18
Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 1
minds unoccupied, neither can you frown away evil. Only by the in-
culcation of right principles can you exclude wrong thoughts. Unless
parents plant the seeds of truth in the hearts of their children, the en-
emy will sow tares. Good, sound instruction is the only preventive of
the evil communications that corrupt good manners. Truth will protect
the soul from the endless temptations that must be encountered.—
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 121
(1913).
Only One Day Is Mine—Day by day we are all to be trained,
disciplined, and educated for usefulness in this life. Only one day at
a time—think of this. One day is mine. I will in this one day do my
best. I will use my talent of speech to be a blessing to some other one,
a helper, a comforter, an example which the Lord my Saviour shall
approve. I will exercise myself in patience, kindness, forbearance, that
the Christian virtues may be developed in me today.
Every morning dedicate yourself, soul, body, and spirit, to God.
Establish habits of devotion and trust more and more in your Saviour.
You may believe with all confidence that the Lord Jesus loves you
and wishes you to grow up to His stature of character. He wishes you
to grow in His love, to increase and strengthen in all the fullness of
divine love. Then you will gain a knowledge of the highest value for
time and for eternity.—
Letter 36, 1901
(
In Heavenly Places, 227
.)
[16]
How Well-balanced Minds May Be Developed—Labor is a
blessing. It is impossible for us to enjoy health without labor. All
the faculties should be called into use that they may be properly de-
veloped and that men and women may have well-balanced minds.—
Testimonies for the Church 3:154, 155
(1872).
Knowledge and Science Must Be Vitalized by the Holy Spirit—
It is only when brought under the full control of the Spirit of God that
the talents of an individual are rendered useful to the fullest extent.
The precepts and principles of religion are the first steps in the acqui-
sition of knowledge and lie at the very foundation of true education.
Knowledge and science must be vitalized by the Spirit of God in order
to serve the noblest purposes.
The Christian alone can make the right use of knowledge. Science,
in order to be fully appreciated, must be viewed from a religious
standpoint. Then all will worship the God of science. The heart which
is ennobled by the grace of God can best comprehend the real value of