Circulating the Spirit of Prophecy Books
311
light that the Lord has given should be in the hands of our people, so
that they may see that the reports made are false, that there is in the
testimonies nothing of what these men declare to be in them.—
Letter
73, 1903
. (
Selected Messages 1:41
.)
Guarding Against Misuse of Ellen White—Many from among
[360]
our own people are writing to me, asking with earnest determination
the privilege of using my writings to give force to certain subjects
that they wish to present to the people in such a way as to leave a
deep impression upon them. It is true that there is a reason why
some of their matters should be presented; but I would not venture to
give my approval in using the testimonies in this way, or to sanction
the placing of matter which is good in itself in the way which they
propose. The persons who make these propositions, for aught I know,
may be able to conduct the enterprise of which they write in a wise
manner; but nevertheless, I dare not give the least license for using my
writings in the manner which they propose. In taking account of such
an enterprise, there are many things that must come into consideration,
for in using the testimonies to bolster up some subject which may
impress the mind of the author, the extracts may give a different
impression than that which they would were they read in their original
connection.—
Letter 49, 1894
.
First Step Toward Apostasy—One thing is certain: Those
Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand under Satan’s banner
will first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs contained in
the testimonies of God’s Spirit.—
Letter 156, 1903
.
If you lose confidence in the Testimonies you will drift away from
Bible truth.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:674
.
Some who are not willing to receive the light, but who prefer to
walk in ways of their own choosing, will search the testimonies to find
something in them to encourage the spirit of unbelief and disobedience.
Thus a spirit of disunion will be brought in; for the spirit which leads
them to criticize the testimonies will also lead them to watch their
brethren to find in them something to condemn....
Satan is ... constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead away from
the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none
effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. “Where there is no vision, the
people perish” (
Proverbs 29:18
). Satan will work ingeniously, in dif-