The Gospel in Practice
[
The General Conference Bulletin, April 12, 1901, p. 202-204.
]
When health reform was first brought to our notice, about thirty-
five years ago, the light presented to me was contained in this scripture:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed
Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year
of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that
mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. And they shall
build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and
they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.”
Isaiah 61:1-4
.
In the light given me so long ago, I was shown that our own people,
those who claimed to believe the present truth, should do this work.
How were they to do it? In accordance with the directions Christ gave
His twelve disciples when He called them together and sent them forth
to preach the gospel.
“When He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave
them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all
manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” “These Twelve Jesus
sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the
Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
[531]
raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”
Matthew 10:1, 5-8
.
546