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it had continued, spirituality would have died out, and the future of
our book work would have been blighted.... There must not be in the
book business the least contention or strife for the supremacy.—
Letter
75, 1900
.
I have been shown that the abundant picture making for our peri-
odicals and books is growing into an unsanctified ambition, and the
dangers of rivalry are increasing to an alarming extent. The books we
are sending out to the world are costing too much. Extravagance in
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illustrations costs time and money and creates worries which can and
should be avoided. The Lord would have us keep the eye single to the
glory of God. This infatuation for so abundant illustrations is not in
God’s order; it is the pulse of the world, and this is beating strongly in
God’s people at the present time.—
Letter 147, 1899
.
Certain Books to Be “Abundantly Illustrated”—Many lines of
business will open up as the work is carried forward. There is much
work to be done in the South, and in order to do this work the laborers
must have suitable literature, books telling the truth in simple language,
and abundantly illustrated. This kind of literature will be the most
effective means of keeping the truth before the people. A sermon may
be preached and soon forgotten, but a book remains.—
Life Sketches
of Ellen G. White, 381, 382
. (See
Life Sketches of Ellen G. White,
213, 214
.)
Illustrations That Lead to Study—The Lord desires His people
to move understandingly and intelligently. They are not to create large
expenses, yet everything is to be done in perfect order. Our books
should be bound with good, durable covers. The sewing should be
firm and strong. This should always be. But care should be exercised
in the matter of illustrating. Much money should not be invested in
this line. When there are lessons in the pictures which lead to a study
of the book itself, it is well; but when the pictures draw the attention
from the truth contained in the book to themselves, the effort to help
the book by illustrations is a failure.—
Letter 75, 1900
.
Artwork to Do Justice to Subject—The cut in Gospel Reader,
Moses viewing the Promised Land, does great injustice to the subject
and great discredit to those who accepted it for the book. What sort of
an impression will it make on the readers of the book? It is not in any
sense a correct representation of Moses. It looks more like a picture of
the great deceiver, Satan, after he had lost Paradise.