The Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts

A Mother’s Letters to Her Children

Volney, Iowa, December 24, 1857

“My Dear Children: Here we are, twelve miles from Waukon. We have had a tedious time in getting thus far. Yesterday our horses for miles had to plow through snow very deep, but on we came, feeling confident that our mission was of God. Last Monday we could get no food that was fit to eat, and therefore rode in the coldest weather I ever saw, from morning until night, with nothing to eat but one apple. Oh, how thankful I shall be to see home, sweet home, again, and my three dear boys, Henry, Edson, and Willie. FSG 76.1

“Children, strive to do right, and love the Lord for His merciful kindness to you all. Obey those who have the care of you as you would your parents. Be kind to each other, and yield to each other’s wishes. Don’t become unsteady. Read the precious word of God. FSG 76.2

“You should be thankful for your comfortable home. We often suffer with cold on account of unfinished and open houses. Last night we slept in a chamber where there was an opening through the top for the stove-pipe. If it had stormed it would have come direct in our faces. Pray for us. Unless the Lord opens the way for us to return, we may be blocked in with snow, and have to remain all winter. FSG 76.3

“I hope, dear Henry, that you are a good boy, and are happy in doing right. Continue to strive to be faithful in all things. We received your letter, and were much pleased to hear from you. We think you have made improvements in setting type. Be faithful, children, in all things. The Lord will soon come and take the good and holy to Himself. We want you to live among the pure and holy angels in heaven, and wear a crown of gold, and eat of the tree of life. Trust in the Lord at all times. Listen to the voice of conscience. Love God and you will have His approving smile. What a thought, to have the great God, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, to smile upon and love you. Dear children, seek for this, pray for it, live for it. FSG 76.4

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Green Spring, Ohio, March 2, 1858

“My Dear Henry and Edson: Dear children, your mother has not forgotten you. She thinks Of you many times every day. We hope you will be good and faithful children. I have been thinking, what if either of you should be taken sick and die, and your father and mother see you no more? Would you be prepared to die? Do you love God better than any one else? Can you forget your play to think of God, to go away alone and ask Him for Jesus’ sake to forgive your sins? I know that much of your time is taken up with your studies, and with doing errands; but, dear children, don’t forget to pray. The Lord loves to have children pray to Him. And if you really repent and feel sorry for your sins, God will forgive your sins for Jesus’ sake. FSG 76.5

“When you do wrong don’t conceal your wrong, but heartily and honestly confess it. This I believe you will do. I have confidence in you that you have tried to do it. Continue to do so, and we shall love you better than if you kept your wrongs concealed. God loves honest hearted, truthful children, but cannot love those who are dishonest. Be obedient, dear children. God has been very merciful to you and to us. Your parents have to travel from place to place among the people of God to try to do them good and save souls. And the Lord has inclined sisters Jenny and Martha to come into our family, to feel an interest for you, to love you, and to care for you, that we may leave home feeling free. They are not related to you. They make a sacrifice. What for? Because they love you. When you grieve them you grieve your parents also. It is not a desirable task to have the care of children if they are ungrateful and disobedient. If you perseveringly try to do right, you will make them happy, and they will feel it a pleasure to deny themselves to have a care for you. When asked to do anything, do not say, ‘Wait a minute, till I do this.’ It is unpleasant to repeat to you the same things. Now, dear children, obey because you love to, not because you are driven to. I shall have confidence that you will do as I wish you to. I shall confide in your honor, your manliness. FSG 77.1

“Many times I ask myself the question, Will my dear children be saved in the kingdom? I cannot bear the thought of their being shut out of the City with the wicked. I love my children, but God says that only the good and holy can be saved. And if you will overcome your wrongs, love one another, and be at peace among yourselves, the Lord will bless and save you. You cannot be good, or do right in your own strength. You must go to God and ask Him for strength. Ask Him that His grace may influence your hearts, and make you right. Believe the Lord will do it; trust Him to do it. You can be little Christians; you can love and serve God. FSG 77.2

“Be good to Willie. Love him. Teach him right things. If you do wrong, you not only sin yourselves, but you teach him to sin. When you do wrong, you teach him to do wrong; so double sin rests upon you. Always act as you would like to see Willie act. Always speak pleasantly to him, and try to make him happy. FSG 77.3

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Topsham, Maine, September 20,1859

“My Dear Little Willie: I will write you a few lines, as I have written to Henry and Edson. We hope little Willie is well, and happy, and striving to be a good, obedient boy. We shall be glad to see you, my dear boy, again, and hear your loving voice. We want you to he good, pleasant, and lovely; then every one will love you. FSG 78.1

“You must often visit your grandparents, and try to make them happy. Do not grieve them by being noisy, but be quiet, mild, and gentle—then they will love you. I am glad, Willie, you have never troubled us or them with mischievous actions. FSG 78.2

“As we were riding in the cars, there were three children in the seat before us, one of them a little boy about your age. He was dressed prettily. He had a pretty face and curly hair, yet he did not behave prettily. He disturbed those who sat near him by his loud, sharp voice, contending with, and annoying, his sisters, giving them no peace. They threatened to tell their mother, but he did not seem to care for this. He behaved so rudely, that we were all glad when he left the cars. FSG 78.3

“I thought then how bad I should feel if my little Willie was so disagreeable. Now, Willie, that wicked boy’s pretty clothes and handsome face did not make people love him. His behavior was bad, and made those who had the care of him ashamed of him. All seemed pleased to get rid of the troublesome little fellow. If Willie acts prettily, if he is gentle, kind, and obedient, his father and mother, and all good people, will love him. FSG 78.4

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Newport, New Hampshire, October 4,1859

“My Dear Henry: My heart has been pained to witness the movements of an unfortunate child, without a mind. His skin is fair, his features good; but he has no intellect. Dear Henry, how thankful I felt to the Lord that my dear boys were blessed with intellect. I would not have you, my Henry, like that poor boy, for a house full of gold. How thankful should you be that the Lord has blessed you with quite good health, and with your reason. FSG 78.5

“If you only take a noble, manly course, you will make our hearts glad. Our dear children are precious jewels to us. We dedicated you to God as soon as you were born. We prayed earnestly from your earliest infancy for you, that your dispositions would be tempered. We wept for you, when you, dear Henry, lay an unconscious babe in our arms. We plead with the Lord to put within you a right spirit, to lead you to His own fold. And now our greatest anxiety is for you. We love you, we want you saved. We want your conduct to be right, governed by a sense of duty, and you have a principle, a determination of your own, that you will do right—not because you are obliged to, but because you love to. For in right-doing there is no sting, no self-reproach, no self-condemnation; but a pleasing consciousness of right-doing. FSG 79.1

“Dear Henry, acquaint yourself with your own faults. You know where you err, and you are getting to be of that age that you should not depend wholly on us to tell you that you shall not do this, or that, but study before you move. Ask yourself, Is this right? Will it lead to evil? Will it lead to unfaithfulness? Will it lead to deception, or falsehood? Shall I feel just as happy after I do this as before? You can, by thus considering, often decide yourself what right is. Do nothing that you would not wish us to know. We shall not be unreasonable. You may, my dear boy, open your whole heart to us, and you need conceal nothing from us. Who are so well calculated to direct or counsel you aright as your parents? Your interest and welfare is certainly dearer to them than it could be to any others. It is their study how to make you happy, and teach you the ways of the Lord. Trust your parents ever with your heart’s secrets, and they will tenderly counsel you. I must close. Be faithful, be kind, be obedient. Love the dear Savior. FSG 79.2

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Enosburg, Vermont, October 15, 1859

“My Dear Edson: The Lord has been very merciful to me on this journey, and has given me better health than I have had for one year. I have felt quite light-hearted, and at times have felt the sweet peace of God resting upon me. How is it with you, Eddie? Are you any homesick, or do you keep so busy you do not find time to be homesick? I suppose your time is all usefully employed. We do not mean that you shall work all the time. Light work will not hurt you, but be healthy exercise for you. We hope you will make some progress in your studies while we are absent. Be faithful, dear Eddie, and take a right course, that those who so kindly care for you may love and respect you. I have been so grateful to hear such good news from you, that you were trying to do right, and that you had not been wrong, or caused the family grief that you are with. FSG 79.3

“I want to tell you a little circumstance. Yesterday we were with a family where there was a poor sick lame boy. He is a cripple for life, and never will be able to walk or run like other boys. We inquired into the case, and found this poor boy’s affliction was caused by his going into a brook of water when he was warm. He has since been a great sufferer. He has an ugly sore on his hip which runs all the time, and one limb is drawn up some inches shorter than the other. He is a pale, sickly, feeble little fellow; has been so five years. You may sometimes think we are too careful of you, and are too particular to keep you out of the river. My dear boy, think of this poor cripple. How easy it is for young children like you to be a little careless, or venturesome, and make themselves cripples or invalids for life. I thought, what if this poor boy was mine; what if I should be compelled to see you suffer so. Oh, how my heart would ache that I had not been more careful of you. Eddie, I could but weep as I thought of these things. Your father and mother love you very much. We instruct and warn you for your good. FSG 80.1

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Iowa City, Iowa, March 3, 1860

“My Dear Willie: I have just finished a letter to your brothers, and will write a few lines to you. I should so love to take you, my sweet Willie, in my arms this moment; but this cannot be. I hope we shall be returned home safely, that we can see you all again in our own happy home. Willie, you must be a good boy; you must overcome an impatient spirit. To be impatient, is not to be willing to wait, to want everything you desire in a moment. You must say to yourself, I’ll wait. ‘He that is slow to anger, is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit, than he that takes a city.’ Willie, if you would be happy, you must rule well your own spirit. Be obedient to Jenny, love your brothers, and be good all day, and the Lord will love you,—everyone will love you. FSG 80.2

“Willie, dear boy, you have been our sunshine, and I have prayed that you might always be the same pure, sweet Willie. Try to do right. Be kind, be patient and loving. The Lord loves little children, and when they try to do right, He is please with them. en you go to your grand-father’s, you must not act rough and boisterous, but gentle and mild. When the boys go to the Office, you must try and not be lonesome. Make yourself contented and happy. Don’t fret, but learn to be patient, my dear boy. We love you very much, and will now say goodbye for the present. FSG 80.3

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Grass River, N.Y., August, 1861

“My Dear Children: We, your father and mother, feel a deep interest for you. You may sometimes think that your parents are too strict, that they watch you too closely; but, dear boys, our love for you is great. We have dedicated you to God. You are His, and we must keep you separate from the world, that you may be the Lord’s. We want your lives to be right and pleasing in His sight. Don’t feel discouraged, my children. Satan is ready to lead your young minds; but go to God, seek Him for strength, pray much, give your hearts’ best affections to Him. FSG 81.1

“Henry, you are my first-born, the eldest of my boys. A responsibility rests upon you. You will have to render an account for the influence you exert over your brothers. Love your brothers. Their salvation depends much on the course you pursue. Have your regular seasons of prayer for each other, and with each other. Don’t let your love for writing, and your study, divert your mind, and cause you to neglect those duties which ought to be done. FSG 81.2

“We want you saved. We want you to be just right, and to live for God, and be an honor to His cause. Watch, Edson, against your besetments. Be sober, be watchful, and God will enable you to overcome. My dear little Willie, may the Lord bless you. We shall pray for you. Pray for yourselves. FSG 81.3

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Lodi, Wisconsin, March 5,1862

“My Dear Children: We have been having the most tedious snow-storm I have witnessed since we Came from Maine. It commenced to snow last Sabbath, and has snowed and blew until today, Tuesday. We can say with grateful hearts, the Lord is with us. We have had an unusual degree of freedom in the Lord. We hope you are well at home. We do not forget to pray for you. We believe the Lord will have a care for you, our dear children. We have entrusted you to His care. We are very anxious for your salvation, and pray earnestly that you may be lambs of Christ’s fold, and have the constant watch care of the good Shepherd. I feel grateful that I can leave you and feel so free in regard to home. FSG 81.4

I am anxious you should encourage habits of order. Have a place for everything, and everything in its place. Take time to arrange your room, and keep it in order. We do not wish you to apply yourselves too closely to your studies, neither do we wish you to work hard. But a life of idleness is a life of sin. Satan finds employment for idle hands and minds. We want you to grow up healthy and useful. FSG 82.1

“Above all things, seek God while in health, that He may be your support and strength if you should be sick or dying. Your parents have the deepest interest for you. But we cannot repent of your sins for you. We cannot take you to heaven. God alone in His love and infinite mercy can save you, and Jesus, the dear Savior, invites you to His loving arms. He offers you salvation freely, if you will believe in Him, love Him, and render cheerful obedience. Do so, dear children. ‘They that seek Me early, shall find Me.’ May the Lord lead you, dear children, to His own fold. FSG 82.2

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Newport, New Hampshire, October 23,1863

“My Dear Children, Henry, Edson, and Willie: We feel somewhat anxious in regard to you. We know that you are with one of the best of families, and we wish you to act in a manner to be esteemed by them. Cultivate habits of refinement. Be elevated in your conversation and all your acts. Be constantly fitting for the society of the good and holy here, and the pure and heavenly in the kingdom of God. Be ever striving to fill some position where you Can be of use and do good. Don’t chat and talk merely for the sake of saying something. Never talk unless you have something to say—something which will add to the general information of those with whom you converse. Children, let your aim he to be right, just right. Let not others who love not God be your patterns, but imitate the life of Christ. FSG 82.3

“Cause the family with whom you live as little trouble as you can. Be very guarded on the Sabbath. Henry, you must try to interest your brothers in scriptural and moral reading. I think it your duty to study the Bible more on the Sabbath. Says the Savior, ‘Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life.’ You will have a conflict to be right. I don’t command you to read the Bible—I never shall. I want you to read the Bible because you love it, not because you are driven to it, for then it will be an unpleasant task. But if you neglect the reading of the Bible, you will lose your love for it. Those who love the word of God are those who read it most. By reading and searching out scripture references, you will see the chain of truth, and will see new beauties in the word of God. While you make the Scriptures more your study, and become more familiar with them, you will be better fortified against the temptations of Satan. When inclined to speak, or act, wrong, some scripture will come to arrest you, and turn you right. It is not natural for the heart to love the Bible; but when it is renewed by grace, then the mind will feast upon the rich truths and promises contained in the word of God. FSG 82.4

“Watch and pray, children, lest you be overcome by the enemy. Make persevering efforts for everlasting life. Live Christian lives, and ever keep the glory of God in view. Much love to you, my dear children. FSG 83.1

“Your affectionate Mother.”

Concerning these letters, one of Mrs. White’s helpers, “a member of the family for nearly two years,” wrote: FSG 83.2

“They were written hastily for her children only, without a thought that they would be made public. This makes them still more worthy of publication, as in them is more clearly seen the real feelings and sentiments of a godly mother.”—An Appeal to the Youth, 19. FSG 83.3