Chapter 37—Counsel to a General Conference
President
Unwise Management of a Difficult Case [
Extracts from a letter
written from Europe to Elder George I. Butler concerning several
ministers in the United States who had transgressed the seventh com-
mandment.
]—Dear Brother: Your last letter is received, and the ques-
tions asked in reference to T and Brother V, I cannot answer further
than I have done. I am inclined to the same opinion that I had when I
wrote John V. The counsel that I gave him I think was safe, and if my
good brethren had acted in concert with that counsel, that he should
go to England to labor, I think they would have done that which was
pleasing to the lord. I think matters have now come in bad shape for
him. He has been entrusted with responsibilities which will have a
tendency to elevate him. And it may be that he is not in as good a
condition to go forth to labor in some far-off field as he was months
ago.
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I have not changed my mind in his case. I do not think that it has
been managed wisely, taking his soul into consideration. He proposed
to prove himself, on his own responsibility, without expense to the
conference, and he should have had his chance.
Ellen White’s Encouraging Dream—In regard to Brother H, I
do not think your management the wisest. I think he should have a
chance for his life. If the man is willing and desirous of coming to
Europe on his own responsibility, perhaps that would be wisdom. He
will never recover himself where he is under present circumstances.
I did have a dream many months ago, which showed him restored
with the blessing of God resting upon him, but he was not brought to
this position by the help of yourself or Elder Haskell, but would have
as far as you both were concerned, the attitude you assumed toward
him, ever remained in the dark, and his light would have gone out in
darkness.
That dream prompted the letter that W. C. White wrote him asking
him in reference to coming to Europe, which your conference had
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