Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 4 (1883 - 1886)

Lt 18, 1884

Hemstreet, Brother and Sister

Oakland, California

April 30, 1884

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother and Sister Hemstreet:

When I saw you at the Healdsburg camp meeting I remembered your countenances and that your case had been presented before me with the cases of many others who were unfortunate because of their lack of management. At the very time when you should be diligently attending to your business, you neglected it. And losses occurred that need not to have been if there had been thoughtful care to save, to plan, and to manage to place your family where they would not suffer for the comforts or necessaries of life. It was unwise stewardship that has left your family without a home. God did not want it thus, but He did not work a miracle to counteract your own mismanagement. God has not been pleased with you increasing your family as you have done, with no better prospect to support them, to educate them, and to give them the advantages they ought to have. 4LtMs, Lt 18, 1884, par. 1

The wife and mother has not had the advantages she should have had. She has had a hard time, and she has weaknesses and infirmities brought upon her by this that might have had been avoided with due consideration. 4LtMs, Lt 18, 1884, par. 2

You should regulate your business so as to not let it come in between your soul and your duty to God, that you may maintain the purity of your faith and Christian character, while all temporal interests are held in subjection to the higher claims of the gospel. This matter should be examined in the light of the teachings of God’s word. 4LtMs, Lt 18, 1884, par. 3

Religion requires diligence in business. No precious moments are to be idled away. You are not a lazy man, but you are no manager. You do not gather up the fragments of time. You need to time your labor with thoughtful care to make it productive. Your hands must be guided by thoughtful brains. Thoughtful care, correct application of diligence and care at the right time would have saved you losses on every hand. Many of your losses have been wholly through your own neglect. 4LtMs, Lt 18, 1884, par. 4

You have not been thorough and diligent to preserve what you already had. Diligence at the proper time will secure the best of results. “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Proverbs 22:29. Let not your mind drop into the mistake many make that in order to be a Christian you must neglect the duties that devolve on you to be done. Your religion requires that you should make the most of your opportunities for the comfort of your family as well as for the glory of God. Your slack habits God is not pleased with. If you carefully husband the moments, you will accomplish far more than you will by indulging yourself in a careless, indolent, spendthrift way at sometimes, and then hurried at other times—never getting ahead. It is right that we should have interest in religious things but this will not unfit us for diligent labor. Will you consider these things? You need to overcome slack and untidy habits. God is not pleased with these things. You are giving a stamp of character to your children in these things not pleasing to God. The Lord would have you orderly, neat and cleanly and teach these lessons to your children as a part of their education. A neglect of the commonest duties of life has made you many losses. 4LtMs, Lt 18, 1884, par. 5

May the Lord help you to see these things and correct them in order for you to be fit for those mansions Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love Him. These defects in our character must be overcome. 4LtMs, Lt 18, 1884, par. 6