“God has given us light, which He has commanded us to let shine; and if some souls embrace the truth in a locality, organize them into a church as soon as it can be wisely done, and let them do what they can to build a humble house of worship, as they have done in Willis [Michigan], which they can dedicate to God, and where they can invite His presence to be with them.” 1

“We must build humble houses for worship.” 2

“The need for a meeting-house where there is a newly formed company of believers, has been presented before me in a panoramic view. I saw workmen building humble houses of worship. Those newly come to the faith were helping with willing hands, and those who had means were assisting with their means.” 3

“When an interest is aroused in any town or city, that interest should be followed up. The place should be thoroughly worked, until a humble house of worship stands as a sign, a memorial of God’s Sabbath, a light amid the moral darkness. These memorials are to stand in many places as witnesses to the truth.” 4

“When we open up the work in one field, and gather out a company, we consecrate them to God and then draw them to unite with us in building a humble house of worship. Then when the church is finished, and dedicated to the Master, we pass on to other fields.” 5

“The Vaudois churches, in their purity and simplicity, resembled the church of apostolic times. . . . Far from the monuments of human pomp and pride the people assembled, not in magnificent churches or grand cathedrals, but beneath the shadow of the mountains, in the Alpine valleys, or, in time of danger, in some rocky stronghold, to listen to the words of truth from the servants of Christ.” 6

“We do not so much need the grand church edifice, the worshipers adorned in costly array to harmonize with the church; this will not move one soul toward the kingdom of heaven. Display will not awaken the tender sympathies whereby soul meets soul.” 7

“It is when the character building is neglected, when the adornment of the soul is lacking, when the simplicity of godliness is despised, that pride and love of display demand magnificent church edifices, splendid adornings, and imposing ceremonials. But in all this God is not honored.” 8

“Our schools are to be as the schools of the prophets. In them the truths of the Bible are to be earnestly studied.” 9

“Our educational facilities must be purified from all dross. Our institutions must be conducted on Christian principles if they would triumph over opposing obstacles. If they are conducted on worldly- policy plans, there will be a want of solidity in the work, a want of farseeing spiritual discernment.” 10

“God’s purpose has been made known—that our people should have an opportunity to study the sciences, and at the same time to learn the requirements of His word. Biblical lectures should be given; the study of the Scriptures should have the first place in our system of education. . . .

“If morality and religion are to live in the school, it must be through a knowledge of God’s word. Some may urge that if religious teaching is to be made prominent, our school will become unpopular; that those who are not of our faith will not patronize the college. Very well, then, let them go to other colleges, where they will find a system of education that suits their taste. Our school was established, not merely to teach the sciences, but for the purpose of giving instruction in the great principles of God’s word and in the practical duties of everyday life.” 11

“A Christian influence should pervade our schools, our sanitariums, our publishing houses. Under the direction of Satan, confederacies are being formed, and will be formed to eclipse the truth by human influence. Those who join these confederacies can never hear the welcome, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant; . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ ” 12

“Men will employ every means to make less prominent the difference between Seventh-day Adventists and observers of the first day of the week. A company was presented before me under the name of Seventh-day Adventists, who were advising that the banner, or sign, which makes us a distinct people should not be held out so strikingly; for they claimed that this was not the best policy in order to secure success to our institutions. But this is not a time to haul down our colors, to be ashamed of our faith.” 13

“All schools among us will soon be closed up.” 14

“There is a prospect before us of a continual struggle, at the risk of imprisonment, loss of property, and even of life itself, to defend the law of God, which is made void by the laws of men.” 15

“To lower the standard in order to secure popularity and an increase of numbers, and then to make this increase a cause of rejoicing, shows great blindness. If numbers were an evidence of success, Satan might claim the pre-eminence; for in this world his followers are largely in the majority. It is the degree of moral power pervading a school that is a test of its prosperity. It is the virtue, intelligence, and piety of the people composing our schools, not their numbers, that should be a source of joy and thankfulness. Then shall our schools become converted to the world and follow its customs and fashions?” 16

“If a worldly influence is to bear sway in our school, then sell it out to worldlings and let them take the entire control; and those who have invested their means in that institution will establish another school, to be conducted, not upon the plan of popular schools, nor according to the desires of principal and teachers, but upon the plan which God has specified. . . .

“Our college stands today in a position that God does not approve. I have been shown the dangers that threaten this important institution. If its responsible men seek to reach the world’s standard, if they copy the plans and methods of other colleges, the frown of God will be upon our school.” 17

“The work done in our schools is not to be like that done in the colleges and seminaries of the world. In the grand work of education, instruction in the sciences is not to be of an inferior character, but that knowledge must be considered of first importance which will fit a people to stand in the great day of God’s preparation. Our schools must be more like the schools of the prophets.” 18

“After the meeting, the remainder of the day was spent by the students in various games and sports, some of which were frivolous, rude, and grotesque.

“During the following night I seemed to be witnessing the performances of the afternoon. The scene was clearly laid out before me, and I was given a message for the manager and teachers of the school.

“I was shown that in the amusements carried on at the school that afternoon, the enemy gained a victory, and teachers were weighed in the balances and found wanting. I was greatly distressed and burdened to think that those standing in responsible positions should open the door and, as it were, invite the enemy in; for this they did in permitting the exhibitions that took place. . . .

“In the night season I was a witness to the performance that was carried on on the school grounds. The students who engaged in the grotesque mimicry that was seen acted out the mind of the enemy, some in a very unbecoming manner. A view of things was presented before me in which the students were playing games of tennis and cricket. Then I was given instruction regarding the character of these amusements. They were presented to me as a species of idolatry, like the idols of the nations.” 19

“There are many ways of practicing the healing art, but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God’s remedies are the simple agencies of nature that will not tax or debilitate the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God are remedies for the want of which thousands are dying; yet these remedies are going out of date because their skillful use requires work that the people do not appreciate. Fresh air, exercise, pure water, and clean, sweet premises are within the reach of all with but little expense; but drugs are expensive, both in the outlay of means and in the effect produced upon the system.” 20

“When the light came that we should have a sanitarium, the reason was plainly given. There were many who needed to be educated in regard to healthful living. A place must be provided to which the sick could be taken, where they could be taught how to live so as to preserve health. At the same time light was given that the sick could be successfully treated without drugs. This was the lesson that was to be practiced and taught by physicians and nurses, and by all other medical missionary workers. Drugs were to be discarded, because when they are taken into the system, their after effect is very injurious.” 21

“Instead of large establishments, bringing great numbers together, let there be small institutions in different places. Instead of being in or near some town or large city, they should be in the country, where land can be secured for cultivation and the children can be brought into contact with nature and can have the benefits of industrial training.” 22

“Let these institutions be small, and let there be more of them, that the work of winning souls to Christ may be accomplished. It may often be necessary to start sanitarium work in the city, but never build a sanitarium in a city. Rent a building, and keep looking for a suitable place out of the city.” 23

“Institutions for the care of the sick are to be established, where men and women suffering from disease may be placed under the care of God-fearing physicians and nurses, and be treated without drugs.” 24

“The Lord years ago gave me special light in regard to the establishment of a health institution where the sick could be treated on altogether different lines from those followed in any other institution in our world.” 25

“Special light has been given me in regard to why we may accomplish much more for the Master by the establishment of many small sanitariums than by the building up of a few large medical institutions.” 26

“Let all who contemplate erecting an institution, carefully consider whether they are to make it an institution conducted upon the principles of health reform, or whether they design to copy the popular institutions all through our land. If an institution for health is conducted upon the principles of health reform, it will require for its management a large amount of faith, a large amount of patience, a large amount of perseverance, a large amount of moral power, such as they have scarcely dreamed of, to make such an institution a success and to pay its own way.” 27

“It is the Lord’s purpose that in every part of our world health institutions shall be established as a branch of the gospel work. These institutions are to be His agencies for reaching a class whom nothing else will reach. They need not to be large buildings, but should be so arranged that effective work may be done.” 28

“We have deeply regretted that there were not a large number of institutions working from the hygienic principles that are now in existence.” 29

“If His plans and devisings are regarded as inferior to plans of men, He looks upon these institutions as of no more value than the institutions established and conducted by worldlings. God cannot endorse any institution, unless it teaches the living principles of His law and brings its own actions into strict conformity to these precepts. Upon those institutions that are not maintained according to His law, He pronounces the sentence, ‘Unaccepted; weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and found wanting.’ ” 30

“It might seem to us that it would be best to select for our sanitariums places among the wealthy; that this would give character to our work and secure patronage for our institutions. But in this there is no light. . . .

“God would not be pleased to have any of our institutions located in a community of this character, however great its apparent advantages. Selfish wealthy men have a molding influence upon other minds, and the enemy would work through them to hedge up our way. . . .

“In erecting our buildings, we must keep away from the homes of the great men of the world, and let them seek the help they need by withdrawing from their associates into more retired places. We shall not please God by building our sanitariums among people extravagant in dress and living, who are attracted to those who can make a great display.” 31

“ ‘Break up the large centers,’ has been the word of the Lord. ‘Carry the light to many places.’ Those who are desirous of receiving a training for effective medical missionary work should understand that large sanitariums will be conducted so much like institutions of the world that students laboring in such sanitariums cannot obtain a symmetrical training for Christian medical missionary work.” 32

“The Lord has instructed me that we are not to make many large centers; for in every field there should be facilities for the successful carrying on of the work. For this reason a few large institutions should not be allowed to exhaust all the income of means.” 33

“Our publishing institutions are to stand before the world as an embodiment of Christian principles. In these institutions, if God’s purpose for them is fulfilled, Christ Himself stands at the head of the working forces. Holy angels supervise the work in every department. And all that is done in every line is to bear the impress of heaven, to show forth the excellence of the character of God.” 34

“We should treat as a sacred treasure every line of printed matter that comes from our publishing houses. Even the fragments of a pamphlet or of a periodical should be regarded as of value.” 35

“Our publishing work was established by the direction of God and under His special supervision. It was designed to accomplish a specific purpose. Seventh-day Adventists have been chosen by God as a peculiar people, separate from the world. . . .

“We are not only to publish the theory of the truth, but to present a practical illustration of it in character and life. . . .

“Our publications have a most sacred work to do in making clear, simple, and plain the spiritual basis of our faith.” 36

“Ever keep a winning, courteous, kind spirit, and every room may be transformed into a Bethel. Angels of God will work with your efforts. If our publishing houses, our health institutions, our colleges and missions, are conducted on right principles, the unbelievers who visit them will be favorably impressed, and will be more inclined to accept the truth.” 37

“When our publishing houses do a large amount of commercial work, there is great danger that an objectionable class of literature will be brought in.” 38

“Some years ago a message was given me for the Oakland church, in regard to the mingling of the profane and the sacred. Novels and a most objectionable class of literature were being brought into the Pacific Press, and these were sowing tares in the minds of the workers. Some of them eagerly read this poisonous matter, and were obtaining an education in accordance with the food they were giving their minds. Truth was being eclipsed by error. The objectionable matter was demoralizing those who handled it. This matter is degrading, and should be discarded.” 39

“I feel a terror of soul as I see to what a pass our publishing house has come. The presses in the Lord’s institution have been printing the soul-destroying theories of Romanism and other mysteries of iniquity. This is taking all sacredness from the office. The managers are loading the guns of the enemy and placing them in their hands, to be used against the truth. How does God regard such work?—In the books of heaven are written the words, Unfaithful stewardship. Thus God regards the publication of matter which comes from Satan’s manufactory—his hellish, scientific delusions.” 40

“Think you that Jesus will stand in the publishing establishment to work through human minds by His ministering angels; think you that He will make the truth coming from the presses a power to warn the world, if Satan is allowed to pervert the minds of the workers right in the institution? Can God’s blessing attend the publications coming from the press when from the same press are sent forth satanic heresy and delusion? ‘Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?’ James 3:11.” 41

“When the printing office was first established, in a little wooden building, the Lord showed me that its presses were to be used to send forth to the world the bright rays of truth. They were consecrated to the Lord. Light was to shine all through the office, which was to be a school of training for workers. But as the result of association with the world, many in the office grew worldly, and worked more and more on plans of worldly policy, and neither the discipline nor training of the youth employed in the office were as they should be.” 42

“There is danger of entering into commercialism and becoming so engrossed in worldly business that the truths of the word of God in their purity and power will not be brought into the life. The love of trade and gain is becoming more and more prevalent.” 43

“No one is to make an urgent appeal for means with which to erect large and expensive buildings for sanitariums, colleges, or publishing houses, so absorbing means that the work in other places is crippled.” 44

“Unless there is a reformation, calamity will overtake the publishing house, and the world will know the reason. I have been shown that there has not been a turning to God with full purpose of heart. The Lord is dishonored in the institutions erected for His honor. The marked disregard of God’s commandments in the publishing house has placed its impress on the workers. . . .

“It is not a great number of institutions, large buildings, and outward display that God requires, but the harmonious action of a peculiar people, a people chosen by God and precious, united with one another, their life hid with Christ in God. . . .

“God desires His institutions and His chosen, adopted children to honor Him by revealing the attributes of Christian character.” 45