satan have presented some enterprise by which they were positive the brethren could double their means. They take the bait; their money is invested, and the cause, and frequently themselves, never receive a dollar.RY 89.2
Brethren, remember the cause; and when you have means at your command lay up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on eternal life. Jesus for your sakes became poor, that you through His poverty might be made rich in heavenly treasure. What will you give for Jesus, who has given all for you?RY 90.1
It will not do for you to depend on making your charity gifts in testamentary bequests at death. You cannot calculate with the least degree of surety that the cause will ever be benefited by them. Satan works with acute skill to stir up the relatives, and every false position is taken to gain to the world that which was solemnly dedicated to the cause of God. Much less than the sum willed is always received. Satan even puts it into the hearts of men and women to protest against their relatives’ doing what they wish in the bestowment of their property. They seem to regard everything given to the Lord as robbing the relatives of the deceased. If you want your means to go to the cause, appropriate it, or all that you do not really need for a support, while you live. A few of the brethren are doing this and enjoying the pleasure of being their own executors. Will the covetousness of men make it necessary that they shall be deprived of life in order that the property which God has lent them shall not be useless forever? Let none of you draw upon yourselves the doom of the unprofitable servant who hid his Lord's money on the earth.RY 90.2
Dying charity is a poor substitute for living benevolence. Many will to their friends and relatives all except a very small pittance of their property. This they leave for their supreme Friend, who became poor for their sakes, who suffered insult, mockery, and death, that they might become sons and daughters of God. And yet they expect when the righteous dead shall come forth to immortal life that this Friend will take them into His everlasting habitations.RY 90.3
The cause of Christ is robbed, not by a mere passing thought, not by an unpremeditated act. No. By your own deliberate act you made your will, placing your property at the disposal of unbelievers. After having robbed God during your lifetime, you continue to rob Him after your death, and you do this with the full consent of all your powers of mind, in a document called your will. What do you think will be your Master's will toward you for thus appropriating His goods? What will you say when an account is demanded of your stewardship?RY 91.1
Brethren, awake from your life of selfishness, and act like consistent Christians. The Lord requires you to economize your means and let every dollar not needed for your comfort flow into the treasury. Sisters, take that ten cents, that twenty cents, that dollar which you were about to spend for candies, for ruffles, or for ribbons, and donate it to God's cause. Many of our sisters earn good wages, but it is nearly all spent in gratifying their pride of dress.RY 91.2
The wants of the cause will continually increase as we near the close of time. Means is needed to give young men a short course of study in our schools, to prepare them for efficient work in the ministry and in different branches of the cause. We are not coming up to our privilege in this matter. All schools among us will soon be closed up. How much more might have been done had men obeyed the requirements of Christ in Christian beneficence! What an influence would this readiness to give all for Christ have had upon the world! It would have been one of the most convincing arguments in favor of the truth we profess to believe—an argument which the world could not misunderstand nor gainsay....RY 91.3
Let us individually go to work to stimulate others by our example of disinterested benevolence. The work might have gone forward with far greater power had all done what they could to supply the treasury with means.—Testimonies for the Church 5:154-157.RY 92.1