Chapter 21—Opposition to Faithful Warnings
January 3, 1875, I was shown that there is a great work to be done
for those who profess to believe the truth in California, before God can
work for them. Many are flattering themselves that they are right with
God, when they have not the principles of the truth in their hearts. This
class can be brought into working order only by seeking with diligent,
persevering earnestness to heed the counsel of the True Witness. They
are in a cold, formal, backslidden state. These are addressed by the
True Witness: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I
would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth. Because thou
sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;
and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that
thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed,
[228]
and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine
eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke
and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
Brother G, God has claims upon you to which you do not respond.
Your spiritual strength and growth in grace will be proportionate to
the labor of love and good works which you do cheerfully for your
Saviour, who has withheld nothing, not even His own life, that He
might save you. You have the injunction of the apostle: “Bear ye one
another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” It is not enough to
merely profess faith in the commandments of God; you must be a doer
of the work. You are a transgressor of His law. You do not love God
with all your heart, might, mind, and strength; neither do you live in
obedience to the last six commandments and love your neighbor as
yourself. You love yourself more than you love God or your neighbor.
Keeping the commandments of God requires more of us than you
are willing to perform. God requires of you good works, self-denial,
self-sacrifice, and devotion to the good of others, that through your
instrumentality souls may be brought to the truth.
210