Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Ms 34, 1906

A Message to A. T. Jones and Others in Battle Creek

St. Helena, California

March 23, 1906

Previously unpublished.

These are my testimonials in the sight of heaven and the world. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 1

The many books that I have written are the same testimony I now bear to the churches and the world, and shall ever continue to bear, of the great working of the Holy Spirit of God upon my mind and upon my heart. All the counter working to make of none effect these precious evidences of what is truth for this time will, while I live, be the same as it has been. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 2

When any person comes with some new theory of that which he calls new light, I tell him I know he has not the truth. I refuse to go into an argument with those who oppose the truth, but call their attention to the publication of the truth given me, which has been written under the Holy Spirit’s representation. If they will carefully read Great Controversy, the Testimonies for the Church, Patriarchs and Prophets, Desire of Ages, and all the many books that are in circulation, that bear testimony to the truth given at varied times and in varied places over a period of half a century, they would not be entering into temptation and walking in false paths where some are today. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 3

The Lord has given the testimonies of truth, and these publications have been given to me under the power of the Holy Spirit, which I acknowledge; and I would do despite to the Holy Spirit, should I accept any of the theories that have been brought in by various ones to try to deny the truthfulness of these testimonies. It would be a denial of the Holy Spirit of God which has been my Instructor for more than fifty years. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 4

In these books that I have been called in the visions of the night to write, I am presenting the things I have seen and have been instructed of God to write. These writings are immortalized. They are to be borne to all parts of the world in books translated into all languages. The power of the Holy Spirit has opened before me the wonderful things of God’s Word, and many souls that have been imbedded under the thick layers of darkness and scientific sophistries have received the light and been converted and borne their testimonies as the Holy Spirit emancipated their minds and made them free from the fetters and bondage of erroneous science and theories of mind working upon mind. I have seen the angels of God breaking the fetters from human minds. The lightning flashes of the Holy Spirit have indicated what is truth. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 5

The experience of both saints and sinners has testified to the power of the Holy Spirit’s instruction seen and known upon me. I know that for half a century there have been borne the varied testimonies concerning erroneous theories which have taken souls from the truth into strange paths. Souls have departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of the archdeceiver. But not one jot or tittle of the light God has given me, that has been published, has been proven by the Word to be error. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 6

Many have been grieving the Holy Spirit of God by refusing to accept the light given; and by walking contrary to the distinct, plain testimonies God has sent them—to reform and to give heed to the warnings—they have refused to give heed to the warnings that have been coming to them for years. If they perish in their sins, it will not be because the light has not come to them in clear, distinct rays, but because their minds choose to accept falsehoods rather than truth. They will frame up what they call contradictions, but there are no contradictions except those which their darkened minds frame. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 7

Elder Canright has been at this work for many years. Will you do the same work and share with him his future reward? No one falls at once away from plain, appointed, defined, straight paths. It takes years of resistance of evidence, of fixing their own clouded interpretations and refusing to humble the soul and accept the appeals coming to them in reproofs and warnings to save them. All dishonesty, all deceptions have been clearly called by their right name. The Word of God has plainly defined truth in contrast with error and laid before them the truth. The Holy Spirit has spoken and shown that we are in that period of time when Satan will come down with great power to work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, and will turn souls from the truth to the receiving of false theories. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 8

God has given me message after message to give to them, but it did not reform them any more than the messages that were given to the parties in heaven that created the first rebellion. Satan’s power of seduction has been continually a school of education in deception, fraud, and all unrighteousness. All this is given in the printed volumes that I have sent out to our people, and they are being scattered all through the world. The pope has called for one of these books, Great Controversy, that he may condemn the heresies that are in it. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 9

But all who apostatize in Battle Creek have had the light, have had the warnings. They sin in acting as the Jews sinned and acted under the light shining in Old Testament times. I would rather a man would come out in his true character and reveal his apostasy, than to pretend to believe when he is working in decided insinuations and actions to betray and rob the cause of God, but claiming to believe. This is the very course represented to me that Satan pursued in the heavenly courts, and the angels were deceived by his sophistries which he put into their minds in so subtle a manner that only he himself understood what he was trying to do. He would take the insinuations he had put into the minds of the angels, and then call them, after a time, to specify their objections. The loyal and true would discern the insidious working of disloyalty. This work was carried on until a large number were deceived, and then the war began in heaven in earnest. Which party would prevail? 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 10

The Lord understood every phase of the turnings and twistings of Satan’s work. In order to save the loyal from eternal ruin, He let the matter for a time be acted out. Satan’s secrecy and complete denial of his own secret, hidden actions made it appear that he was misjudged and cast reflections upon God. Then there was war in heaven. Those who stood with the archdeceiver misstated the words of Christ and put an entirely false meaning to His words. They would repeat the words that the Lord said and misstate them and give a false version to all truthful statements made. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 11

Then there was the council in heaven—warfare, it is called. Satan was expelled from the heavenly courts; and all that placed themselves on Satan’s side of the question, all who would not yield their rebellion were expelled with Satan. Every one who participated with him could in no case be received as safe to remain in the heavenly courts. Here were two parties, and we see now two parties, and one will be on Satan’s side and the other on the side of Christ and God. Thus the contending parties have existed all through this earth’s history. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 12

Read Great Controversy, and advise all to read Patriarchs and Prophets and Desire of Ages. I entreat of all to read the books I have written which have stood the test of more than half a century. Those books are truth expressed. I speak to all, Take your position decidedly. Give yourselves no rest. Ministers and teachers, as you read do not divide your mind with men who are being taught by one who led to the fall of the heavenly angels, but keep away from the men who will draw you by false statements. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 13

If A. T. Jones has contradictions in my testimonies, why has he not, like an honest, faithful man, first come to me and presented these objections to me? Have I not acted, A. T. Jones, in your behalf? What about that meeting in Fresno? Was it the Lord working upon your mind to give you this last special evidence you would ever have, when it was expected you were to be removed from your responsible position as president of the California Conference? No one had said a word to me of the matter, but what if they had talked? Men have had the liberty of speech the last half century, and many complaints had been urged against A. T. Jones, and the conference decided that there must be no more entrusting the work to his hands. He did not explain his position, but I had testimonies several times to correct his course of action. In the night season a vision was given me and words that I must speak to A. T. Jones and Elder Corliss and to all present; and A. T. Jones confessed to the testimonies, and he walked forward and humbled himself before God, and all present at that meeting recognized the deep moving of the Spirit of God. The atmosphere in that meeting was changed, and A. T. Jones humbly and broken-heartedly acknowledged the strong influence of the Spirit of God and there pledged himself before God and his brethren that he would walk in the light and humble himself before God. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 14

Testimonies had come to him from time to time to show him where he was making a mistake in not understanding correctly the work that was devolving upon him. He would come to decisions upon various lines that would certainly destroy the confidence of his brethren in him as a leader. He did not have clear ideas of what constituted true discipline and management in church matters, and the fundamental truths of the Scriptures were being misunderstood; and yet he would stand independently and unwisely in some things, to cause confidence in his course of action to be shaken. I was so sorry for Brother A. T. Jones, and sorry for our brethren. But a message was given me for him, and he received it; and I had a message for him that his family and his wife needed all the attention that was frequently drawn away upon other women. Let women bear the burden of women, and let men be sure and give the wife all the attention possible. He needed to give his wife affection and encouragement and not to be so much interested in other women. Here was his danger. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 15

I am so sorry that confidence was shaken in Elder A. T. Jones in regard to his influence as being a wise and discerning man. But when the Lord did work with his Holy Spirit in Fresno, and Brother Jones dedicated himself as a converted man to God, we hoped that past matters would never be repeated. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 16

That movement that A. T. Jones made in Battle Creek was presented to me in the visions of the night, that he and Brother Magan urged that the school should come back to Battle Creek. I had told Brother Jones and Brother Magan that it was a voice not from God but from the enemy, and the result would be deleterious. A. T. Jones declared it was to be only for a few months. But the result has been as the Lord revealed to me in vision it would be. [This took place], notwithstanding that precious meeting in Fresno, and the working of the Holy Spirit of God in Fresno upon A. T. Jones when he humbled his heart before God and made confession to God, and all present received the testimony of the Spirit of God. Brethren Jones and Corliss fell upon each other’s necks and with weeping confessed their errors, and A. T. Jones was again accepted of the conference. That meeting was a decided victory toward unity, and Elder Jones said he had made all things right between him and his wife, that everything was cleared away, and that now she was the happiest woman. “You need not worry about us any more, for we will prove ourselves as decidedly changed.” 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 17

I was really hoping that Brother A. T. Jones was a converted man. But again this course of action in regard to properties, and his voice in the action, is a work that he and those united with him will have to meet in that day when every action and every secret thing that has been carried out in accordance with the spirit and promptings of the evil one will be brought into review before God. All will receive as their works shall be, and this unjust course will stand in the books of heaven, testifying against him and all who united with him as depriving the cause of God of advantages that were its right. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 18

A. T. Jones, God’s eye is upon you. He is taking the temperature of your religious life, and the deeds are passing in review before God. I am to bear a testimony that all this scheming and planning and devising will decide what would be your character if you were permitted to enter the heavenly courts. There would be a second rebellion. All these unjust, cunning workings will not seem to you so pleasant in the near future as now. All who enter the pearly gates of the city of God will give themselves no rest until they purify their souls by obeying the truth, believing the truth with all their hearts. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 19

Now, just now, God calls upon all who have had testimonies borne to them to consider that it is not the instrument that the Lord has chosen to communicate His words to the erring that you are resisting and refusing, but the Lord Jesus Christ, who has for the last fifty years been speaking the fundamental truths to His people. Passages of Scripture will be as pure as crystal, polished by no human hand, but reflecting the light of God. And any man who has changed his convictions for sophistries has departed from the faith and given heed to seducing spirits. He has taken a position to falsify and is destroying his power as a leader in the great work before us. It is not the office to which God has appointed A. T. Jones, or any other man, to give the trumpet an uncertain sound. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 20

I again call upon all who are deluded by the power of satanic sophistries, for your souls’ sake, do not stand before the people to express your doubts of the truth which we need to understand. All need now to prepare for what is before us. Christ sends the word of warning along the line, Beware what you believe and from what source it shall come. Christ is your model. He spoke the truth as One who had authority. It was positive in its character. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 21

The doctrine of the divinity of Christ is to be definitely believed and proclaimed. Men who will stand in the trial before us can overcome and reform those who will be reformed by drawing their inspiration from the Lord Jesus Christ. The great test will come to every soul. It is on the steadfast confession of Christ’s divinity that the promise is given that His church shall stand. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 22

When many of Christ’s disciples forsook Him, when He declared Himself to be the bread of life, Christ asked His twelve disciples their opinion of His character. Said Peter, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16. Christ’s reply was, “Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Verse 18. It was not Peter that was specified as the Rock, but Christ. “And upon this rock I will build My church.” 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 23

The human heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; and when the time shall come when the deceptions shall be torn away, then will men see and understand that satanic agencies have come in and have wrought miracles and performed every conceivable deception to carry the impression that they are Christ. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 24

The injunction of the apostle to Timothy was, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1 Timothy 4:16. Again Paul urges upon Timothy, “Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and they turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4. This is being fulfilled in this very time, and will those who believe now be ensnared? 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 25

It is best for us to be sensible now in these last days and understand whether we are worked by the seducing party or united with Christ and His angels. God has limited the power of Satan’s working to this world. And it is this world that has been engaged in the warfare of expelling Satan, coming out from his seducing methods, and calling sin, sin, and righteousness—the element of heaven—by its right name. The only hope for the sinful race is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is the promise, Genesis 3:15. 21LtMs, Ms 34, 1906, par. 26