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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
When the meat-eating question was presented before me five
years ago, showing how little the people knew what they were eating
for food in the shape of flesh meats, this transaction of yours was
shown. The effect of eating the meat of these unhealthy animals is
diseased blood, sickness, and fevers. Many instances of the kind
were shown me as being acted over daily by worldlings. You, my
dear brother, have not seen this wrong on your part as the Lord sees
it. You have never felt that it was a great sin on your part. Many
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things of like character have taken place in your life, which you will
find that the recording angel has faithfully chronicled, and which
you will meet again, unless by repentance and confession you make
these wrongs right.
I was bidden to wait and see. I was directed to speak plainly, give
general principles, and leave you to make the application yourself.
I was shown that God would not frequently point out the wrongs
committed by His people, but would cause to be given in their
hearing general principles, close, pointed truths, and all should be
open to conviction to see, to feel, and understand whether or not
they are condemned. You have not dealt closely and faithfully with
your own soul. Said the angel: “I will prove him, I will test him, I
will walk contrary unto him, until he acknowledges the hand of God
in thus dealing with him.”
I saw that while in-----those connected with your family did not
move right. You manifested a close spirit, savoring of overreaching
and dishonesty. You could have had no influence for good in that
place until you had redeemed the past by an entire change of conduct
in dealing with your fellow men. Your light was darkness to the
people, and your influence while there was a great detriment to the
cause of present truth. You brought reproach upon the truth, and
your close dealing caused your name to be a byword among the
people. You frequently fell below the standard of many worldlings
in regard to honorable dealing. Elder I can do no good in-----. His
words are as water spilled upon the ground, for the reason that he
was connected with you and took part in this close trading. In many
respects he became like a worldling in business transactions. He was
close and was fast becoming selfish. His course in many things was
calculated to destroy his influence and was not becoming a minister
of Christ. Said the angel in the vision given at Rochester, New York,
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