Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)

Lt 64, 1901

Jones, A. T.

June 30, 1901 [typed]

This letter is published in entirety in 1888 1755-1756. +^Note

Elder A. T. Jones

Dear brother,—

I attended a meeting of the Conference after you spoke yesterday, and I could not roll off the burden which came upon me. The way in which you spoke did not leave the best impression upon the people. That night I was greatly burdened, and One of authority said to me, “Say to my servant, Alonzo Jones, that he is to stand as a representative man. He is to put on Christ Jesus, and is to be guarded in his attitude and words, so that he shall not give others an excuse for being dictatorial and overbearing. The spirit of harshness, of a desire to rule, must be put away from our ministers, our teachers, and the managers of our institutions. The meekness of Christ must be revealed.” 16LtMs, Lt 64, 1901, par. 1

You have naturally a dictatorial spirit, and it has increased in your efforts to eradicate the evils which have come in since the Minneapolis meeting. Your great strength and power lies in linking up with Jesus Christ. John Corliss and yourself are men through whom God can work if you will let the knowledge of the truth be a burning and a shining light. However wrong the course of others, let no thrusts be made, no yokes laid upon the neck of any one. You are to break every yoke. God calls upon you to be tender-hearted, pitiful, and courteous in presenting the blessed invitations of the gospel. Let every word be that which, under similar circumstances, would be spoken by the Saviour. 16LtMs, Lt 64, 1901, par. 2

It is essential for you to soften and subdue your manner of address, else you will do harm. Do not exhibit your natural traits of character, but be clothed with humility. You have most powerful truth to present, and it will exert its influence if your life testifies to your close relation to Christ. 16LtMs, Lt 64, 1901, par. 3

There is no use of putting harshness into the voice. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” [Galatians 5:22-26.] 16LtMs, Lt 64, 1901, par. 4

[Confession of A. T. Jones:] “I feel myself so condemned before God that I repented, and in contrition of spirit asked Him to forgive me for every word I had spoken which, though truth, it would have been better not to speak.” 16LtMs, Lt 64, 1901, par. 5