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order to sustain one another in the wrong principles they advocate.
They will voice one another’s words.
My Instructor slowly and solemnly spoke the following words:
“Form a confederacy; to whom they shall say, ‘Form a confederacy,’
and they shall be broken in pieces.” Three times were these words
spoken. “Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken
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in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye
shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to
naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us.”
Those who connect with the office of publication should be men
of sterling principle; men who will look to God daily; men who have
learned thoroughly the fact that eternal vigilance is their only means of
safety. If those who will be chosen to connect with the office choose
to confederate with others to do the works that are now being done
there, they will lose their integrity. Whoever dares to seek counsel of
God and to put not his trust in the pretended purity and false piety of
some of the workers now in the office will find it exceedingly difficult
to maintain right principles; but the only safe course for any to pursue
is to work in accordance with gospel principles, and to allow nothing
to swerve him from them.—
Manuscript 24, 1891
.
Enemy Prompted Call for Consolidation—It was the enemy of
our work who prompted the call for the consolidation of the publishing
work under one controlling power in Battle Creek....
I was told that I must lift up my voice in warning against this.
We were not to be under the control of men who could not control
themselves and who were not willing to be amenable to God. We were
not to be guided by men who want their word to be the controlling
power. The development of the desire to control has been very marked,
and God sent warning after warning, forbidding confederacies and
consolidation. He warned us against binding ourselves to fulfill certain
agreements that would be presented by men laboring to control the
movements of their brethren.—
Letter 114, 1903
.
Men Stretching Themselves Beyond Measure—It makes my
heart ache when I think of the publishing institution. The men who
have charge of the different departments are so burdened with respon-
sibilities that they have no time to do correct work....
What impression must this make upon my mind in view of the
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things that the Lord has revealed to me in connection with the methods