Not to Control Other Men’s Lives
Reveal God’s Love—We must not strive to mold people to our
own ideas and inclinations and practices. By unselfish, consecrated
lives, through the power of the Holy Spirit working on our minds, we
are to reveal, not our own ways and wills, but the power of the love of
Him who gave Himself for us that we should be drawn out of and away
from our own traits of character to the perfection of Christ’s character.
He died that we should cultivate the attributes of his character, and
elevate, purify and gladden the hearts and lives of others.—
Letter 2,
1898
, pp. 1, 2 (March 17, 1898, to Leading Men in Our Churches).
Sensitive and sympathetic—There are men, better, far better cal-
culated to till the soil than to deal with human minds; they are not
sensitive nor sympathetic. Those who would do the best and highest
service for Jesus Christ must copy the Pattern in all their associations
in business deals, and in spiritual things. God sees as men do not, the
result of this hardness of heart toward one another and it is an offense
to Him and dishonors His Holy Name.-
Letter 16d, 1892
, p. 3 (May 7,
1892, to Brother Haskell).
Molding Other Men’s Minds—How my heart aches to see presi-
dents of conferences taking the burden of selecting those whom they
think they can mold to work with them in the field. They take those
who will not differ with them, but will act like mere machines. No
president has any right to do this. Leave others to plan; and if they fail
in some things, do not take it as an evidence that they are unfitted to be
thinkers. Our most responsible men had to learn by a long discipline
how to use their judgment.—
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel
Workers, 304
.
God is Willing to Teach Others—The idea that one man’s mind
and judgment can mold and direct important interests, and that he
can be regarded as a voice for the people, is a great evil, and has,
and still continues to endanger the one who is placed in a position of
responsibility, and those also who cooperate with him. God has not
given to any one man all the wisdom, and wisdom will not die with
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