- Preface
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- Chapter 13—Temptation No Excuse for Sin
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- Chapter 38—Accountability for Light
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- Chapter 41—Divine Guidance
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- Chapter 44—Self-denial
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- Chapter 46—Abiding Presence of Christ
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- Chapter 50—Education for Eternity
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- Chapter 55—Aspiration for Improvement
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- Chapter 59—Responsibility for Soul Winning
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- Chapter 61—Personal Work
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- Chapter 64—Unselfish Service
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- Chapter 79—Our Attitude in Prayer
- Chapter 80—Faith and Prayer
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- Chapter 82—Search the Scriptures for Yourself
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- Chapter 87—A Well-grounded Hope
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- Chapter 94—The Effect of Fiction
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- Chapter 107—A Christian Household
- Chapter 108—Faithfulness in Home Duties
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- Chapter 115—The Hour of Worship
- Chapter 116—Religious Hospitality
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- Chapter 126—Words of Counsel
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- Chapter 129—Unholy Influences at Work
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- Chapter 134—Literary Societies
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- Chapter 137—Christian Sociability and Courtesy
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- Chapter 141—The Choice of Companions
- Chapter 142—The Golden Rule
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- Chapter 147—Irreligious Visitors
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- Chapter 155—Responsibilities of Marriage
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- Chapter 157—The Example of Isaac
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Mental Inebriates
When an appetite for exciting, sensational stories is cultivated, the moral taste becomes perverted, and the mind is unsatisfied unless constantly fed upon this trashy, unwholesome food. I have seen young ladies, professed followers of Christ, who were really unhappy unless they had on hand some new novel or story-paper. The mind craved stimulation as the drunkard craves intoxicating drink. These youth manifested no spirit of devotion; no heavenly light was shed upon their associates to lead them to the fount of knowledge. They had no deep, religious experience. If this class of reading had not been constantly before them, there might have been some hope of their reforming; but they craved it, and would have it.MYP 281.1
I am pained to see young men and women thus ruining their usefulness in this life, and failing to obtain an experience that will prepare them for an eternal life in heavenly society. We can find no more fit name for them than “mental inebriates.”MYP 281.2
Intemperate habits of reading exert a pernicious influence upon the brain as surely as does intemperance in eating and drinking.MYP 281.3