Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)

Lt 180, 1901

Kellogg, J. H.

St. Helena, Elmshaven, California

July 28, 1901

Portions of this letter are published in 2MR 242; 5MR 407. +^Note

Dr. J. H. Kellogg
Battle Creek, Michigan

Dear Brother,—

I was very much pleased to hear that you were in good health. I have begun several letters to you, but have not completed them. I have received many letters from all over, asking questions that require careful thought and just the right words to answer, words which cannot be misinterpreted; but the discouraging part is that there is so little done. Because of this I have a heavy burden, but I am determined not to put any of my burdens upon you. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 1

I have written letters to you, and in nearly every one I have expressed something of what needs to be done; then in the night seasons I have had conversations with you, and you were in perplexity in regard to the many who were managing to draw away patients. There was need of many things being set in order, and of having a more elevating, consecrated, spiritual atmosphere in the Sanitarium. I looked at the various responsibilities in Battle Creek, that some ones must bear with the fortitude and fidelity of true, faithful, self-sacrificing soldiers of Christ, and thus keep the Sanitarium up where truth and righteousness shall make their impression. The Sanitarium is far from being what it should be. I have but little strength and can speak of but few things. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 2

At one time I saw you tired and worn, and your words to the helpers, gathered together to receive your counsel, were severe and sharp and not as they should be, for you were not in the right frame of mind. I felt sad, for I knew that impressions would be left upon their minds and yours which would not be at all favorable to your own confidence and peace or to their confidence in you. The Lord was not pleased with the impression left on the minds of the helpers. On one such occasion a hand was laid on your shoulder, and it was said to you, “My servant John, you are making a mistake. You are taking burdens upon you which the Lord has not given you to bear. God has not laid these burdens upon you. You must unload, instead of continually taking on burdens. To every man God has given his work. You should have taken decided action at the convocation at Battle Creek. You are not to suppose that you can carry all these institutions that shall be established, as though they were your children. If you attempt to devise and plan so many things, much will be left undone.” 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 3

You are not unloading; you are gathering more and more responsibilities, whereas it is your duty to unload. You certainly may have an interest in all; but it has been presented before me distinctly that there is not to be a submerging of interests or a binding up of all the sanitariums with the Battle Creek Sanitarium, so that they shall all be amenable to your control. These things are not of God’s devising, but are the result of human planning. If you die under the many burdens of your own creating, God will not be glorified, and a mold will be given to the work which will not be in harmony with truth, mercy, and the love of God. This is not God’s plan or manner of working. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 4

There must be no binding or attaching to Battle Creek of the various institutions erected, as you have been doing. The Lord has men in all parts of His vineyard whom He will teach and lead and guide. The responsible men at Battle Creek have all that they can carry, even more than they should attempt to carry. If they had one half of the burdens lifted from them, and planted in the various churches other than Battle Creek, the light would be much more far-reaching. It is not your work to manufacture or get under these responsibilities. Human minds have devised plans for the management of the food interests when the principles are wrong; God is not back of them. They do not represent God. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 5

In every place where there is a sanitarium, God is to be the confidence and the power of its managers. They are not to be asked to subscribe to certain contracts that you may propose and other human minds formulate, as has been presented before me in Australia, for God is not glorified or the mercy and love of Christ represented by this kind of work. The Lord has presented matters to me again and again, and given me instructions to say that God Himself is ruler, and counselor, and guardian of every sanitarium that shall be established. It is an error to tie up everything possible with the powers at Battle Creek. All are required to work in perfect harmony. Each has a part to act, the high and influential and also the lowly ones. They can work in harmony without being bound with human cords, as they were being bound to Battle Creek as their great center and power. God has not left His people to become the sport of Satan’s temptations, and thus turn to a curse the blessings which He designed for them. Meanwhile the impression is resting upon some minds that I am in harmony with all these things. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 6

The word has been spoken to me again and again that there should not be vested in the men in Battle Creek the power that is being centered there, and that will continue to be centered there, unless men are educated to be amenable to God. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 7

All our people are to learn to look to God, and not to men. They are to recognize that every advantage in every institution comes from God. They must be educated to lean upon the Mighty One and to know that God is their power and their efficiency. All we are brethren; all united in one grand work; all are to be acting in the fear of God, recognizing God as our Director. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 8

Again and again these words have been spoken to me, “Tell the people not to subscribe by pen or by voice to conditions that shall be proposed regarding the binding up of the medical missionary work.” Thus was the word spoken to me in Australia, “All the money, all the power, all the revenue is mine, and [is] to be used wholly as I shall prepare the way.” No man is to control this matter. All are to have a voice in the methods and plans of carrying on the work. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 9

The Lord has frequently said, calling you by name, “John H. Kellogg is My physician; I have worked with him and through him to accomplish My will. But all power is Mine; he is not in any way to embrace all the responsibilities, nor to act as if he could carry all the work that he has desired to carry, for he is not appointed to do this. Far-seeing judgment I have given him, but not to him alone. My memorials are to be established in many places. Others are to act as my counselors also; all are to be educated to put their trust in Me, and to consecrate their soul and body and all their energies to My service. They are to put their whole will under My guidance. My work is not to be bound with any cords or any restrictions of men, saying, You shall, and, You shall not. There is to be an unveiling of My glory before the people; and there are to be no men or group of men who shall exercise the controlling power that has come into existence. I am not the deviser of these things. There are many excellent things that I will do for My people, and let no man block the way.” 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 10

The Lord has assigned you your position as chief of the medical fraternity. But you are to have an influence with the leading medical men. You can be a counselor; you should be listened to as a wise counselor; but you are in no case to consider that you are the man with power to set up and to cast down. You are not to feel that in the exercise of your power you may exalt whom you will and tear down as you see fit. God’s servants are not given this power. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 11

The work done at College View bears a mark that is not after the order of the Lord. It misrepresents His work. There was an impression left by that work on the minds of the people that should never have been made. This is not the way God works. Kindness and genuine patience with Christlike favors would have done more for the advancement of the work than all the exercise of power to control the work. This would have bound you to the hearts of the people, and the outcome would have been more favorable. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 12

Thank heaven, God is not like the human agents. He has mercifully wrought to lift from you the terrible load you were carrying. The Lord desires to give you a chance for the recovery of your weary brain and nerves, and to keep you prepared to do the larger work that He has appointed you. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 13

And now, my brother, this agreement that you have framed <with lawyers>, to which you ask men to attach their names, thus agreeing to certain restrictions, I must say God forbids. Warnings have been given you for years never to act the part of Nebuchadnezzar. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 14

Many things will have to be changed. I know, Brother Kellogg, that the things which I write are contrary to your own ideas. I tremble to present them; but I feel under a heavy load. The Lord has laid this burden upon me. I may not live much longer, and your life is in a very precarious condition. Therefore I must no longer keep silent. Again and again the light has come to me that your ways are not God’s ways, your planning is not God’s planning. You are not prepared to leave the molding of the work in other hands, yet ere long this will have to be done; therefore your mind and that of your brother Willie need to be cleansed and purified in many respects. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 15

I ask you, my brother, to contemplate the work as it now is, and to change many things. I have been borne down by sadness as I have seen that there are many changes to be made. It is not yourself and your colleagues that are to be the controlling power, taking control of the sanitariums and refusing to co-operate with them unless they shall subscribe to your terms. You are not God. All the talents and all the powers God has given you are to be exercised for Him, after His own order and plan. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 16

Have you not abundant evidence that men who have been considered reliable can be bought and sold? Have you not seen that it is impossible to lock up secrets when men of varied minds have the handling of the food business, even though they sign binding agreements such as have been presented to me? If they will not be men of principle without signing these agreements, they will not be true to the agreement. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 17

The Lord would have a different showing from that which is now being worked out. I have many things written in regard to the food question, which I shall have to present to the people. The Lord is not to be hindered in His workings by any monopolies. The Lord, who has given wisdom to devise and plan the health foods, has not given it to one man alone, or to two, or to twenty men. When the Lord works, it is for the benefit of His people, as was manifested in the giving of manna from heaven. The health foods are the result of the experimenting of many minds. It is not one mind alone that has been worked by the Lord. God does not endorse the way that this matter is being handled. He has given ideas and skill in devising some things, and man has experimented. Many things have thus been improved. The very same God will work upon the minds of many who serve Him to impart instruction to those in need, of how to treat the productions of God so that they may become blessings to all. 16LtMs, Lt 180, 1901, par. 18