A letter has been received from Elder Daniells making inquiries in regard to the wisdom of removing old buildings and replacing them with new buildings rather than to allow the land to remain unoccupied. I have written to Elder Daniells and now I am writing you.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 1

I wish to say, You could not do a more unwise thing now, in the face of all the light which has been given during this conference upon the matter of so many buildings being created in Battle Creek, which has blocked the way for making plants in several places. From the light given me, it would be a denial of your faith.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 2

In a council meeting last night advice was given from One having authority, and as He spoke there seemed to be power in His every word—power that I cannot ever put in words by my pen or voice. At the present time I can repeat but feebly a few things that were laid out distinctly. Adding to the pile of buildings of the publishing interest would be a decided witness against anyone who attempts to build. Great necessities exist in many places to obtain something that will serve to work out the purposes of God. New York City and other cities are in every sense of the word your neighbor. The Southern field is close by. The necessities of that field would rebuke the purpose you propose of another building. The work is to be established in other places.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 3

There will be room enough to carry the work in Battle Creek in the future, for some lines of the work will be removed from the Review and Herald buildings. Let new plants be placed where there will not be so many responsibilities in one locality.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 4

The money is needed just now in advancing a work already begun in the Southern field. Let there be an interest and sympathy to build up, rather than to tear down. The same money that can be invested in a building in Battle Creek can be used in creating some buildings to perfect the work in the Southern field. The conferences that have now been divided into independent working agencies are to carry on their work harmoniously, bound together for the successful establishment of facilities to better advance the great work of God in hard, hitherto unproductive, localities.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 5

The money is the Lord’s, and there is to be a decided change in the sentiments that have prevailed in Battle Creek. Battle Creek can use God’s money as though they created it for their own working convenience. This would give abundant advantage in one place where selfishness has swelled to large proportions. The investment made in Battle Creek should have been made for the successful operation of smaller plants in many places. This would have given breadth to the work and the influence of the truth would have been far more extensive, thus meeting the words of Christ, “Go ye into all the world.” [Mark 16:15.]16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 6

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:18-20.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 7

“All power” are the words used to show the authority of Jesus Christ. “Is given unto me,” as Mediator between God and man. “Teach all nations,” for the purpose of persuading them to become My disciples. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”—the three great personal powers, the authorities of heaven. “And, lo, I am with you,” in the work—to guide you, to comfort you, to sanctify and sustain you in this aggressive warfare; to render you successful in bringing many souls to acknowledge the truth, confessing their sins.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 8

The “Teaching them to observe all things” Christ has commanded is awakening those dead in trespasses and sins, alarming them to arouse from their deathlike slumbers, and persuading them to turn from darkness to light, away from the power of Satan’s devices and away from sin unto God. “I am with you,”—He is with all who succeed in preaching the gospel to all people.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 9

The work is to go forth. Money that it is supposed could be put into an extra building in Battle Creek, increasing still more the large, overgrown establishment there, should be used for increasing and extending the knowledge of the truth by properly proportioned institutions located in many places.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 10

There is to be no more extending of your printing plant, but diminishing. God calls for His money which He has entrusted to His people to be more equally distributed. His vineyard is to be worked. There shall be no delay. God is waiting to see what you will do with His money. He has in His providence brought about a condition of things to relieve from pressure of debts, that the stewards of means shall understand it is not their own money they are handling; it is God’s money. He is testing the men in positions of trust to see whether they will consider that the work is to be done in other places in the world.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 11

Nashville is to be considered, and help is to come to the work there as verily as help has come to Battle Creek. Also California is called upon to create facilities. The Southern field is your neighbor.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 12

The lesson of (Luke 10) contains the answer to the question asked, Shall we put up buildings to make more conveniences in addition to the buildings already created? The counsel of God says, No, no! You are overgrown, spreading over too much ground! To divide and subdivide in many interests in several places would have been in accordance with the lessons taught by Jesus Christ, especially verse 25.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 13

Every living person is to understand that God has a controversy with him. If there had been no Southern field of black and white people all in so great ignorance, if there had been no human wretchedness with which the sanctimonious and self-sufficient and self-righteous should come in collision, then the selfishness would have been left to grow in large proportions as a giant and the ground of the soul in which thoughts might have been chiseled and smoothed and polished would have become granite and defied all impressions. Let none be like the priest and Levite, who, having every advantage themselves, see the great necessity but lock up the sympathies of the soul. Such men would study how they could invest a few thousand dollars to add to already large facilities and conveniences, and dry up their souls by spending in unjust proportions for themselves. The means expended for the very things they are deciding to do would establish the work at the present time in Nashville, to create a building and supply a great need. Thus selfishly used these extra hundreds of thousands of dollars will not appear on the right side.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 14

God instructs us to call upon those who have so much abundance to see existing needs which have been kept before them for years and might and should have been relieved long ago. The Lord calls upon the publishing houses that invest in presses and in buildings just now to stay their hand. You who are established, send in not merely a few hundred dollars, but send larger gifts and do not leave your neighbor to build up as he can. God calls upon you to consider and to see that means you feel at liberty to invest in buildings, or whatever you please, be used to establish His work in a destitute portion of the world. Bind about your supposed necessities. I am alarmed at such selfishness. God is displeased and dishonored. Here is your neighbor that demands help.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 15

You can see where you can use more money by an outlay of thousands of dollars. It is looked upon by the Lord as supreme selfishness. The money is His, and you have no moral right to invest money in buildings or in presses until you see that the work in Nashville receives a proportion of the Lord’s goods. You have had appeal after appeal. Angels are looking, and your spirit and works do not receive the divine endorsement. God would never have His institutions stand as independent of each other, but one must help create the other and not rest until they see that their neighboring institutions are in running order. It is a sister enterprise that needs help. The dispensation of providence now calls upon the institutions that are on vantage ground to help the institutions that are not able to finish their buildings and get upon a foundation to work.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 16

I say to the Pacific Press, God is not pleased with your continual growth of selfishness. He looks upon the position of a field that has needed a thousandfold more done in it, and you have signally failed. You have not the intense interest that was manifested when the work was established in Oakland. There is a moral responsibility upon every sister institution to rally to the help of a work that has been turned away from and neglected. God will call His people, who claim to believe the truth, to account for these things. And it is the want of love for Christ, for that zeal which should have been manifested, that should have given tangible proof that it existed, that has placed the mark of God’s displeasure upon those who had so little sympathy, so little heart and soul in a neglected work which rested with equal weight upon all our institutions.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 17

When I heard that several at the Pacific Press had passed in their credentials, I thought they might just as well do this as anything else. The deep searching of heart, in humility of soul and crucifixion of self, has not yet been felt. Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 18

None will enter heaven unless there is a melting over, and God holds them in the furnace until the dross is consumed. Not by accumulated deeds of legal obedience will anyone enter the portals of the city of God, but simply by the lifting and bearing the cross of the Redeemer, putting faith in His blood and in the righteousness of Him who died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. Just as soon as the heart is worked by this heaven-born principle of faith, there will be a subdued self that has fallen on the Rock and is broken. There will be a kindling of love toward the Author of redemption. Works of selfishness bind up the soul in the bands of steel until justice and mercy and the love of God can make no impression. When the heart is renewed, when the love of God takes possession of it, then will be wrought in the natural heart a grateful, benevolent, devoted affection. If the love of Christ is in the soul, there will be an intensity of desire and devoted affection.16LtMs, Lt 205, 1901, par. 19

Lt 204, 1901

Lt 206, 1901