Chapter 116—Books and Tracts
The proper circulation and distribution of our publications is one
of the most important branches of the present work. But little can
be done without this. And our ministers can do more in this work
than any other class of persons. It is true that a few years ago many
of our preachers were carrying the matter of the sale of books too
far. Some of them added to the stock which they held for sale, not
only publications of little real value, but also articles of merchandise
equally valueless.
But some of our ministers now take an extreme view of what I said
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in Testimony No. 11 upon the sale of our publications. One in the State
of New York, upon whom the burdens of labor do not rest heavily, who
had acted as agent, holding a good assortment of publications, decided
to sell no more, and wrote to the office, stating that the publications
were subject to their order. This is wrong. Here I will give an extract
from
Testimony for the church vol. 1, No. 11, page 472
:
“The burden of selling our publications should not rest upon min-
isters who labor in word and doctrine. Their time and strength should
be held in reserve, that their efforts may be thorough in a series of
meetings. Their time and strength should not be drawn upon to sell
our books when they can be properly brought before the public by
those who have not the burden of preaching the word. In entering new
fields it may be necessary for the minister to take publications with
him to offer for sale to the people, and it may be necessary in some
other circumstances also to sell books and transact business for the
office of publication. But such work should be avoided whenever it
can be done by others.”
The first portion of this extract is qualified by the last part. To be a
little more definite, my views of this matter are, that such ministers as
Elders Andrews, Waggoner, White, and Loughborough, who have the
oversight of the work, and consequently have an extra amount of care,
burden, and labor, should not add to their burdens by the sale of our
publications, especially at tent meetings and at General Conferences.
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