Testimony for the Church — No. 18

Epistle Number Three

Dear Bro. and Sr. ——: I have been seeking opportunity to write you, but have been sick, and unable to write any one. But I will try to write a few lines this morning. T18 113.3

As I was shown the duties resting upon God's people in regard to the poor, especially the widows and orphans, I was shown that my husband and myself were in danger of taking upon us burdens which God has not laid upon us, and thereby lessening our courage and strength, by increasing our cares and anxiety. In your case, I saw that my husband went farther than it was his duty to go. His interest in you led him to take a burden which carried him beyond his duty, and it has been no benefit to you, but has encouraged in you a disposition to depend upon your brethren. You look to them to help and favor you while you do not labor so hard as they, nor economize at all times as they feel it their duty to do. T18 113.4

I was shown that you, my brother and sister, have much to learn. You have not learned economy. You have not lived within your means. If you earn high wages, you have not learned to economize what you have earned, and to make it go as far as possible. You consult your taste or appetite instead of prudence. At times you expend money for a quality of food in which your brethren cannot afford to indulge. Dollars slip from your pocket very easily. T18 114.1

Sr. —— is in poor health. She indulges her appetite. She places too heavy a tax upon her stomach. She burdens her stomach by overeating. She places in her stomach food not of the best quality to nourish her system. Her food is taken in immoderate quantities, and she takes but little exercise; thus the system is severely taxed. According to the light the Lord has given us, simple food is the best to insure health and strength. Exercise is necessary to her health. T18 114.2

Self-denial is a lesson you have both yet to learn. Restrict your appetite, Bro. ——. God has given you a capital of strength. This is of more value to you, and should be more highly prized, than money. Strength cannot be purchased with gold or silver, houses or lands. It is a great possession that you have. God requires you to make a wise and judicious use of the strength he has blessed you with. You are God's steward, with a capital of strength. You are just as much a steward as is a man who has a capital of money. It is wrong for you to fail to use your strength to the best advantage; as wrong as for a rich man to covetously retain his riches because it is agreeable to do so. You do not make the exertion that you should to support your family. You can, and do, work if work is all conveniently prepared to hand; but you do not exert yourself to set yourself to work, feeling that it is a duty to use your time and strength to the very best advantage, and in the fear of God. T18 115.1

You have been in a business which would at times yield you large profits at once. After you have earned means, you have not studied to economize in reference to a time when means could not be earned so easily; but have expended much for imaginary wants. Had you and your wife understood it to be a duty that God enjoined upon you, to deny your taste and your desires, and make provision for the future, instead of living merely for the present, you could now have had a competency, and your family have had the comforts of life. You have a lesson to learn which you should not be backward in learning. It is to make a little go the longest way. T18 115.2

Sr. —— has leaned her weight too heavily upon her husband. She has been all her life too dependent upon others for sympathy, thinking of herself, making herself a center. She has been petted too much. She has not learned to be self-reliant. She has not been the help to her husband that she might have been, in temporal or spiritual things. She must learn to bear, and not dwell upon, bodily infirmities as she does. She has the battles of life to fight for herself. She has an individual responsibility resting upon her. T18 116.1

Sr. ——, your life has been a mistake. You have indulged in reading anything and everything. Your mind has not been benefited by this much reading. Your nerves have been excited while hurriedly chasing through the story. If your children interrupt you while thus employed, you speak fretfully, impatiently. You do not have self-control, and therefore fail to hold your children with a firm and steady hand. You move from impulse. You indulge and pet them, and then fret and scold, and are severe. This variable manner is very detrimental to your children. They need a firm, steady hand; for they are wayward. They need regular, wise, judicious discipline. T18 116.2

You might save yourself much perplexity if you would put on the woman, and move from principle, not from impulse. You have imagined that your husband must be with you, that you could not stay alone. You should see that his duty is to labor to sustain his family. You should bring yourself to deny your desires and wishes, and not lead him to feel that he must accommodate himself to you. You have a part to act in bearing the burdens of life. You must put on courage and fortitude. Be a woman, not a capricious child. You have been petted, and have had your burdens borne for you too long. It is now your duty to seek to deny your wishes and desires, and act from principle; for the present and future good of your family. You are not well, but if you should cultivate a contented, cheerful mind, it would help you to a better hold on this life, and also on the life to come. T18 117.1

Bro. ——, it is your duty to make a careful, judicious use of the capital of strength which God has given you. T18 117.2

Sr. ——, your brain is wearied, taxed by reading. You should deny your propensity for crowding your mind with everything it can devour. Your lifetime has not been put to the best use. You have not benefited yourself, nor those around you. You have leaned on your mother more than has been for your good. If you had depended more upon the powers within yourself, if you had been more self-reliant, you would have been happier. Now you should bear your own burdens as well as you can, and encourage your husband to bear his in doing his work. T18 117.3

If you had denied your taste for reading, and seeking to please yourself, and devoted more time to prudent physical exercise, and eaten carefully of proper, healthful food, you would have kept free from much suffering which you have had. A part of this suffering has been imaginary. If you had braced your mind to resist the disposition to yield to infirmities, you would not have had nervous spasms. Your mind should be drawn away from yourself, to household duties, in keeping your house with order, neatness, and taste. Much reading, and permitting your mind to be diverted with small things, has led to a neglect of your children, and your household duties. These are the very duties which God has given you to perform. T18 118.1

You have had much sympathy for yourself. You have called your mind to yourself, and have dwelt upon your poor feelings. My sister, eat less. Engage in physical labor, and devote your mind to spiritual things. Keep your mind from dwelling upon yourself. Cultivate a contented, cheerful spirit. You talk too much upon unimportant things. You gain no spiritual strength from this. If the strength spent in talking were devoted to prayer, you would receive spiritual strength, and you would make melody in your heart to God. T18 118.2

You have been controlled by feeling, not by duty and principle. You have given up to homesick feelings, and injured your health by indulging in a spirit of unrest. Your habits of life are not healthful. You need to reform. You are neither of you willing to work as others work, nor to eat as your brethren eat. If it is in your power to get things, you have them. It is your duty to economize. T18 119.1

In contrast with your case, was presented the case of Sr. ——. She has feeble health, and has two children to support with her needle at the very low prices which are paid for her work. For years she received scarcely a farthing of help. She was suffering with ill health, yet she carried her own burdens. Here was an object of charity indeed. Now look at your case. A man with a good capital of strength and a small family, yet constantly involved in debt, leaning upon others. This is all wrong. You have lessons to learn. With Sr. ——, economy is the battle of life. Here you are with a man's strong energies, and yet not self-sustaining. You have a work to do. You should have uniformity of diet. Live as simply as your brethren live, at all times. Live out the health reform. T18 119.2

Jesus wrought a miracle, and fed five thousand, and then he taught an important lesson of economy: “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” Duties are resting upon you, important duties. “Owe no man anything.” Were you infirm, were you unable to labor, then your brethren would be in duty bound to help you. As it is, all you needed from your brethren when changing your location, was a start at first. You can be free from embarrassments, if you feel as ambitious to labor as you should, and you and your wife unitedly bring your plans in life within your means. You will have to labor for small wages, as well as for large. Industry and economy would have placed your family, ere this, in a much more favorable condition. God wants you to be a faithful steward of your strength. He wants you to use your strength to place your family above want and dependence. T18 120.1

E. G. W.

Battle Creek, Mich., March 22, 1869.