Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 9, 1866

White, J. E.

January 1866

Previously unpublished.

Dear Son Edson:

I cannot feel relieved in your case. I feel that you have not surrendered your will, your feelings. You are not where the blessing of the Lord can come to your heart. You do not feel right toward your father. And just as long as these feelings are cherished by you, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and unrest must be the result. I know, Edson, that the only right course for you is to abide by your father’s judgment and show to him that you are not afraid to trust him. Now things are not right. There may be outwardly an appearance of harmony but, after all, the genuine work is not in the heart and there is no real harmony existing. There are crossway feelings and cross purposes. 1LtMs, Lt 9, 1866, par. 1

I again press home to you the necessity of closely reading the testimony sent to you, and of learning from the past not to take the same course in the future. Edson, your only safe course is to surrender your heart, your will, to God. Let nothing stand in your way. Tell Satan to get behind you. Tell your father you are not afraid to trust him, that you will take his counsel as a father and friend. 1LtMs, Lt 9, 1866, par. 2

It comes to your father that you are dissatisfied with him, that you feel you have not been dealt with justly. Now, Edson, all this is hurting you more than it hurts him. You are in danger of killing your own reputation and separating yourself from us. You may assent to do this or that, but if it is not an assenting of the heart, if you still are of the same mind, it will appear. You cannot hide your true feelings. Satan’s powerful temptations are upon you. You do not see things aright. I know in regard to the past; I know, for your course has been shown me in the light of eternity that you have made terrible mistakes, and where your dangers lie is written out and presented before you. Do you heed the light given? Your will is strong; your ideas perverted. 1LtMs, Lt 9, 1866, par. 3

My dear son, your father has been passing through intense suffering of mind. If you would come to him frankly and tell him freely what you will do, the position you will take, and that you will throw your entire interest into the Office and respect his judgment, you may relieve the state of things. There is much at stake. You, my son, are not a close financier, and when I found that you were having the handling of means in buying and settling bills, I felt that this was not your position. Dollars slip away from you here and there, and you are careless in keeping accounts, and losses must occur. 1LtMs, Lt 9, 1866, par. 4

My dear boy, God can only bless the right. God will lead your feet in the path of peace if you will let Him. You must battle against selfishness. Your straitened circumstances will not be an excuse in a single instance for you to be self-caring and to disregard the cases of others with whom you are connected. God will prosper faithfulness in any one. God will bless the wholehearted, unselfish workers. 1LtMs, Lt 9, 1866, par. 5

Edson, my dear boy, we met together tonight to make some business arrangements preparatory for leaving. Father designs to go to Michigan. I shall accompany him if he goes. 1LtMs, Lt 9, 1866, par. 6

Do what you can to free your own soul. Be frank, be humble enough to acknowledge where your mistakes have been, and do all you can to come into harmony with your father. Drop your separate interest; take your music only with the other work in the Office and do seek to work unselfishly, in the fear of God, from right motives. God help you, dear Edson, to make here an entire new start. You have backslidden from God. Now return with all your heart, and do not let Satan manufacture plans and new enterprises for you to engage in. He would have your mind divided on so many other interests that you would fail to give the strength of your mind to the office. I believe Father will accept any concession you may make. But let us all, as a family, humble ourselves before God and start anew at the commencement of this New Year to work in harmony. 1LtMs, Lt 9, 1866, par. 7