Brookfield, N. Y., October, 30, 1859
My Dear Henry and Edson,
I will write you a few lines. You remember, Henry, in my last
letter to you I made a suggestion of what I thought to be a good plan.
I do not enforce this; I merely suggest it. I would not bind anything
upon you that is tedious or burdensome. But I thought such a plan as
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I suggested, if you could see the help it would be to you in having a
principle, and in forming a good character, you would readily adopt it.
We do not wish to drive you, dear boys, but help you to do right.
We love you. No others can love you as we do. None can feel the
interest in you that we do. We feel very anxious that you should be
kept from sinful ways and evil habits. Satan has great control over
the minds of the young, generally, because they do not go to the true
source for strength to resist his temptations, and to overcome. God
loves to have children put their trust in him, and ask him to help them.
The promise is, my dear boys, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Believe ye
receive the things ye ask for, and ye shall have them. Now in the first
place you have the promise that if you ask you shall receive. Then
think what you most need to overcome. Acquaint yourselves with
your failings, and then as you feel you cannot overcome in your own
strength, ask God to help you. By doing this you acknowledge your
own weakness, and throw yourselves upon God’s arm. He will sustain
you in your efforts to do right. But be careful and do not rely too much
on your own strength and efforts. Ever realize that Satan is continually
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trying to lead your young, inexperienced minds to do wrong. In order
to resist his temptations, you must rely upon a power stronger than
your own. “Believe ye receive the things ye ask for, and ye shall have
them.” Do not merely come to God and ask; but believe that he will
do just as he has said he would. As you ask, believe he answers, and
believe you do receive strength from him.
My dear boys, learn to trust in God. Learn to go to him who is
mighty to save. He knows what you need before you ask him; but he
has made this your duty, and the duty of every one of us, to come to
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