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Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 1
laws of God. All the powers of mind and body should be called into
active exercise that the youth may become strong, well-balanced men
and women.—
The Signs of the Times, June 29, 1882
. (
Fundamentals
of Christian Education, 71
.)
Education to Be Guarded—The mind will be of the same char-
acter as that upon which it feeds, the harvest of the same nature as
the seed sown. Do not these facts sufficiently show the necessity of
guarding from the earliest years the education of the youth? Would
it not be better for the youth to grow up in a degree of ignorance as
to what is commonly accepted as education than for them to become
careless in regard to the truth of God?—
Testimonies for the Church
6:194
(1900).
God’s Relation to Man to Be Made Plain—It is of the highest
importance that every human being to whom God has given reasoning
powers understand his relation to God. It is for his present and eternal
good to inquire at every step, Is this the way of the Lord?...We need to
call most earnestly upon every human being to compare his character
[189]
with the law of God, the standard of character for all who would
enter His kingdom, and become citizens of the heavenly country.—
Manuscript 67, 1898.
The Highest Education—The science of a pure, wholesome, con-
sistent Christian life is obtained by studying the Word of the Lord.
This is the highest education that any earthly being can obtain. These
are the lessons that the students in our schools are to be taught, that
they may come forth with pure thoughts and clean minds and hearts,
prepared to ascend the ladder of progress, and to practice the Christian
virtues.—
Manuscript 86, 1905.
Teacher’s Habits Exert Influence—The principles and habits of
the teacher should be considered of greater importance than even his
literary qualifications. If the teacher is a sincere Christian, he will
feel the necessity of having an equal interest in the physical, mental,
moral, and spiritual education of his scholars. In order to exert the
right influence he should have perfect control over himself, and his
own heart should be richly imbued with love for his pupils, which
will be seen in his looks, words, and acts. He should have firmness of
character; then can he mold the minds of his pupils, as well as instruct
them in the sciences.