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Testimonies for the Church Volume 5
God intends success; they may see only giants and walled cities, where
others, with clearer vision, see also God and angels ready to give
victory to His truth.
It may in some cases be necessary that young men learn foreign
languages. This they can do with most success by associating with the
people, at the same time devoting a portion of each day to studying
the language. This should be done, however, only as a necessary
step preparatory to educating such as are found in the missionary
field themselves, and who with proper training can become workers.
It is essential that those be urged into the service who can speak in
their mother tongue to the people of different nations. It is a great
undertaking for a man of middle age to learn a foreign language, and
with all his efforts it will be next to impossible for him to speak it so
readily and correctly as to render him an efficient laborer.
We cannot afford to deprive our home missions of the influence
of middle-aged and aged ministers to send them into distant fields, to
engage in a work for which they are not qualified, and to which no
amount of training will enable them to adapt themselves. The men thus
sent out leave vacancies which inexperienced laborers cannot supply.
But the church may inquire whether young men can be trusted with
the grave responsibilities involved in establishing and superintending a
foreign mission. I answer: God designed that they should be so trained
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in our colleges and by association in labor with men of experience that
they would be prepared for departments of usefulness in this cause. We
must manifest confidence in our young men. They should be pioneers
in every enterprise involving toil and sacrifice, while the overtaxed
servants of Christ should be cherished as counselors, to encourage
and bless those who strike the heaviest blows for God. Providence
thrust these experienced fathers into trying, responsible positions at
an early age, when neither physical nor intellectual powers were fully
developed. The magnitude of the trust committed to them aroused
their energies, and their active labor in the work aided both mental and
physical development.
Young men are wanted. God calls them to missionary fields.
Being comparatively free from care and responsibilities, they are more
favorably situated to engage in the work than are those who must
provide for the training and support of a large family. Furthermore,
young men can more readily adapt themselves to new climates and