Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 20, 1861

Wheeler, Brother

1861

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother Wheeler:

In the vision given me at Roosevelt, Aug. 3, 1861, I was shown the sad state of God’s people in central New York. I saw that there was a great lack among them. I was shown that the feelings of Brother Wheeler in regard to Brother Abbey’s family have been wrong. They have not had occasion to feel thus. Brother Abbey’s family have intended to work for their interest but it has not been appreciated. Brother Wheeler’s family have watched Brother Abbey’s family for evil, watched for their haltings, and they have been made offenders for a word, and condemned them for things unworthy of notice or remark. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 1

Brother Abbey’s family have prized the truth and have been willing to deny self and to sacrifice for the truth. They have borne burdens that your family, Brother Wheeler, would not bear. I saw, Brother and Sister Wheeler, your attention should have been turned long ago to your own family, to watch them with jealous care. There is a great work to be accomplished for them before they can be in an acceptable state before God. You have not restrained your children. You are unwilling to say No to them, or to deny their wishes. You should be decided and firm. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 2

Your children wish to dress like the world and appear like them. You yield. The children influence the mother and the mother influences the father, and the children do about as they please. The influence exerted by your own family destroys the effect of your teachings. Your sons have expected Brother Abbey’s family to favor them because by his hard labor he has means to handle. They have given others an exaggerated account of what Brother Abbey was worth. They have been disappointed, for Brother Abbey felt that he had no duty to help them. I saw that the church is not required to have the least burden of Brother Wheeler’s married children; yet for your sake Brother Abbey has borne from your sons many things he would not have borne had it not been for your sake. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 3

You have not seen things as they are. Your family have been blinded. Brother Abbey’s family had the utmost confidence in you. But your family have been watching them. They have noticed and marked every seeming wrong, and have nourished a faultfinding spirit, and there has been a faithful relation of everything coming under their observation of Brother Abbey’s. Had Jesus been upon earth He would have said to your family, Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 4

I saw that Brother Abbey’s family have been placed in an unjust position. Take any family and place them in the position in which Brother Abbey’s family has been placed, and let a number of individuals watch their every word and act to find something whereof they might accuse them, ready to construe everything against them, such persons would have business enough. Take your own family, Brother Wheeler. I saw that if others should do to you as you have done to them, you would call it the height of injustice. Let a number watch your family, notice all that looked inconsistent and wrong in them, watch their every word and act for years past, and then have it all stored and brought as accusations against you. Would you be willing to be placed thus? I know you would not. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 5

You have misjudged that family. You have thought them wrong, and have said so to others, and have watched so eagerly to find something of sufficient importance to present before the brethren to weaken their confidence in them, and have taken an unchristian course, eagerly listened to anything others might bring to you against them. You have moved in blindness, deceived by the enemy. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 6

I saw that Brother Abbey’s family were not perfect. They are erring mortals and do not always move and act cautiously. Yet when they are convinced of wrong they have no wish to cover it up or screen themselves. The love of the truth is in their hearts. They have labored hard and have not spared themselves, and in this [they] go too far, and suffer themselves to be perplexed and overtaxed with the cares of this life; and the spirit of this world comes in and they are not as consecrated to the service of God as they ought to be. This extra care and labor should not be taken on, and they should allow themselves rest and relaxation from care, as well as others. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 7

Many whom they have helped, your family not excepted, would not be as careful of expending means for their own benefit as they have been. Your family live in ease compared with Brother Abbey’s family. They labor hard and have freely imparted to others. Your minds have been made up in regard to that family, and any explanation they might make would not change your minds. You have been very severe upon them without just cause. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 8

You have been greatly affected and influenced by Brother Cook’s family and you have mingled with them. You know their lack of consecration, their worldly-mindedness, their lack of sacrificing, yet why have you felt no burden for them? Wherein have you labored with them and censured them? I saw you in conversation with Brother Cook. Hours you have spent in conversation. You know the subject of it, and God knows. You have been influenced by that family against Brother Abbey’s family, and you have influenced them and added fuel to the fire of wrath already kindled in that family. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 9

Sister Wheeler has felt wrong and has had a strong and hard spirit against Brother Abbey’s family. Her spirit controls too much and affects Brother Wheeler. That strong spirit must yield and be subdued. I was shown that she had influenced and controlled Vernelia, and she was acting entirely out of her place. Brother Wheeler’s family and Brother Cook’s have united together to make that family feel what God will never let rest upon them. You have borne down upon them and caused them much suffering in mind. You have driven them to the borders of despair, yet God has not forsaken them. He will come to their deliverance. I saw that you had censured Lucinda, one whose spirit is precious in the sight of the Lord, whose whole heart is in His cause. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 10

You have followed in a blind course. You have been blind to the condition of your own family—no weight of the truth resting upon your children, far from God, feeling no individual responsibility, having no living principle within them to separate from the world. You suffer them to appear in hoops and hats. The mother must please the children; the father must please them both. Your family do not exert a good and saving influence. I was pointed to this text in (Isaiah 3:12): “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.” Women and children rule in these perilous times, and they are unconsecrated and lead the wrong way. I saw that it was time for God to work and set things in order. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 11

While you are so very conscientious in regard to Brother Abbey’s family, why not labor zealously with your own? I saw that you have placed confidence in Brother and Sister Marsh, and united with them to press down Brother Abbey’s family. You are ruining those poor weak souls and know it not. Then you have confided in Brother Preston’s family and there has been with you both a mutual relation of matters which has girded you both with strength to push Brother Abbey’s family farther. Could you have carried out what was in your mind to carry out in regard to that family you would have left them crushed. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 12

In regard to the matter of association, you have been pulling down what God has through His instruments been trying to build up. If God’s Spirit has led you it has been withdrawn from the body and they are left in darkness, controlled by the powers of darkness. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 13

I was shown the weight of responsibility resting upon James. But few have any interest or care whether he is overwhelmed or not. Ministers, instead of acting like God’s free men and putting their shoulder under the burden, take a course to press the weight heavier and although they have scarce any burdens to bear themselves, and are very free from care, yet they suffer James to be overwhelmed and look on with indifference. Such a course God does not approbate. There is a great lack on the part of the ministering brethren. God has marked Brother White’s tears, his anguish, his distress, his hopelessness, his despair—all caused by the course of others. The ministering brethren have not come up to the help of the Lord, but stood back to divert the attention and perplex those who would have come up. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 14

God has recorded these things and those who have made themselves weak by sympathizing and uniting with a wrong spirit, and oppressing those who would exert all their influence in the cause of God must suffer. They can expect nothing else. God does not compel them to walk in blindness. They choose their own course. And if it be their choice to leave the light which God has caused to shine upon their pathway, they must wander in the mist and that without sympathy. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 15

Brother Wheeler, I saw that if you follow the course you have pursued in regard to Brother Abbey’s family, you will work yourself completely out of friends. I was pointed back to New Hampshire. Your family there saw the faults of your brethren. You did not realize that your family was at fault, and that the brethren had things to bear with in your family. There has ever been a lack there. Your wife lacks consecration, devotion, and needs much done for her. The church have loved your spirit and have tried to sustain you. You have been a source of encouragement to the church yet you have not been a successful laborer. There are but few souls that you can present as fruits of your labors yet your influence has generally been good in the cause and among the flock. Your eastern journey did not accomplish much good, and I saw that your future labors will not be of any account until you find out where you are, and can move understandingly. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 16

May the Lord in mercy help you to see and work off against your own house is the prayer of 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 17

Ellen G. White

Brother Wheeler, please return this to Battle Creek. Take a copy if you choose. I place this in Brother Abbey’s hands to copy if they choose and then hand to you. 1LtMs, Lt 20, 1861, par. 18