Manuscript Releases, vol. 10 [Nos. 771-850]

MR No. 818—Mental Improvement Promised

God Promises to Strengthen Memory of His Servants—The Lord will strengthen the memory of the one who is speaking in His name. He will bring to the mind the words necessary for the occasion, that portion of His Word which will be meat in due season for the people. To His faithful servants God will be tongue and utterance. The Holy Spirit will make the word effective, to convict and convert souls. The seed sown will fall into good ground and will spring up to bring forth fruit unto life eternal.... [1 Corinthians 9:24-27 quoted.] 10MR 298.1

Here is represented the need of spiritual exercise, the training of mind and heart. This is even more essential than physical training. It is by the training of the heart and mind that spiritual strength is gained, that weak points of character are made strong.—Manuscript 22, 1890, 13, 16. (Diary, February 8, and March 1, 1890.) 10MR 298.2

Commit Bible Promises to Memory—Put away the foolish reading matter and study the Word of God. Commit its precious promises to memory so that when we shall be deprived of our Bibles we may still be in possession of the Word of God.—Manuscript 85, 1909, 10. (Lessons of Self-denial, Trust and Cooperation,” Sermon preached in Nevada, Iowa, August 21, 1909.) 10MR 298.3

Holy Spirit Will Renew Memory—Your memory will be renewed by the Holy Spirit. Can you forget what Jesus has done for you at this time, and on that occasion when everything looked so discouraging?—You were taken away from yourself: your deepest, sweetest thoughts were upon your precious Saviour, His care, His assurance, His love. How your desires went out to Him, how your affections centered upon Him. All your hopes rested upon Him, all your expectations were associated with Him. He loves you still: He has the balm that can heal every wound, and you can repose in Him without a single drawback.—Letter 33, 1892, p. 1. (To S. N. Haskell, September 1892.) 10MR 299.1

Dietary Intemperance Enfeebles the Brain—The success of acquiring a good memory and a calm, uniform temper depends not upon circumstances, but very much upon the way in which the stomach is treated. If food is taken at any and every time [it is desired], the organs of digestion are abused and man must pay the penalty. Nature will not suffer abuse without proclaiming it in disordered nerves and muscles and intellect. The gourmand—for this he may be called—who overloads his stomach should remember that the nerve power must be called upon to take care of the burden placed upon the stomach, and the brain is enfeebled in being deprived of the power necessary to strengthen the memory.—Manuscript 53, 1896, 6, 7. (April 24, 1896.) 10MR 299.2

The Mind to Be Brought Under the Control of Christ—Today Christ is offering His grace to them if they will cooperate with Him to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, lest they shall lose the opportunities granted them. They are ever to remember that it is God which worketh in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Reason, conscience, memory, must be brought under the control of Christ.—Manuscript 118, 1905, 6. (“A Divine Saviour,” August 9, 1905.) 10MR 299.3

God Desires Mental Improvement in His Workers—God desires His workers to gain daily a better understanding of how to reason logically from cause to effect, arriving at wise, safe conclusions. He desires them to add to their strength of memory. We cannot afford to make mistakes that are the result of our cherishing erroneous ideas. As little children we are to sit at the feet of Christ, learning of Him how to work successfully. We are to ask God for a sound judgment, and for light to impart to others. There is need of knowledge that is the fruit of experience. We should not allow a day to pass without gaining an increase of knowledge in temporal and spiritual things. We are to plant no stakes that we are not willing to take up and plant farther on, nearer the heights we hope to ascend. The highest education is to be found in training the mind to advance day to day.—Letter 164, 1903, p. 4. (To Those in Charge of the Wahroonga Sanitarium, July 29, 1903.) 10MR 300.1

White Estate

Washington, D. C.,

October 1, 1980.