Writers and Royalties
203
stewardship to another. Did the Lord plan it thus? No. He would have
used them to lift up the standard of truth.—
Letter 43, 1899
. (SpTPW
221.)
E.G. White, James White, and Royalties—Some years ago the
matter of publication of books came up, and plans were laid, which I
cannot now fully call to mind. A decision was made something like
this, that no one individual was to be benefited by the publication of
his own books. A proposition was then made to us, which my husband
... assented to, that the publishing association should have the benefit
of his books.
I was considering the matter and thought like this: I wish the
testimonies to go to as many as possible; they are a message from God
to this people, and I wish no personal benefit from this work. Thus
we stated the matter. But shortly after, I was shown that this was not
wisdom, to relinquish our right to control our own writings; for we
would know better how to use the profits of these books than would
those who had far less experience. Publications were to be multiplied,
[234]
and the profits we would receive would enable us to lead out in the
advancing work, to build up the interests of the cause and to carry
others with us in the work. There was a principle to be maintained to
guard the interests of the true workers.
We were not the only ones who would be affected by this decision.
Justice must be maintained; the cause of God would be continually
widening; it would embrace the whole world as its field; the wants of
the cause would not be determined by one man’s mind and one man’s
obscure vision; there would be important work done in God’s moral
vineyard, and no man should feel that part of the work over which he
presides is to swallow up all other interests....
It was shown me that my husband and myself should not be de-
pendent upon others, because there would be men connected with our
institutions who have been educated and trained as businessmen of the
world, and they would make us feel our dependence, if they had the
chance; for all men are not in character as God would have them, ten-
der, compassionate, and Christlike. He would have us guard the means
entrusted to us and use it in different branches of His work, stimulating
others, by our example, to invest in the different enterprises.—
Letter
14, 1886
.