ABC—Spiritual Blueprint
283
Satan is ever working to have the service of God degenerate into
dull form and become powerless to save souls. While the energy,
earnestness, and efficiency of the workers become deadened by the
efforts to have everything so systematic, the taxing labor that must be
done by our ministers to keep this complicated machinery in motion
engrosses so much time that the spiritual work is neglected. And with
so many things to run, this work requires so large an amount of means
that other branches of the work will wither and die for want of due
attention.
While the silent messengers of truth should be scattered like the
leaves of autumn, our ministers should not make this work a form and
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leave devotion and true piety out of the question. Ten truly converted,
willing-minded, unselfish workers can do more in the missionary field
than one hundred who confine their efforts to set forms and preserve
mechanical rules, working without deep love for souls.—
Testimonies
for the Church 4:601, 602
.
Rising Above the Novice Status—Vigilant missionary work [
The
name of the first organization for lay missionary witnesses was the
Vigilant Missionary Society, with headquarters in South Lancaster,
Massachusetts.
] must in no case be neglected. It has done much for
the salvation of souls. The success of God’s work depends very much
upon this; but those who do this work are to be those who are spiritual,
whose letters will breathe the light and love of Jesus, and who feel the
burden of the work. They should be men and women who can pray,
who have a close connection with God. The ready mind, the sanctified
will, and sound judgment are needed. They will have learned of the
heavenly Teacher the most successful manner of appealing to souls.
They will have learned their lessons in the school of Christ. They will
do their work with an eye single to the glory of God.
Without this education all the teachings received from your instruc-
tors in regard to forms and rules, however thorough the lessons may
be, will leave you still novices in the work. You must learn of Christ.
You should deny self for Christ. You should put your neck under the
yoke of Christ. You must carry the burden of Christ. You must feel
that you are not your own, but servants of Christ, doing a work that
He has enjoined upon you, not for any praise or honor or glory that
you shall receive, but for His own dear sake. Into all your work you
should weave His grace, His love, His devotion, His zeal, His untiring