Manuscript Releases, vol. 4 [Nos. 210-259]

MR No. 239—Narrow Ideas and Selfish Motives

A sister once desired me to find her a child to adopt, and told me the qualifications the child must have. She did not want a child prone to selfishness, but one that had a sweet disposition and would be obedient, one who would never deceive or tell an untruth, one who had qualities and would make a capable, useful, intelligent woman. I said: 4MR 327.1

“Sister, do you think that in taking such a child you are doing a deed of mercy? Such a child would be fit for heaven, and not fitted for the atmosphere of your home. You desire one that possesses qualities that you have not yourself. If you can obtain such a child you will be fortunate. If you want to do real missionary work, and wish me to find you a child with faults and errors such as are subject to humanity, and then seek to the utmost in your power in the name of Jesus to work for the interest of that child, then I will find such a child for you. This would be doing true missionary work to mold the child after the divine pattern. You would be doing the work Christ came to the world to do for us poor fallen souls. 4MR 327.2

“And while you are engaged in this work of educating and training a soul for the future immortal life you are in a school yourself learning self-control, practicing virtues you wish the child to practice. You will be kind and patient because you want to set the child a good example; you will be circumspect in all your conduct because you want the child to be circumspect. You will guard your words, never manifesting impatience, because you want this child to be patient. You will not fret and scold, because you do not want the child to fret and scold. You will seek to be earnest and true in the service of God because you want that child to reverence God and appreciate spiritual things. I can find you an imperfect child, full of faults and errors, to entrust to your care if you will only undertake to do the missionary work faithfully for the Master.” 4MR 327.3

I am glad to say that this sister was ashamed of her narrow ideas and selfish motives.—Letter 19, 1886, p. 4. (To S. N. Haskell, July 12, 1886.) 4MR 328.1

Released April 27, 1970.