Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)

Lt 302, 1903

Kress, Brother and Sister

San Diego, California

November 22, 1903

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother and Sister Kress,—

I have been so full of labor that I could not write those things I would be glad to write to you. I might if I would write those things which might disturb your mind. I do not want to do this. We must all be in position to appreciate one another [even] if they may not be led just as we are, but let us all try to harmonize. You mention some questions you asked of me in regard to the time, I think, of taking meals in sanitariums. I am not on the ground, but from the light given me, you are in the habit of preparing diet on the retrenching line too much. You do not make all that consideration essential for those who know little or nothing of the reasons of our faith. Now there is to be great care with you both lest you consider your plans in preparing meals is as if you would be a criterion. I have written letters on this point. 18LtMs, Lt 302, 1903, par. 1

You are in danger of the abstemious plans when they would not be a blessing to the ones who leave off too suddenly their hearty meals and change too abruptly to food that they cannot relish. If you should have a more liberal diet, it would be for the good of those who patronize the Sanitarium. It would be far better to err on the side of greater liberality than be in error on the restricted order, for it means much to the Sanitarium whether we carry things precisely our own way because it has worked well in some ways with yourselves, but not always well with yourselves. 18LtMs, Lt 302, 1903, par. 2

You came near dying from your erroneous carrying out of the restricted diet too far. You will have [to] study this yourselves. Brother Kress and Sister Kress have overstrained matters on the diet question, and therefore life had almost gone out. You felt and expressed in letters that point in your experience was made much of because others, you thought, misstated you. 18LtMs, Lt 302, 1903, par. 3

Now, my dear and much loved brother and sister, I write this to you especially. I have no copy of this letter and no others have a copy of it, and therefore I keep no copy. But I am sincerely your friend and tell you how these things are presented to me. We can be overstrenuous, but ought not to be, but place ourselves in our experience in their position. Never having had the light, how carefully should the changes be made. Meat may have been their bill of fare, but take that away you must take extra efforts to show them that we can have good, excellent dishes out of the productions from the ground, fruit from the orchard, and everything prepared in the nicest way because we want them to carry away with them a good report; and with many of these patients leaving their hearty food [they] may feel really a need of something more stimulating in diet. I speak of these things because the third meal may be the more profitable to the patients than to have them miss that meal. Please consider these things on both sides of the question. We want that the painstaking effort should be made intelligently. 18LtMs, Lt 302, 1903, par. 4

I am afraid you cannot read this; if not, let me know in your next letter. I will say I write this because I wish you to be successful, but I write as the matter is represented to me and the impressions made are not the best. The Lord help and bless you is our prayer. In much love. 18LtMs, Lt 302, 1903, par. 5