Reading and its Influence
313
I would say: You are sowing seed the harvest of which you will not
care to garner. From such reading there is no spiritual strength to be
gained. Rather it destroys love for the pure truth of the word. Through
the agency of novels and story magazines, Satan is working to fill with
unreal and trivial thoughts minds that should be diligently studying
the word of God. Thus he is robbing thousands upon thousands of the
time and energy and self-discipline demanded by the stern problems
of life
Children need proper reading which will afford amusement and
recreation and not demoralize the mind or weary the body. If they
are taught to love romance and newspaper tales, instructive books
and papers will become distasteful to them. Most children and young
people will have reading matter; and if it is not selected for them, they
will select it for themselves. They can find a ruinous quality of reading
anywhere, and they soon learn to love it; but if pure and good reading
is furnished them, they will cultivate a taste for that
Discipline and Educate Mental Tastes—The mental tastes must
be disciplined and educated with the greatest care. Parents must begin
early to unfold the Scriptures to the expanding minds of their children,
that proper habits of thought may be formed.
No effort should be spared to establish right habits of study. If
the mind wanders, bring it back. If the intellectual and moral tastes
[412]
have been perverted by over-wrought and exciting tales of fiction so
that there is a disinclination to apply the mind, there is a battle to be
fought to overcome this habit. A love for fictitious reading should be
overcome at once. Rigid rules should be enforced to hold the mind in
the proper channel
Avoid Cultivating Taste for Fiction—What shall our children
read? This is a serious question and one that demands a serious an-
swer. It troubles me to see in Sabbathkeeping families periodicals and
newspapers containing continued stories which leave no impressions
for good on the minds of children and youth. I have watched those
whose taste for fiction was thus cultivated. They have had the privilege
of listening to the truth, of becoming acquainted with the reasons of
3
Ibid., 120, 121
.
4
The Review and Herald, December 11, 1879
.
5
Counsels to Teachers, Parents, and Students, 136
.