Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 11 (1896)

Lt 54, 1896

Kellogg, J. H.

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, Australia

July 10, 1896

Portions of this letter are published in CD 110, 291-292; SpM 30-33.

Dr. J. H. Kellogg
Battle Creek, Michigan

Dear Brother:

I am up this morning at three o’clock. At nine the mail must leave Cooranbong. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 1

Several times I have been in gatherings of our people where yourself and Elder Olsen were present, and I have a message from the Lord to you, and to all assembled. I have not time this morning to present but a few matters. I fear I can never write the words as I spoke them. There was danger on the right hand, and on the left, that should be considered and realized. The matter, as it was opened to me, demands more time than I can now command. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 2

One was standing in your midst that is never absent from any of your assemblies. He spoke to you. Laying His hand on your shoulder, He said, in substance, these words: God will be with you while your heart is humble, contrite, and wholly with Him. But he that exalteth himself shall be humbled. The work you have been entrusted to do cannot be successfully performed unless the great Physician stands by your side. You must work in harmony with Him, having your heart deeply stirred with human sympathy. You cut into the human flesh that you may sever the diseased portion to save future suffering, and death. One who is under the tender influence of the Spirit of God, will not, through familiarity of practice, quench the tide of human sympathy and fellow feeling that should ever be kept alive in his heart. A more than human power presides to repeatedly kindle afresh, as the case may demand, the Divine tenderness for human suffering, that so oft comes to his hands for counsel and relief. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 3

Will you consider that on every occasion there is an object lesson before you in regard to the Lord’s dealings with His people? Often He has to cause pain in pruning away the unhealthy growth of temporal and secular interests, which are endangering the heart and character for eternity. God works with no wanton hands and indifferent heart; but it is in love to the human agent that He prunes and cuts away the growth which will become of such proportions as to endanger the health and life of the soul. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 4

Be attentive to the spiritual and eternal interests. You are gathering too many responsibilities, and this is making your work, in many respects, defective. Some branches will be overgrown, others left to become sickly and enfeebled. While you are doing an important work, bring to your side co-workers. Educate, educate, educate. Secular business, that will tell on your mental and physical strength, is absorbing your thoughts, and taxing your mind and energies. You must not presume to load down so heavily, for you are but mortal man. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 5

Your conscience must ever be kept clean and tender and true. There are those associated with you that should ever have kept before them their aptness and inclination to use poisonous drugs, that kill if they do not cure. The light that God has given upon the subject of disease and its causes needs to be dwelt upon largely, for it is the wrong habits of indulgence of appetite and careless, reckless inattention to properly care for the body that tell upon people. Habits of cleanliness, care in regard to that which is introduced into the mouth, should be observed. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 6

You are to make no prescriptions that flesh meats shall never be used, but you are to educate the mind, and let the light shine in. Let the individual conscience be awakened in regard to self-preservation and self-purity from every perverted appetite. The variety of food at one meal causes unpleasantness, and destroys the good which each article, if taken alone, would do the system. This practice causes constant suffering, and often, death. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 7

You have too little care, and feel too lightly, the burden of providing an orderly, ample repast for your workers. They are the ones who need an abundance of fresh, wholesome provision. They are constantly taxed; their vitality must be preserved. Their principles should be educated. They, of all in the Sanitarium, should be abundantly furnished with the best and most wholesome, strength-giving food. The table of your helpers should be furnished, not with meat, but with an abundant supply of good fruit, grains, and vegetables, prepared in a nice, wholesome way. Your neglect to do this has increased your income at altogether too great an expense to the strength and souls of your workers. This has not pleased the Lord. The influence of the entire fare does not recommend your principles to those that sit at the helper’s table. If they are worthy to compose your family, they are worthy of the very best and most strength-giving diet, that seeds will not be planted in their breasts which will germinate and bring forth a harvest to the dishonor of God. But this has been done; and this must have attention. Equality must be practiced as well as talked. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 8

That God who gave His only begotten Son to die for the redemption of the sinful race will not approve the management of the table for the workers at the Sanitarium. The money saved by limiting the table supplies, by not providing fresh, wholesome food, and not taking pains to get a variety at one meal, but to provide odds and ends, is a loss. The ones who give the treatment and care for the sick men and women are taxed in their labor, and must have greater privileges than have been given them if their hearts are to be kept from temptation and corruption. This line of work has been neglected. Let the education be given, line upon line, precept upon precept, that we are all servants. All work done is serving ministers of the gospel. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 9

All the servants of God are to be respected, loved, cared for. They are servants who work in caring for the sick, who need to have vital force to do their work intelligently and thoroughly and with good cheer in their hearts. All the time they are to feel that their labors are appreciated, and that they must ever be kind, cheerful, hopeful, full of faith, having words that they can speak to poor, suffering ones. While all gossiping and talking should be avoided, because much conversation worries the sick, words should be spoken of the blessed Saviour, His love and tenderness, the compassion He has for the suffering ones. This will have a soothing influence upon the afflicted souls. They will feel that the One watching over them is tender and faithful and sympathetic. This is one important position which God has given them in comforting the oppressed ones, in speaking a few words to the Lord in prayer in their behalf. Angels of God will help such souls, and will strengthen and bless those who are ministering unto them. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 10

All your helpers need encouragement in their work. Those who have a class of work to do,which is not pleasing to their natural feelings, need encouragement; they need to keep their souls uplifted. They need to feel that every provision is made for them to supply the food prepared for them. They are not to be regarded as menials, but as workers to keep the institution in such order that angels of God will be pleased with the fidelity of every worker. The institution is kept and upheld by the workers, and there can be no indifferent laxness on their part. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 11

There should be no lording it over God’s heritage, for those who do the most disagreeable work, out of love for God, are as precious in His sight as those in higher positions of trust. “All ye are brethren.” [Matthew 23:8.] There can be no neglect in regard to the duties you owe to these souls, who are workers, without the disapproval and condemnation of God. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 12

I present these things to you that you may make a decided change in this order of things. There are many things that need to be corrected and made wholesome and beautiful, so that the angels of God may not see preference for one and dishonor to another. Eating of the flesh of dead animals is deleterious to the health of the body, and all who use a meat diet are increasing their animal passions and are lessening their susceptibility of the soul to realize the force of truth and the necessity of its being brought into their practical life. This meat eating question needs to be guarded. When one changes from the stimulating diet of meat eating to the fruit and vegetable diet, there will always be at first a sense of weakness and of lack of vitality, and many urge this as an argument for the necessity of a meat diet. But this result is the very argument that should be used in discarding a meat diet. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 13

The change should not be urged to be made abruptly, especially for those who are taxed with continuous labor. Let the conscience be educated, the will energized, and the change can be made much more readily and willingly. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 14

The consumptives who are going steadily down to the grave should not make particular changes in this respect, but care should be exercised to obtain the meat of healthy animals as can be found. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 15

Persons with tumors running their life away should not be burdened with the question as to whether they should leave meat eating or not. Be careful to make no stringent resolutions in regard to this matter. It will not help the case to force changes, but will do injury to the non-meat-eating principles. Give lectures in the parlor. Educate the mind, but force no one, for such reformation made under a pressure is worthless, and will surely go back to [a] meat-eating diet. Enlighten the mind that God would be pleased to have the body free from disease. The greatest cause of disease is in the food taken into the system in large meat eating. When you remove the meat from the table, you have a work to do to substitute articles of food tasteful and appetizing in fruits and grains. Meat will soon be forgotten in arousing the conscience and the determined will brought into action. There is to be no forcing the mind, but educating it to view the subject from a right standpoint. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 16

There needs to be presented to all students and physicians, and by them to others, that the whole animal creation is more or less diseased. Diseased meat is not rare, but common. Every phase of disease is brought into the human system through subsisting upon the flesh of dead animals. The feebleness and weakness consequent upon change from a meat diet will soon be overcome, and physicians ought to understand that they should not make the stimulus of meat eating essential for health and strength. All who leave it alone intelligently, after becoming accustomed to the change, will have health of sinews and muscles. More again. 11LtMs, Lt 54, 1896, par. 17