- A Word of Explanation
- MR No. 1420—Health Reform Principles
- MR No. 1421—Soul Winning In Maitland; The Privilege Of Prayer
- MR No. 1422—Christ Our Example; Endure Trials Courageously
- MR No. 1423—The Law Of God
- MR No. 1424—Wrong Use of Writings Protested
- MR No. 1425—Errors and Dangers of Prescott and Daniells; The Cities to Be Worked
- MR No. 1426—Ellen White Acknowledges Her Imperfection
- MR No. 1427—Reflections While Crossing the Pacific
- MR No. 1428—Early Days at the Sydney Hospital; Cautions on Drug Medication
- MR No. 1429—Medical Missionary Work at Cooranbong
- MR No. 1430—The Persisting Dark Influence of Spiritualism
- MR No. 1431—Knowledge, Spurious and Genuine
- MR No. 1432—Reflections After First Tour of Scandinavia
- MR No. 1433—Inadequate Royalties on Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4
- MR No. 1434—The Evil Heritage Received From a Drunken Father
- MR No. 1435—Unwise Remarriage Would Destroy Children's Respect
- MR No. 1436—The High Honor of Being a Child of God
- MR No. 1437—Preach The Word
- MR No. 1438—Choose Associates of Good Character; Jesus Our Example in All Things
- MR No. 1439—Material appearing in Barry Oliver's dissertation, “Principles for Reorganization of the Seventh-day Adventist Administrative Structure, 1888-1903: Implications for an International Church.” Andrews University, January, 1989
- MR No. 1440—Look Constantly to Jesus; Follow His Example; Reflect His Character; Work in His Lines
- MR No. 1441—The Effects of Intemperance; Advancing the Cause of Temperance
- MR No. 1442—Some Leaders Show Unsympathetic Attitude Toward Workers in the South; Humility and the Holy Spirit Needed
- MR No. 1443—Reflect Christ, the True Light; Lay Up Treasure in Heaven
- MR No. 1444—Rebuke for Self-seeking and Self-exaltation; Warning Against Criticizing Church Leaders
- MR No. 1445—The Work and Workers at Madison Commended; Soliciting Finances Not to Be Restricted
- MR No. 1446—Seek God's Will; Distrust Self; Adopt Health Principles; Follow Christ in Self-denial and Sacrifice
- MR No. 1447—St. Helena Rural Health Retreat Not To Be Closed; Divine Counsel To Be Sought and Followed
- MR No. 1448—A Call to Service
- MR No. 1449—Intelligent Labor
- MR No. 1450—Help of C. C. Crisler Needed; Ellen White Exhausted and Heavily Burdened; Counsel Regarding “Irregular Lines”
- MR No. 1451—A Visit to Monterey; Advice on Family Matters
- MR No. 1452—Judas, the Self-centered, Unconverted Disciple
- MR No. 1453—Be Steadfast Unto the End
- MR No. 1454—Spiritual Knowledge to Be Obtained Through Christ and Nature; Many Jewish People to Receive Christ
- MR No. 1455—Education of Youth and Women Needed; Moving Discreetly
- MR No. 1456—Importance of Observing Nature's Laws; Meeting With N. D. Faulkhead
- MR No. 1457—N. D. Faulkhead's Break With the Masons; Need for a House of Worship in Melbourne
- MR No. 1458—N. D. Faulkhead's Conversion and Business Ability
- MR No. 1459—Raising the Standard of Piety Higher
- MR No. 1460—How the Leaven of Evil Works
- MR No. 1461—The Necessity of Studying the Word
- MR No. 1462—Material used by Milton Hook in a history concerning the South Pacific Division. Available in pamphlet form from the South Pacific Division
- MR No. 1463—The Need for Christ's Spirit in Our College; Teachers to Reflect Christ
- MR No. 1464—The Work in Mount Vincent and Hamilton; Joshua, the High Priest, Represents the Church
- MR No. 1465—True “Higher Education” Is Obtainable Only From the Master Teacher
- MR No. 1466—Activities During James White's Convalescence
- MR No. 1467—Camping and Traveling in the Colorado Mountains
- MR No. 1468—A Report on the Australian School; Building W.C. White's Home; Trusting and Praising God
- MR No. 1469—Older Workers to Be Honored and Conserve Their Strength; God's Law on Tables of Stone in Ark of the Testament
- MR No. 1470—Doctrines to Be Investigated; Unity to Be Sought
- MR No. 1471—The Fallacy of Thinking Human Ideas and Positions Are Infallible and Unchangeable
- MR No. 1472—Construction Progress at Avondale; Counsel to Edson: The Work of Elder Haskell; The Burden of False Brethren
- MR No. 1473—Trust in God and Follow His Counsel
- MR No. 1474—Christ's Manner of Teaching
- MR No. 1475—Guidelines for Adventist Sanitariums; Physicians to Set Example as True Christians, and Point Patients to Christ
- MR No. 1476—Providential Events in Acquiring and Opening New Sanitariums; Purpose of These Institutions; How Physicians in Private Practice Should Relate to Them
- MR No. 1477—The Medical Missionary Work
- MR No. 1478—The Need for Simplicity and Consecration in School Work
- MR No. 1479—Diary Entries, 1902; Comments on Prayer and Trust in God
- MR No. 1480—The Importance of Parents’ Work
- MR No. 1481—Practical Counsel on Home Treatments
- MR No. 1482—Appeal for Complete Consecration, Including Breaking With Secret Societies
- MR No. 1483—Observations on People and Scenery While Traveling
- MR No. 1484—The Bible as the Only Foundation of Our Faith
- MR No. 1485—School to Start Small; Have Faith; Do Not Overwork
- MR No. 1486—The Danger of Rejecting Light
- MR No. 1487—Privileges and Responsibilities of Christians; Depend on Holy Spirit, Not Self
- MR No. 1488—The Importance of Medical Missionary Work; Health Reform to Be Practiced
- MR No. 1489—Speaking at Camp Meeting; Counsel for Achieving Happiness in Marriage
- MR No. 1490—Minds to Be Spiritual, Not Carnal: The Cross to Be Central in Preaching; Fanaticism and Trivial Ideas to Be Avoided
- MR No. 1491—Guidelines for Success as a Minister or Physician
- MR No. 1492—Danger of False Science; Dr. Kellogg in Spiritual Peril; Warning Not to Follow His Example
- MR No. 1493—A. T. Jones in Need of Conversion; Health Reform to Be Taught and Practiced at Camp Meeting
- MR No. 1494—Ministering in Washington and Oregon; Deep Movings of the Holy Spirit
- MR No. 1495—Answering Christ's Prayer for Our Sanctification
- MR No. 1496—Reviewing Conditions at the St. Helena Health Retreat; Avoid Independent Judgment and Action; Be Faithful in Tithes and Offerings
- MR No. 1497—Conditions at St. Helena Health Retreat; Tension Between Doctors; Use of Drugs; Indiscreet Actions of Superintendent
- MR No. 1498—State of the Work in Ohio; General Conference to Establish and Control Medical Institutions; Physicians to Be Models of Morality
- MR No. 1499—Support Urged for St. Helena Health Retreat; Drug Use Condemned
- MR No. 1500—The Needs of the Southern Field
MR No. 1433—Inadequate Royalties on Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4
(Written to J. H. Waggoner and C. H. Jones, March 7, 1885, from Healdsburg, California.)
I have read your letters once, and will read them more carefully later, but I find nothing in them to lift the weight from my mind in regard to arrangements for the publication and sale of my books.20MR 48.1
I accept the explanations you make in regard to the draft. I have not laid up anything in my mind against you over this matter. However, I feel more and more convinced that I should never again allow myself to be left at the mercy of my brethren as regards means, if I can avoid it.20MR 48.2
From the light that God has given me, I am more and more convinced that you are acting unwisely in investing so much means in buildings. Since debts are now bearing you down, like weights of lead, I would advise you to “hug the shore” more closely in this respect. When you have means with which to build, then it will be time for you to increase your facilities. Bring your work within the limits of your resources, even if you must thereby endure great inconvenience. This is the light that God has repeatedly given me for you. It would be pleasing to God if you were to give this matter more careful study than you have given it.20MR 48.3
With reference to my book, I desire to say that I am not complaining because I think the office has been receiving too much for publishing it, but because I am not satisfied with the income it brings to me. Some plan should have been devised whereby more than fifteen cents royalty per copy would come to me. I do not remember that I was ever consulted regarding this matter. I thought that my brethren would guard my interests as sacredly as they would their own interests or the interests of the office. I know where to apply means to help the cause fully as well as my brethren know where to apply my means for me.20MR 48.4
I have just received a letter from Brother Ostrander in which he defends Brother Hamilton, against whom I made the charge that he appropriated means belonging to me and used it for his own convenience, building a house in Boulder. To make a bad matter worse, he exchanged this building for land in Longmont. This land was mortgaged, and it became necessary for me to invest six hundred dollars to lift the mortgage, in order to avoid losing all that Brother Hamilton used. Thus about two thousand dollars, which I greatly need, is tied up.20MR 48.5
And now Brother Ostrander proposes to relieve me of all further difficulty in regard to this property, by taking it off my hands. The mission in Colorado is embarrassed, and the proposition is that I donate to this mission the two thousand dollars tied up in this property. My brethren may feel ready to give me this kind of relief, but I am not ready to accept their proposition.20MR 49.1
My brethren of wise judgment could have managed my book—Volume IV [Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, the predecessor of The Great Controversy.]—in such a way that relief would have been brought to me. They could have published a statement to the effect that this book had cost me much time and money to prepare and put on the market; and that, as I had pledged largely for the support of missions—no less than three thousand dollars—in addition to meeting other heavy expenses, the profits on the first edition of this book would go to the author to reimburse her for a portion of the heavy expense incurred; that the profits on the second edition would be divided between the canvassers and the author. Thus you could have helped me, but you did not.20MR 49.2
Hereafter I cannot put implicit confidence in all the plans you devise and execute, so far as my work is concerned. I will keep on the lookout for a manager, and when I find one who is suitable, I will employ him. I will not trust my book interests with my good brethren who plan in such a way that a certain portion of the profit is taken off by this one and by that one, and only a very small portion is left for me.20MR 49.3
All your explanations and figures do not help me at all. My books are selling well, and yet I have scarcely enough money to procure the necessary things of life; and when I send to the office for funds, there comes to me the oft-repeated reply, “You have overdrawn your account.” My helpers are not paid for the work they have done. I am carrying a heavy burden of debt, on which I pay interest. My books are constantly sold in large numbers, and yet the profits bring me but little relief.20MR 49.4
Matters are so arranged that those who write books cannot receive proper compensation, because the books go through so many hands that the profits are consumed in this way. Whether canvassers, or tract and missionary societies, or whatever it may be that brings about this result, I protest against such an arrangement. If we should revive the old plan of our ministers disposing of the books and receiving part of the profits themselves, I believe there would be a better state of things than exists today. Under present arrangements, it seems as if almost everything is absorbed by the tract and missionary societies, leaving very little profit for the author. I shall have something more to say on these things.20MR 49.5
Only the expense of publishing and selling my book, Vol. IV, should have been taken from the profits. The rest should have been saved for the author. No canvassers were needed for Vol. IV. It could have been sold without going to all this expense. I am not satisfied with the result. Those who have felt that they were doing me justice by awarding me fifteen cents for each copy sold have erred in judgment.20MR 50.1
The notice of the higher prices placed on the book should never have been published. No explanation of this was made at the time. If nothing in explanation could have been written, the notice would better have remained unpublished.20MR 50.2
I will make no rash moves, but I cannot submit to the arrangements made. They are unjust. The money used in paying canvassers for selling the first edition was misspent, for I should have received the profits on that edition. I know where to use this means to the very best advantage, and yet I have nothing to use in any way. I economize in every way possible, and still do not have sufficient to meet running expenses.20MR 50.3
I am sick at heart and discouraged over the present state of affairs. If the notice of the advance in price had been published before the first ten thousand books were sold, it would have been far better. I have trusted too much in my brethren. I regret making this mistake. In the future I must look after my own interests more closely.—Letter 15, 1885.20MR 50.4