Work Qualifications and Efficiency
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hesitancy and policy on particular occasions have been more disastrous
than would have been a failure through rashness.
My brother, you need to cultivate promptness. Away with your
hesitating manner. You are slow and neglect to seize the work and
accomplish it. You must get out of this narrow manner of labor, for it
is of the wrong order.—
Testimonies for the Church 3:497, 498
.
How to Make the Workroom a Bethel—Ever keep a winning,
courteous, kind spirit, and every room may be transformed into a
Bethel. Angels of God will work with your efforts. If our publishing
houses, our health institutions, our colleges and missions, are con-
ducted on right principles, the unbelievers who visit them will be
favorably impressed, and will be more inclined to accept the truth....
If the heart is purified through obedience to the truth, there will be no
selfish preferences, no corrupt motives. There will be no partiality,
no hypocrisy; love-sick sentimentalism will not be developed. Strict
guard must be kept, that this curse shall not poison or corrupt our
institutions.—
Letter 74, 1896
. (
Special Testimony to the Managers
and Workers in our Institutions, 8, 9
.)
Necessity of Rules and Discipline—Our youth must take a more
elevated standard in the office if they would perfect Christian character.
They should be present at the hour of prayer, at the prayer meeting,
ready and zealous to do service for God. They want to understand the
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high claims of God upon them. Great learning is not required, genius
or eloquence, but a pure, humble heart, longing for righteousness. If
these young men and young women were one tenth as interested in
refining the life and in elevating and ennobling the character, that they
may do better and holier service for God, as in pleasing and gratifying
self, a great and good work would be done by their noble efforts. These
youth must habituate themselves to think of something more noble and
elevating than themselves. They do not pray, do not watch unto prayer;
they are unacquainted with Jesus. They have much to learn and but
little time to learn it in; no time to spend in frivolity and gratification of
self. If they will see the need of thorough conversion, if they will pray,
and watch unto prayer, God will make them wholly His, and they may
do much for His cause. But God is dishonored by the thoughts and
behavior of many of the young in the office. Those who come to the
office with good purposes are spoiled by the unconsecrated influence