Loma Linda Messages

Perils to Spirituality

Elder M. C. Wilcox: I am glad to read the resolution. I believe that with the plan suggested by that resolution, the school may be made a splendid success. As to the place, I am willing to leave that just as it is. The Lord knows more about that than I do. It has some splendid advantages. It seems to have some disadvantages clinically, but I am willing to leave all that with the Lord. But, entirely apart from that, I believe a medical school is needed for the training of our own physicians. LLM 518.2

I recalled, as I was sitting here tonight, a young man, a physician, whom I met something like twenty-five years ago, when I first began to preach this message. He was graduated from one of the best medical schools in the country, at that time, in the city of Philadelphia. He asked me at the time of his marriage anniversary, to come over to his house to take dinner with himself and wife, and to pray with him. “We are not religious people, Mr. Wilcox,” he said. “I will tell you that frankly. We had no help along those lines in our medical school. The whole tendency in our school is against that. But,” he added, “it seems to us that it would be better to have a season of prayer on this anniversary.” Well, we went over, and we had a very fine dinner, hygienic in every way; and we had a splendid good visit, and a season of prayer. LLM 518.3

The Rapid Advance of Infidelity

But I have thought of the wonderful difference between the present time and that time,—how, with great leaps and bounds, infidelity has advanced since that. Our social departments in our great State universities, and our religious universities, are a great deal worse today than the medical schools were then. It is going to such an extent,—the progress that is made in infidelity is so great,—as to surprise even the very liberal journals, like the New York Independent. It told us last year that just as soon as the first chapter of Genesis was given up, all the rest was bound to follow, until at last we have come to the same criticism regarding Christ, His birth, His miracles, His resurrection, as we have over the first chapters of Genesis; and now, since that time, other of the so-called orthodox papers in the United States have yielded in regard to these very questions. LLM 518.4

Character-Building

Now I believe that in the molding time of character, the time when our young men are receiving their education, they ought to be in schools that believe in God and believe in His word, and that education ought to be carried right along with them in their medical education; and I believe it can be demonstrated in our own young men, just as it was demonstrated in Daniel of old, that “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” LLM 519.1

I believe that there is no knowledge in all this world that will so broaden and develop and settle and expand the mind, as that knowledge that is continually reaching out after God; and I know that His power and grace will be given to those who are educating in that way, and to those who have an ambition to educate the young for God; and so I want to record myself here tonight in favor of a medical school. I want to see the time when our young people here and there, far and near all over this great world, shall receive education in schools that teach God and His truth for this time. LLM 519.2