The Story of our Health Message

CHAPTER 22 FOR MEDICAL MISSIONARY SERVICE

WITH the instruction pertaining to the responsibilities of the physician, the conception of the combined ministry for soul and body was clarified and emphasized. A portion of this counsel, which was written in 1884 and published in 1885, has already been quoted. In this same connection are found further striking statements: SHM 259.1

“The work of the Christian physician does not end with healing the maladies of the body; his efforts should extend to the diseases of the mind, to the saving of the soul. ... SHM 259.2

“The physician should know how to pray. ... Prayer will give the sick an abiding confidence; and many times if their cases are borne to the great Physician in humble trust, it will do more for them than all the drugs that can be administered. ... SHM 259.3

“The physician needs more than human wisdom and power that he may know how to minister to the many perplexing cases of disease of the mind and heart with which he is called to deal. If he is ignorant of the power of divine grace, he cannot help the afflicted one, but will aggravate the difficulty; but if he has a firm hold upon God, he will be able to help the diseased, distracted mind. He will be able to point his patients to Christ and teach them to carry all their cares and perplexities to the great Burden Bearer.”—Testimonies for the Church 5:443, 444. SHM 259.4