Manuscript Releases, vol. 5 [Nos. 260-346]

MR No. 309—The Formative Years of the Church

To the church of God who keeps the Sabbath—the seal of the living God. [Used as a closing sentence.]—Manuscript 3, 1849, 2. (To Brethren and Sisters, January 18, 1849.) 5MR 200.1

I have now written the vision God gave me. [Early Writings, 43-44, “The Open and the Shut Door.”] I am tired sitting so long. Our position looks very clear. We know we have the truth, the midnight cry is behind us; the door was shut in 1844 and Jesus is soon to step out from between God and man. The sealing will then be accomplished—finished up. Oh, let us keep the whole armor of God that we may be ready for battle at any moment. We shall have to fight every inch of ground now. Satan has come down in great power, knowing his time is short; but with the commandments of God written in our hearts and in our minds [we] will go on strong and bold, and although the sons of Anak be many and tall, yet we will go on crying, The commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus. Arabella, the Lord is coming; are you ready? Can you meet Him in peace and say, This is our God, we have waited for Him?—Letter 5, 1849, pp. 5, 6. (To Brother and Sister Hastings, March 24-30, 1849.) 5MR 200.2

I felt today the necessity of being all, all ready, that when the time of trouble such as never was, shall come, we may be hid. Oh, my Brother and Sister, I wish all of God's people could get a sight of it as God has shown it [to] me. The work of the Lord is going on. Souls are coming into the truth and soon the work will be all done. 5MR 200.3

Keep up good courage, hope in God, let nothing weight thee down. We have the truth, we know it; praise the Lord. 5MR 201.1

I saw yesterday our work was not to the shepherds who have rejected the former messages but to the honest deceived who are led astray. I saw the shepherds would soon be fed with judgment. Let the truth come out everywhere we go, the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God.—Letter 24, 1850, p. 1. (To Brother and Sister Hastings, January 11, 1850.) 5MR 201.2

I saw Satan had worked through her [Sister A's mother] effectually to bind God's children. When one had attempted to make an effort to rise and get the victory, the rest were like loadstones to drag him down. I saw you should rise together and unitedly get the victory over the powers of darkness and sing and shout to the glory of God. I saw that we are the only people upon earth from whom God is to get glory, and if we should hold our peace the very stones would cry out, for God must receive glory from some of those who dwell upon the earth. The only company who can praise and honor God, I saw, are those who are keeping the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.—Manuscript 5a, 1850, p. 1. (General manuscript, July, 1850.) 5MR 201.3

God's people are rising, said the angel, never to fall again. Be careful, said the angel, lest the branches be cut off and others are raised up in their stead. I saw that some would bear fruit and work to the glory of God. I saw we must keep close to Jesus and fast and pray if we could not get the victory over the powers of darkness. I then saw Brother J. He had wounded and torn the hearts of God's people. I saw he had been stubborn and rebellious, and unless he changed his course entirely, the church should disfellowship him, for he has been a dead weight to the church.... 5MR 201.4

I told the angel that I could not endure to see any in Israel falling back.... Said the angel, the desolations of Zion are accomplished. I saw he took away the first and established the second; that is, those who were in the faith would become rebellious and be purged out and others who had not heard the Adventist doctrine and rejected it, would embrace the truth and take their places.—Manuscript 5, 1850, 2-4. (“A Vision the Lord Gave Me at Oswego,” July 29, 1850.) 5MR 202.1

The Lord showed me that he, James, must take the testimonies that the leading Adventists published in ‘44, and republish them and make them ashamed. He is now doing that work.—Letter 8, 1850, p. 1. (To Arabella Hastings, August 4, 1850.) 5MR 202.2

I saw that the women of Revelation 18:4 meant the churches and that we were bid to “come out of her” that we be not defiled, partake of her sins, and receive of her plagues. I saw that Brother Bates had not applied Revelation 18:4 correctly, and his error had caused confusion.—Manuscript 14, 1850, 2. (General manuscript, September, 1850.) 5MR 202.3

God showed me the necessity of getting out a chart. I saw it was needed and that the truth made plain upon tables would affect much and would cause souls to come to the knowledge of the truth.—Letter 26, 1850, p. 1. (To Brother and Sister Loveland, November 1, 1850.) 5MR 202.4

On our return to Brother Nichol's, the Lord gave me a vision and showed me that the truth must be made plain upon tables, and it would cause many to decide for the truth by the third angel's message with the two former being made plain upon tables. I also saw it was as necessary for the paper to be published as for the messengers to go, for the messengers need a paper to carry with them containing present truth to put in the hands of those who hear and then the truth would not fade from the mind, and that the paper would go where the messengers could not go. Other things I saw, which will appear in the paper.... 5MR 203.1

We told him [Brother H] of some of his errors in the past, that the 1335 days were ended, and numerous [other] errors of his.—Letter 28, 1850, pp. 1-3 (To “The Church in Brother Hastings’ House,” November 7, 1850.) 5MR 203.2

Then I saw souls that were needy. They were honest and they needed the prejudice torn from them that they have received from their leaders and then they can receive the truth. I saw the burden of the message should be the first, second, and third angels’ messages, and those who had any hope in God would yield to the force of that truth. 5MR 203.3

How mighty and glorious it looked to me. Oh, what privilege is ours, and that of being among the children of God and believing the mighty truth, a poor, despised company, but how honored of God. 5MR 203.4

I saw if Israel moved steadily along, going according to Bible order, they would be as terrible as an army with banners. Said the angel, “Should any tarry that have the truth and can given an explanation of it from the Word of God? No, no! They must go quickly.” Then I saw Brother Bates, that he must buckle on the armor. 5MR 204.1

Said the angel, “Dost thou expect to be free from trials? Fight the good fight of faith. The angel of God will go before thee, and some souls will be benefitted and receive the truth.” 5MR 204.2

Then I saw Laodiceans. They will make a mighty effort. Will they get the victory? One who has the truth will chase a thousand, and two will put ten thousand to flight. They are coming to conclusions that bring them into close quarters and they cannot tell where they be themselves, for they are lost in the foggy, terrible fear that takes hold of them. Anguish of spirit will seize them. Dare they admit that the door is shut? The sin against the Holy Ghost was to ascribe to Satan what belongs to God, or what the Holy Ghost has done. They said the shut door was of the devil, and now admit it is against their own lives. They shall die the death. Look ye at the Pattern. Follow Him, for He is meek and lowly in heart. Shut your eyes to everything but the present, saving truth.—Manuscript 11, 1850, 3, 4. (Vision at Paris, Maine, December 25, 1850.) 5MR 204.3

I saw that this world was rocked in the cradle of security so that communications might not be cut off from place to place, and that messengers might have full time to carry the message to the children of God, that they receive it and be sealed with the seal of the living God, and be prepared to pass through the time of trouble such as never was.—Manuscript 5, 1851, 3. (“Opposition to the Sabbath,” May 18, 1851.) 5MR 204.4

The faith of Jesus takes in the whole life and divine character of Christ.—Letter 2, 1851, p. 4. (To “Dear Brother Pierce,” undated.) 5MR 205.1

I saw that we must have the truth got out oftener—that the only paper in the land owned and approved of God should come out oftener than once in two weeks, while papers that are full of error come out weekly and some oftener than that.—Letter 5, 1853, p. 1. (To Brother and Sister Dodge, July 4, 1853.) 5MR 205.2

I saw the nominal churches had fallen, coldness and death reigned in their midst. God gave them His word to humble them, if they had followed His teachings. But they got above the work, it was too humbling for them to repeat the same simple story when they met together. They tried to get something new and great, and studied how they could please men and have their words exact to their ear, and God's Spirit left them, for instead of praying and talking to God, they prayed and talked to man.—Letter 9, 1853, p. 2. (To Sister Kellogg, December 4, 1853.) 5MR 205.3

The destroying angel is soon to go forth again, not to destroy the first-born only [as in Egypt], but to slay utterly old and young, both men and women and little children who have not the mark. 5MR 205.4

Parents, the Lord has shown me that if you wish to save your children, separate them from the world, keep them from other wicked children. Subdue their tempers and evil passions; teach them to obey you, then they can more easily obey the commandments of God. After you have done your duty, carry your children to God and plead His blessing upon them, and He that said, “Suffer little children to come unto Me and forbid them not,” will be ready to listen to your prayers for them, and the seal or mark of the believing parents will cover the children if they are brought up right. 5MR 206.1

If parents neglect their duty, and leave their children to indulge in wicked, evil passions, the destroying angel will cut them down, and you parents will have an awful account to give for the neglect of your children. You who have not done your duty, now awake and redeem the time. It is but short, but you can work faithfully and can do much for your children. God corrects us when we err and go astray from Him, and you should correct your children when they do wrong. It will be for their happiness here and hereafter.—Manuscript 5, 1854, 1, 2. (“Gather the Children,” June, 1854.) 5MR 206.2

I had great freedom in talking upon faith, that faith and feeling should not be confounded together. They are distinct as the east is from the west. In the darkest hours it is then we should exercise faith, and not suffer our feelings to govern us, but press our faith through the dark clouds to the throne of God and claim the blessing of heaven. When our faith grasps the blessing, then the blessing is ours, for our faith has got hold of it, and when our faith brings the blessing down to us—when the dark clouds scatter and divine rays of light from Jesus illumine our darkness—then it is no more faith, it is feeling. The evidence has come and it is feeling that has swallowed up the faith. This view of faith and feeling seemed to enlighten some minds and we had a most powerful conference meeting.—Letter 4, 1854, pp. 1, 2. (To “Dear Friends,” October 12, 1854.) 5MR 206.3

Released September 15, 1972.