Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Lt 8a, 1899

Kellogg, J. H.

Sunnyside, Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

January 15, 1899

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother in Christ Jesus:

I have written some things which I dared not withhold, for I would be responsible if I did. Have we not to consider that we have immortality only through Jesus Christ? Should you fall, as is not an impossibility, who will take your stewardship? Have you considered this important question? I am instructed to warn you that you have been gathering altogether more responsibilities than the Lord has laid upon you or any one man to bear. Your stewardship is gathering stronger and firmer walls about you. These walls may fall upon you. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 1

We have a great work to do. I have. You have. And yet you continue to gather that class of work which you love to do, yet has not been appointed of God for you to do. It would crush the life out of you, because you are a mortal man, and your brother is mortal. Whatever his profession may be now, he needs less to do in order to have time to care for his soul. He thinks it is no use for him to claim to be a Christian, and yet it is not because his heart is hardened, but because he thinks he cannot reach perfection. It will not hurt him for you to manifest always that you have genuine brotherly love that has not been chilled to death by pressure of business. If you should act more the friendship of the tender affection of relationship as brothers it would not hurt Willie. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 2

Sometimes things happen as always is the case in business matters, when you suppose some one is to blame. Your brother is not being infinite but finite. Through want of proper hours of rest his mental and physical force almost come to a standstill and results show the same. Is that faithful steward deserving of the least censure? No; he could not prevent the result. He has double the work to do he should have, and is far more promising a subject for you to work upon than many you do not know and who are in no way related to you by blood ties. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 3

Now my brother, give your brother, who is as true to your interest as it is possible for him to be, a chance to save his own soul, which is precious in the sight of the Lord. He has a wife, and children who need a father’s tender instruction how to save their souls, that there may be a family reunion in the kingdom of God. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 4

Another point. Your work may have far more power in being exercised in interested effort for those to whom the message is to go in the highways. For this work God has appointed you. I think it well for you to consider these things. You can help much by exercising your God-given talents in the Women’s Christian Temperance work. You may modify some of the erroneous maxims that are coming in to spoil that organization; and Sister Henry can do a good work in this line, not by compromising truth or righteousness, not by changing the banner you all hold fast, but by guardedly weaving in principles in your instructions that shall change the mold. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 5

While we are to hold the standard high, we are not to separate our influence from the highest and take up the lowest class. That work is to be done; you need so much to have the divine Counsellor by your side and feel it enough not to follow your own judgment. We are living amid the perils of the last days. We know not what will come next. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 6

I thought I had not strength to write a line, but I am pillowed up in bed to write this. I thank you for your kind thoughtfulness in writing me. I also thank you for the interest you have taken to raise the money to begin our work here. We will have a meeting now and see what help we can obtain in building. We have applications almost daily for the afflicted ones which a hospital should receive. Sara is called here and there and elsewhere. I am so thankful that money came to me as it did from the Pacific Press, for what Elder Haskell would have done, or the sanitarium in Sydney have done just now, I know not. But one thing is certain, it came at the right time. Be not afraid, I shall not allow one penny to go to any other purpose. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 7

Our business now is to go to work and erect a building which shall be no shame for the Lord to look upon. He knows how much we need this building at once. Meetinghouses are needed in Brisbane, Queensland; they will have it because they simply cannot do without it. A meetinghouse absolutely is to be built in Queensland and one now in Newcastle. I thank the donors for their kindness in raising this fund. I thank the Lord for this. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 8

I have not seen any plan from you. It may come today. My mail came last evening, and sometimes letters do not all come until next day. May get your plan today. I am too weak to write more now. If Sara knew what I was doing, I should be blamed. 14LtMs, Lt 8a, 1899, par. 9