Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 17 (1902)

Ms 80, 1902

The Manufacture of Health Foods, Part 2.

St. Helena, California

February 16, 1901

This manuscript is published in entirety in KC 135-137, see 7T 127-131.

The Manufacture of Health Foods, II. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 1

Last night I seemed to be speaking to our people telling them that as Seventh-day Adventists we must cultivate love, patience, and true courtesy. Jesus will strengthen the leaders of His people if they will learn of Him. God’s people must strive to reach the very highest standard of excellence. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 2

I have a most earnest desire that in every place the work shall be carried forward in accordance with His commands. I see trouble as high as mountains ahead for our people in the way in which some things are now being done, and especially in regard to the health food business. As we advance we shall have to meet very difficult problems of human invention which will bring much perplexity. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 3

With great skill, and with painstaking effort, Dr. Kellogg and his associates have prepared a special line of health foods. Their chief motive has been to benefit humanity, and the blessing of God has rested upon their efforts. If they walk in the counsel of God, they will continue to advance; for God will give skill and understanding to those who seek Him unselfishly. In some respects improvements can be made in the health foods sent out from our factories. The Lord will teach His servants how to make food preparations that are more simple and less expensive. There are many whom God will teach in this line if they will walk in His counsel and in harmony with their brethren. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 4

Our Brethren in All Lands

The Lord has instructed me to say that He has not confined to a few persons all the light on the best preparations of health foods. He will give to many minds in different places tact and skill that will enable them to prepare health foods suitable for the countries in which they live. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 5

God is the Author of all wisdom, all intelligence, all talent. He will magnify His name by giving to many minds wisdom in the preparation of healthful foods. And when He does this, the making of these new foods is not to be looked upon as an infringement of the rights of those who are already manufacturing health foods, although in some respects the foods made by the different ones may be similar. God will take ordinary men and will give them skill and understanding in the use of the fruit of the earth. He deals impartially with His workers. Not one is forgotten by Him. He will impress businessmen to establish industries that will provide employment for His people. And He will teach His servants to prepare less expensive health foods which can be purchased by the poor. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 6

In all our plans we should remember that the health food work is the property of God, and that it is not to be made a financial speculation for personal gain. This business is God’s gift to His people, and the profits are to be used for the good of suffering humanity everywhere. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 7

An Evil Work

Some of our brethren have done a work that has wrought great injury to the cause. The knowledge of how to manufacture health foods, which God gave to His people as a means of helping to sustain the cause, these men have disclosed to worldly business men who will use this knowledge as a means of personal gain, giving none of the glory to God. Those who have thus disclosed the secrets in their possession in regard to the preparation of health foods have abused a God-given trust. As they see the result of this betrayal of trust, some will sorely regret that they did not keep their own counsel and wait for the Lord to lead His servants and to work out His plans in His own way. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 8

The health food business should not be borrowed or stolen from those who by its management are endeavoring to build up and advance the cause. Dr. Kellogg, with the help of others, has, at a large outlay of means, studied out the processes for the preparation of certain foods and has provided expensive facilities for their manufacture. This work has taken a great deal of precious time; for many experiments have had to be made. Is it not right that those who have thus labored and invested their means should be allowed to reap the fruit of their labor? Should not Dr. Kellogg, as the Lord’s steward, be allowed to control a reasonable income from the special products that he, by the blessing of God, has been enabled to produce? I understand that Dr. Kellogg has entered into agreement with our medical institutions in various places that they may handle the foods in their localities for the benefit of sanitarium work. I understand that the profits on some lines of foods are used for the support of such benevolent institutions as the Orphans’ Home and The Old People’s Home at Battle Creek. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 9

Under these circumstances, how unreasonable it is for some of our brethren to follow the course that they are following. They take up the preparation of these special foods and sell them for personal profit, while at the same time they give the impression that they are working in harmony with those who in the first place prepared these foods for sale. No one has a right to engage in the manufacture of the health foods in any such way. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 10

I have a warning for those who have a knowledge of the methods of manufacturing health foods. They are not to use their knowledge for selfish purposes, or in a way that will misrepresent the cause. Neither are they to make the knowledge of how to prepare these foods a public matter. Let the churches take hold of this and show these brethren that such a course is a betrayal of their trust and that it will bring reproach upon the cause. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 11

Let not those who have been and are employed in the work of making the health foods first prepared by Dr. Kellogg, or by any other pioneer in this work, open up all that they know; for thus they defraud the cause of that which should be used for its advancement. I beseech you, my brethren, to make straight paths for your feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. Do not place information in the hands of unbelievers—persons who from lack of conscientious regard for health reform may place impure articles on the market under the name of health foods. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 12

Stand on the side of righteousness in all your transactions; then you will not appear to disadvantage before God or man. Do not enter into any dishonest practices. Those who take up the preparation and sale of health foods for personal profit are taking a liberty to which they have no right. Thus great confusion is brought into the work. Some manufacture foods professing to be health foods which contain ingredients which health reform condemns. Then again, the foods are often of such an inferior quality that much harm is done to the cause by their sale—those who buy them supposing that all health foods are similar. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 13

No one has any right to take advantage of the business arrangements that have been made in regard to health foods. Those who handle these foods should first come to an understanding with Dr. Kellogg, or others who are working in harmony with him, and learn the best methods of handling the health foods. He who enters selfishly into this work, at the same time giving his customers the impression that the profits on the goods he sells are used to aid benevolent enterprises while in reality they are used for personal interest, is under the displeasure of God. By and by their business will fail, and they will get things into such a tangle that their brethren will have to buy them out to save disgrace [from] being brought on the cause. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 14

The Lord is greatly displeased when His service is dishonored by the selfishness of those engaged in it. He wills that every part of His work shall be in harmony with every other part, joint connecting with joint. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 15

The Lord wants His people to stand far above selfish interests. He wants them to conquer the temptations they meet. He calls for the communion of saints. He desires His workers to stand under His supervision. He will plane and polish the material for His temple, preparing each piece to fit closely to the other so that the building will be perfect and complete, wanting nothing. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 16

Heaven is to begin on this earth. When the Lord’s people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to their taste. They will make a heaven below in which to prepare for heaven above. 17LtMs, Ms 80, 1902, par. 17