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Testimonies for the Church Volume 7
for God’s service. I will close my eyes to frivolous and sinful things.
My ears are the Lord’s, and I will not listen to the subtle reasoning of
the enemy. My voice shall not in any way be subject to a will that is
not under the influence of the Spirit of God. My body is the temple of
the Holy Spirit, and every power of my being shall be consecrated to
worthy pursuits.”
The Lord has appointed the youth to be His helping hand. If in
every church they would consecrate themselves to Him, if they would
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practice self-denial in the home, relieving their careworn mother, the
mother could find time to make neighborly visits, and, when oppor-
tunity offered, they could themselves give assistance by doing little
errands of mercy and love. Books and papers treating on the subject of
health and temperance could be placed in many homes. The circulation
of this literature is an important matter; for thus precious knowledge
can be imparted in regard to the treatment of disease, knowledge that
would be a great blessing to those who cannot afford to pay for a
physician’s visits.
Parents should seek to interest their children in the study of phys-
iology. There are but few among the youth who have any definite
knowledge of the mysteries of life. The study of the wonderful human
organism, the relation and dependence of its complicated parts, is one
in which many parents take little interest. Although God says to them,
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospereth,” yet they do not understand the
influence of the body upon the mind or of the mind upon the body.
Needless trifles occupy their attention, and then they plead a lack of
time as an excuse for not obtaining the information necessary to enable
them properly to instruct their children.
If all would obtain a knowledge of this subject and would feel
the importance of putting it to practical use, we should see a better
condition of things. Parents, teach your children to reason from cause
to effect. Show them that, if they violate the laws of health, they
must pay the penalty by suffering. Show them that recklessness in
regard to bodily health tends to recklessness in morals. Your children
require patient, faithful care. It is not enough for you to feed and
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clothe them; you should seek also to develop their mental powers and
to imbue their hearts with right principles. But how often are beauty
of character and loveliness of temper lost sight of in the eager desire