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Counsels on Stewardship
in land speculation. The spirit of greed is fostered, and the naturally
penurious man begrudges every dollar that is called for to be used in the
advancement of the cause of God in the earth.—
Special Testimonies,
Series B, No. 17a, 8
.
Speculation by Ministers
We are nearing the close of time. We want not only to teach present
truth in the pulpit, but to live it out of the pulpit. Examine closely the
foundation of your hope of salvation. While you stand in the position
of a herald of truth, a watchman upon the walls of Zion, you cannot
have your interest interwoven with mining or real-estate business, and
at the same time do effectually the sacred work committed to your
hands. Where the souls of men are at stake, where eternal things are
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involved, the interest cannot safely be divided.
This is especially so in your case. While engaged in this business,
you have not been cultivating heartfelt piety. You have had a feverish
desire to obtain means. You have talked to many about the financial
advantages to be gained by investing in lands in—. Again and again
you have been engaged in picturing the advantages of these enterprises;
and this while you were an ordained minister of Christ, pledged to
give your soul, body, and spirit to the work of the salvation of souls.
At the same time you were receiving money from the treasury to
support yourself and your family. Your talk was calculated to draw
the attention and money of our people away from our institutions and
from the business of promoting the Redeemer’s kingdom on the earth.
Its tendency was to beget in them a desire to invest their means where
you assured them that it would be doubled in a short time, and to flatter
them with the prospect that they could help the cause a great deal more
by so doing....
To Avoid Worldly Entanglements
Especially should the minister keep himself from every worldly
entanglement, and bind himself to the Source of all power, that he
may represent correctly what it means to be a Christian. He should cut
loose from everything that would in any way divert his mind from God
and the great work for this time. Christ expects him, as His employed
servant, to be like Himself in mind, in thought, in word, in action.