Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 1 (1844 - 1868)

Lt 32a, 1861

Ingraham, W. S.

1861

Variant of Lt 32, 1861. Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother Ingraham:

I fear that I shall not see you, therefore write you. In the vision given me at Battle Creek it was a marvel to me that these things wherein you had erred had passed along without being corrected. I inquired why these things wherein you were wrong had not been corrected back there. Then I was shown that God had given light but it had not been followed, and you had been suffered to take your own course and follow your own judgment, which was not good. It was not a sanctified judgment. Self had too much to do with it. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 1

Notwithstanding the stand you took at Crane’s Grove and the influence you there exerted, which was carried to different places, and the lack of sympathy you manifested for Brother White, which has been a source of the deepest grief to him, yet he tried to do you good and interest others in your behalf to help you to a home. You had every evidence you could ask that his course was an unselfish one, and that he would do his duty regardless of his feelings; that he would not follow impulse but be governed by reason and judgment. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 2

In the vision given at Brother Newton’s at the time I was healed I told you that I saw that your feelings in regard to Brother White were wrong. Then you should have carefully studied your course and sought to have counteracted the influence you exerted on Brother Sanborn’s mind, also the minds of others who were eagerly waiting for an occasion against Brother White. God noticed the lack of sympathy you had for one you knew, one that had borne and was still bearing heavy burdens in the work God assigned him, one whom you knew had suffered extremely through the injustice of others. The prospering hand of God has not been with you for these things, and you have not been guided by a sanctified judgment. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 3

Your false sympathy strengthened the hands of Brother Ferrin, and the work God designed to have accomplished for him proved a failure. He did not reform. His course has been evil since that time. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 4

The Bates family were presented before me. Your course, and expressions and remarks made by you and Brother Bates excited suspicion in their minds. The doubts you expressed in regard to Brother White’s manner of dealing cut off our influence with them. They carried these suspicious, wrong feelings to their home, and when the vision in regard to their wrongs was sent to them they rose up against the message, declared it to be false, and contradicted what had been shown me; and they tried to prejudice others against us, even unbelievers. After they had done all the mischief they could do in this line, then Satan was willing that they should take another course, for he had accomplished his purpose through them. A part of them then confessed the vision to be correct, the things shown in regard to them correct, and confessed, which confirmed the truthfulness of the visions. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 5

I saw that after you moved to Monroe there was a lack on your part. The people had the utmost confidence in you and chose you to be their helper, but when they most needed help, when they needed to be instructed as to the principles of our faith, you were somewhere else and they were left alone. And as to all the good you did them in Monroe you might just as well have been in another state. You lacked wise management, failed to do your duty. If you had acted wisely and had put forth efforts to build up those who professed the truth, there would have been a company in Monroe; but they were not strengthened but were scattered. They were disappointed, and censure from God rests upon you in regard to these things. You left them to die. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 6

The special interest and sympathy you manifested for a man whose character and life you knew destroyed the confidence of the brethren in your judgment. You had no regard for others’ feelings or views in regard to Horace Cushman’s case, but blindly persisted to follow your own course and give to him that sympathy which you would not give to Brother White, a fellow laborer, whose life was all interwoven with the work of God and the advancement of the cause of present truth. Your sympathy has been much more called out and exercised for H. C. than for Brother White. You had all the evidence you needed that God had chosen Brother White and myself to bear burdens, to reprove individual wrongs, and to act a prominent part in the cause of God. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 7

Your course has destroyed your own influence and made you a weak man. Your time and labor have not been exercised to the best advantage or where they could accomplish the most good. You have raised an interest in surrounding towns but have not followed it up. They have been left to perish and receive delusions. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 8

You have a useful testimony but it has been of little use for some time past. You can now review the past and see that your efforts have not accomplished much. You have shunned the pointed testimony which bears upon individuals and leads them to dedicate their means and use it in the cause of God. You stood back at systematic benevolence and failed to come up to the work on this point. Brother White has been obliged to strike out on this as well as other things alone. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 9

If you had manifested the zeal that would be pleasing to God, a different condition of things would now exist in Wisconsin. Every preacher in the field should manifest zeal to establish church order and impress upon the church the necessity of acting their part in advancing the cause of God. You leave others to attend to these disagreeable tasks while you are willing to be benefited with the result. You have been unwilling to venture or run any risk, but leave others to do the very things that you should do. If these ministers in the field would all do their part and zealously bear the plain, pointed, cutting truth, the churches would be in a more promising condition than they are now. But the church cannot be blessed unless they act their part and impart of their substance to aid the cause of truth. They must have an interest in this cause. They must be taught that responsibility rests upon them. Ministers stand ready to start back at any advance move in the cause, and if they do not cast their influence directly against, do not use their influence in favor. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 10

You indulge in childish feelings. You do not venture out in new places, cast your whole soul into the work. Rather than go alone, you have encouraged someone to accompany you whose journeying requires means which should be used to advance the cause of God and who can be no help to you in your labor. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 11

Brother Ingraham, how could you bring up your children as you have, let them do as they please? You have not subdued and restrained them. The Word of God is plain upon this point. The case of Eli is before you. God’s curse was upon him because he restrained not his children. Yourself and wife have suffered your children to have their own way, and their evil course is a reproach to the cause of present truth; and unless you take hold of the work unitedly of governing your family they will go to ruin and your labors will be of no account. You are very sensitive upon this point. You feel offended if you are reproved for the course or wrongs of your children. You cannot bear correction upon this point, but you must reform here or God cannot approbate and bless you. Here are your weak points. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 12

May the Lord open your eyes to see this matter as it is. We want to help you to see things as they are. If you lack government, firmness, and decision in training your children, you should be in earnest and in haste to obtain that which you lack. While you are bringing children into the world should you not learn your duty in regard to them? A responsibility rests upon you that you have not realized. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 13

While with the tent the influence or conduct of your boy told against you and was an injury to the truth. You should place your children where they can have useful employment and be exercised to labor, especially your boy. If his mother cannot patiently manage or govern him in your absence from home you should place him where he will be under control and strict discipline. If you cannot yield your feelings and the desire to have your children with you when their interest requires you to [do otherwise], you injure your children and do wrong. Oh, how earnestly have we labored for our children’s good, prayed for them, corrected them, and restrained them! If my children are lost, I do not mean it shall be on account of my negligence. Our children love us, although we have been very strict with them. I beg of you to place your older children where they can be under strict discipline. Their salvation depends upon their being disciplined. We hope you will understand your duty and have strength from the Lord to do it. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 14

I write to you plainly, not because we feel dissatisfied with your letter in the paper. No, it is enough; is all that we could ask. But these things I feared I had not made as plain as I should to your mind. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 15

I never saw my husband in the condition he is now in. Hope has died within him. His confidence is so shaken in his brethren that I fear sometimes he will become insane. Nothing but the power of God can help him now. He is down and none but God can lift him. I dare not dwell upon the dark side for a moment. I must be where I can help him. I will not despond. God will not leave us to perish. His health is poor, but my cry is unto God for deliverance. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 16

Dear brother and sister, I beg of you to make sure work for eternity. I should not have written this if I did not feel it my duty to do so. We have loved you and love you still, and I would say, Let not feeling govern you now, but judgment and reason. Brother Holt is done. Brother Rhodes is done. Their labors are finished. The shaking, I believe, has come. Those who will not come up to the gospel standard must be shaken off. We are fitting for translation, forming characters for heaven. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 17

I beg of you to give yourself wholly to the work. God has not released you from your calling. Satan may seek to lead you to say, It is of no use. I know the influence he has upon minds. But your duty is between you and God. You are not to please yourself, but to ascertain what God requires of you. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 18

Press into the work; gird the armor about you. You have but a short time to labor; but a short time to lead souls to the truth. Bear the living, pointed testimony. Fail not in a single point. God make you a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Rest not until the truth moves you out to labor for souls earnestly, zealously. It is not a small thing to be a mouthpiece for God. Oh, arouse, I beg of you! The hours of probation are passing. Mercy’s sweet voice will soon be no more heard. Oh, save all that you can! Rest not; be at your post. Cry aloud and spare not. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 19

In much love, 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 20

(Signed) E. G. White

Please copy and return this to me. I have to have a copy of all I send out, that I can refer to the original if necessary. 1LtMs, Lt 32a, 1861, par. 21