Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 22, 1859

Phillips, Brother

Roxbury, Vermont

October 10, 1859

Previously unpublished. See also Annotations.

Dear Brother [Phillips]:

I was shown that you have the gift of exhortation. You can do good, but you let feeling govern you too much. You should lift when the work goes hard. 1LtMs, Lt 22, 1859, par. 1

I was shown that you are not called to devote your whole time to exhortation, but can fill in here and there. When you are not especially engaged in this work of God you should be economical of your time, and should not seek to be eased while others are burdened and have all that they can do to get along. Your time should be spent to glorify God. It has troubled the minds of many that some are eased while they are burdened. 1LtMs, Lt 22, 1859, par. 2

Those who have property have a duty to do to dispose of their means to God’s glory, but the burden does not rest alone upon them. Many of them have acquired their property by hard labor. They used their strength lent them of God, to obtain what they have. Responsibilities rest upon them to dispose of their means in a right manner to honor God. And those who have strength of body should use their time and strength to God’s glory, and provide for themselves, and do even more than this. They could bless others by advancing the cause of God with the means earned by the sweat of the brow. They should not live upon the bounty of others, but be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. 1LtMs, Lt 22, 1859, par. 3