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The Publishing Ministry
Tenderness in Dealing With Workers—I entreat those who have
charge of the office here to be kind and courteous in dealing with the
apprentices. Win their souls by kindness. If they do wrong, go to them
in the spirit of meekness, and talk and pray with them. Work for the
salvation of every one of them. Do not rest till this is accomplished.
Let them see that you act as tender fathers and brothers, that you are
meek and lowly in heart. Do not rest until you see that their feet
are planted firmly on the Rock of Ages. Then everything will move
harmoniously.
If our ministering brethren pass through the office, let them speak
kindly and encouragingly to the workmen. Shake hands with them,
and inquire as to what progress they are making. Encourage them to
climb to the very highest round of the ladder of progress.
If you see something in a brother that needs to be corrected, go to
him and say, “Let us pray about this; let us talk with God about it.”
If you should weep, this will not hurt you. If you were to break your
heart before God, He can bind it up and give you that grace which is
unto eternal life. But God has not set you as dictators. He has not
committed to you the work of punishing sinners. He desires you to
search your own heart and put away your sins, to work away from
every defect of character.—
Manuscript 73, 1906
.
[137]
A word of love and encouragement will do more to subdue the
hasty temper and willful disposition than all the faultfinding and severe
censure that you can heap upon the erring ones.—
Letter 86, 1896
.
Back to Egypt or On to Canaan?—While at Fresno [in 1902] I
passed through a peculiar experience. I seemed to be in an assembly
where a number of brethren were in council. There seemed to be a
cloud over the company. I could not discern faces, but I could hear
voices. I thought that in one speaker I recognized the voice of Elder A,
but his manner of speech and his words seemed to be Brother B’s. At
first I could not understand the things that were said by this speaker.
Afterward I heard something said in regard to the way in which he
thought the publishing work should be carried on. The assertion was
made that this work should be placed on a more sure and elevated
basis.
When I heard these words, I thought to myself, What do these
statements mean? I have been instructed that the arbitrary authority
exercised at one time in Battle Creek to control all our publishing