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Evangelism
and extremists, and that their peculiar faith rendered them unkind,
uncourteous, and really unchristian in character. Thus the course of a
few extremists prevented the influence of the truth from reaching the
people.
Some were making the matter of dress of first importance, criticiz-
ing articles of dress worn by others, and standing ready to condemn
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everyone who did not exactly meet their ideas. A few condemned
pictures, urging that they are prohibited by the second commandment,
and that everything of this kind should be destroyed.
These one-idea men can see nothing except to press the one thing
that presents itself to their minds. Years ago we had to meet this same
spirit and work. Men arose claiming to have been sent with a message
condemning pictures, and urging that every likeness of anything should
be destroyed. They went to such lengths as even to condemn clocks
which had figures, or “pictures,” upon them....
A few in-----had gone so far as to burn all the pictures in their
possession, destroying even the likenesses of their friends. While we
had no sympathy with these fanatical movements, we advised that
those who had burned their pictures should not incur the expense of
replacing them. If they had acted conscientiously, they should be
satisfied to let the matter rest where it was. But they ought not to
require others to do as they had done. They should not endeavor to
be conscience for their brethren and sisters.—Historical Sketches, pp.
211, 212. (1886).
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