Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 22 (1907)

Lt 380, 1907

Reaser, G. W.

Loma Linda, California

November 11, 1907

Portions of this letter are published in ChL 24.

Elder G. W. Reaser

Dear Brother:

I have a special message for you. I feel very sad over your case; but it rests with you now, whether you will cleanse your soul from the deceptive influences that have led to your self-exaltation. The Lord gives to every man his work, and it was not your place to press upon others to follow exactly your ideas for them. 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 1

If it is possible, I would free your mind from the deceptions that have taken hold of you. In your work, you have embraced too much responsibility. I must say to you that you should not fill the office of president of a conference, so long as you feel that you must mold and fashion the experience of others to conform to your own ideas. Your course has revealed that you lack wise perception. The fashioning of your character is such as needs reforming. 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 2

I now charge you before God to make thorough work of repentance and reformation. You have but little time left in which to show the fruits of reformation. You may now so humble yourself before God that you may be trusted to represent the sacred character of His work. But your peculiarity of disposition is such that if you are in office, you will always be in danger of ruling arbitrarily. God forbids that one man shall have arbitrary jurisdiction over the minds of his brethren. 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 3

Will you not now seek the Lord? Will you not now humble your heart before Him, and be thoroughly converted, and rebaptized? Unless you shall obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride of opinion, and over self-exaltation, you will never see the King in His beauty. I beg of you, my dear brother, to heed these words. The salvation of your soul is at stake. All self-pride must be humbled; the victory must be gained over all selfishness, over love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. I desire you to have eternal life, but the Lord has bidden me to speak, and I cannot daub with untempered mortar the deficiencies in your character. God is holy; He is true; and if you will now humble yourself before Him, He offers you pardon and hope. Will you not now, my brother, make diligent work for eternity? 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 4

I did not want to write the plain messages that I have borne, but I felt that I could not be clear before God, unless I had borne a positive testimony to the things that God has revealed to me. 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 5

Some of the work that you have been doing is very objectionable. It is impossible for men who are led of God to work harmoniously with you at all times. 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 6

We are charged to labor under the Lord’s jurisdiction. The work of soul saving is all-important and should have first consideration. The third angel’s message is the message for this time. This is the great testing truth and is to be the burden of our message. 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 7

Satan and his associates in evil are using every device possible in an effort to keep men in lines of worldly policy. He is glad to see the time pass, while God’s messengers are occupied with selfish interests and with commercialism. The message of God is a life-and-death question. All are to present the message in its power to convict and to convert souls. 22LtMs, Lt 380, 1907, par. 8