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Chapter 5—Selfishness and World Loving
Dear Brother and Sister G,
I have for some time designed to write to you. As the light
which the Lord has given me came distinctly before me, some things
pressed themselves forcibly upon my mind while standing before the
people at-----. I had hoped that you would stay to another meeting,
and that the labor there commenced could have been continued. But
I am sorry to see that when our brethren attend a Conference, they do
not generally feel the importance of first preparing for the meeting.
Instead of consecrating themselves to God before they come, they
wait till they get to the meeting to have the work done for them
there. They bring
home
along with them, and the things that they
have left behind are considered of more value and importance than a
preparation of heart for His coming. Therefore nearly all leave no
better than when they came. Such meetings are attended with great
expense, and if those who come are not profited, there is a loss to
them, and they make the labor exceedingly hard for those who feel
the burden of the work upon them. Our people left that Conference
too soon. We might have seen a more special work from God had
all remained and engaged in the work.
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Sister G, I have a message to you. You are far from the king-
dom. You love this world, and this love has made you cold, selfish,
exacting, and penurious. The great object of interest with you is the
powerful, mighty dollar. How little you know how God looks upon
one in your condition. You are in a terrible deception. You are con-
formed to the world instead of being transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Selfishness and self-love are exemplified in your life to
a great degree. You have not overcome this unhappy defect in your
character. If this is not remedied, you will lose heaven, and your
happiness here will be greatly marred. This has been the case al-
ready. The dark cloud which has followed you, overshadowing your
life, will grow larger and blacker until your whole sky is clouded.
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