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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
The press is a power; but if its products fall dead for want of men
who will execute plans to widely circulate them, its power is lost.
While there has been a quick foresight to discern the necessity of
laying out means in facilities to multiply books and tracts, plans to
bring back the means invested so as to produce other publications,
have been neglected. The power of the press, with all its advantages,
is in their hands; and they can use it to the very best account, or they
can be half asleep and through inaction lose the advantages which they
might gain. By judicious calculation they can extend the light in the
sale of books and pamphlets. They can send them into thousands of
families that now sit in the darkness of error.
Other publishers have regular systems of introducing into the mar-
ket books of no vital interest. “The children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light.” Golden opportunities occur
almost daily where the silent messengers of truth might be introduced
into families and to individuals; but no advantage is taken of these
opportunities by the indolent, thoughtless ones. Living preachers are
few. There is only one where there should be a hundred. Many are
making a great mistake in not putting their talents to use in seeking
to save the souls of their fellow men. Hundreds of men should be
engaged in carrying the light all through our cities, villages, and towns.
The public mind must be agitated. God says: Let light be sent out into
all parts of the field. He designs that men shall be channels of light,
bearing it to those who are in darkness.
Missionaries are wanted everywhere. In all parts of the field can-
vassers should be selected, not from the floating element in society,
not from among men and women who are good for nothing else and
have made a success of nothing, but from among those who have good
address, tact, keen foresight, and ability. Such are needed to make
a success as colporteurs, canvassers, and agents. Men suited to this
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work undertake it, but some injudicious minister will flatter them that
their gift should be employed in the desk instead of simply in the work
of the colporteur. Thus this work is belittled. They are influenced to
get a license to preach; and the very ones who might have been trained
to make good missionaries to visit families at their homes and talk
and pray with them are caught up to make poor ministers; and the
field where so much labor is needed, and where so much good might
be accomplished for the cause, is neglected. The efficient colporteur,