In the vision given me at Roosevelt, I was shown that your moving to New York City was wrong. You followed your own judgment. You looked with suspicion upon the very ones in whom you should safely confide and whose judgment would benefit you. The enemy tempted you in regard to Brethren Whipple and Taylor. You were shown me looking upon them and their families with suspicion and distrust. You misjudged them. These brethren are conscientious and would do their duty if they knew what it was. They are experienced. God loves them. Brother Taylor’s spirit is precious in the sight of the Lord.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 1

Your French brethren in that section are not refined and intelligent, and because Brethren Taylor’s and Whipple’s families do not come right down to them to make much of them and supply their wants, they become jealous and dissatisfied and think themselves misused. If Brethren Taylor and Whipple should take the whole burden of these brethren upon themselves, their own families must be neglected and suffer, while they would only hurt the French people. If they should be helped, they would only look for more help from the same direction and would not depend upon their own efforts. God does not require this church to take the charge of every poor family who shall embrace the message. If they should do this, the work of the messengers to enter new fields must cease, for the fund would be exhausted. Many are poor from their own lack of diligence and economy and they know not how to use means aright. If they should be helped, it would only hurt them. Poor people choose to raise large families when they know they have nothing to support them and, worse than this, no family government, [but] leave their children to come up to ruin.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 2

Who must be the sufferers in this case? Must the cause of God be sapped and the treasury in different places exhausted to take care of these large families of [the] poor? No, the parents must suffer. They will suffer no more after they embrace the Sabbath than they suffered before.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 3

There were those in New York City who had not the least foresight or judgment, who were not capable of taking care of themselves. Brother Wilcox was ready to advise you and lead you on to venture out and plan for you to advantage himself with the little means you had. He was poor and did not love to labor. Wished to obtain a living in an easy way without suffering much fatigue or hardship. Such men have no right to marry and have the charge of a family. If they choose to venture, they must bear it and suffer. Brother Wilcox has not been diligent and judicious, but has looked upon his brethren who were better situated than he in regard to the things of this world, and felt tried with them if they did not favor him and impart of their substance to him, when God did not require them to do this. He has been the instigator of much of the difficulty in New York. He has felt tried and had bitter feelings against Brother Andrews’ family because they have not taken hold to help him and follow out the plans he has suggested. They had no confidence in his judgment or his diligence.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 4

He has related things to different individuals in regard to Brother Andrews and wife and created prejudice in their minds that could not be readily effaced. He has had views and feelings like this, that if his brethren were better off than he in any respect, he was entitled to a share. If he needed, he had a right to it, yet he would not consent to labor as hard as his brethren to acquire the means they possessed. His views and feelings in regard to these things have been carried out and he has not been honest but appropriated means to his own use which did not belong to him. I saw that he had taken from the treasury of God and through his calculations and contrivance, led Brother Czechowski into difficulty and suffering and distress, and brought discouragement upon the church in regard to helping Brother C again. I saw that the Lord required Brother Wilcox to replace the means he had been the means of sinking which had come from this treasury.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 5

Brother C, you do not have discernment of character. You confide in some you should not because they manifest zeal and are ready to venture in any new enterprise, while those whom you could safely confide in, you do not appreciate, because they do not enter zealously into all your plans.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 6

It was not the place for you in that city. It was very expensive for you to live. Money must be paid for everything necessary to support a family. Your own lack of judgment with poor calculations and miserable counselors to help you, consumed means which would have made your family comfortable elsewhere, and saved you from much suffering and privation.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 7

Dear Brother, you make too many calculations that you can never carry out. If you should attempt to follow your own plans, you would make a failure which would drive you to discouragement, and instead of censuring yourself, you would be tempted by the enemy to blame and censure your brethren because they did not engage with you in your enterprise. You have many temptations in regard to your brethren. You must resist them or the enemy will make you weak and overthrow you. It is your duty to do what good you can as God opens the way before you. You are constantly trying to open some way for yourself. If you continue to plan and follow your judgment, you will burden your brethren and exhaust their patience.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 8

I was shown that individuals would present inducements to tempt you. They will represent that the Seventh-day people do not appreciate your talents, that you could accomplish a far greater and more useful work to leave them. Those who would thus deceive you are Satan’s agents. You will be tempted to break away from this people where you can be pushed forward to do a great work.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 9

I was shown [that] if individuals could obtain their object and estrange your heart from this people, they would engage with you in your plans, raise your hopes, and then their interest in you would die when they could serve themselves of you no longer. They would leave you saying they were disappointed in you, and you and your family would suffer.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 10

Your being a learned man does not qualify you for a leader or efficient laborer in this work. If you had much less learning than you have and could speak English readily, you would be more useful in this work. Your zeal is good. You are ambitious to see the work moving forward. You are conscientious and perfectly honest before God.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 11

I saw you looking anxiously forward to a field of labor. You are absent from your country and cannot expect to labor in your favorite sphere. Your following the light which God has given you while in foreign countries, has cost you much suffering, much persecution, and your views now differ so widely from theirs, your liberty and life would be in danger of falling a sacrifice to a superstitious people. Do all you can where you are. Hold yourself ready to follow the opening providence of God, but you should not mark out a course for yourself.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 12

You are very sensitive. You possess fine feelings, but if you are not careful, the enemy will take advantage of your sensitiveness. Disappointment throws you upon the battlefield of the enemy. To avoid disappointment move cautiously and sure. Counsel with experienced brethren. The Lord has blessed the Brethren Bourdeau with judgment and experience. God will make them a blessing to you. They seek to move cautiously. Counsel with them.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 13

You would be of far greater use to control your mind, restrain it and not suffer it to be on the constant reach to engage in some great work. Content yourself to do what good God would have you to do. Follow His opening providence. In thus doing, you can be of far greater use than to urge your own way forward and endanger your liberty and life and your helpless family be left without a protector.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 14

Your children need a father’s care. Teach them habits of industry. Be not too careful to shield them from hardship. Teach them the power of endurance. Teach them as much as possible to be useful, especially your eldest son. If you cannot be with him to instruct him to useful employment which will prevent evil habits from taking root, it would be wise to have a judicious person take charge of him who could love him and yet teach him industry, light labor or [that] which will not tax the constitution. Such a course would be for the interest of your child.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 15

Dear Brother, you must lean upon the judgment of those who have experience. They must be your anchor to steady your course or you will drift in confusion anywhere and will be of no use in this last great work of preparation of God’s people.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 16

Brother C must learn as he passes along by the things he suffers. I saw that God loved Brother C. The loss of means in New York City rests heavily on Brother Wilcox. He is much more to blame than Brother C. I saw, Brother C, if you should follow out all your plans, it would require an inexhaustible fund to support your plans that would accomplish nothing in the end. Brother C, the same means which you have expended would have kept a successful laborer in the gospel field. If Brother Taylor had received half this means, he could have left home free and have accomplished much more than has been accomplished by Brother C. Brother C’s life has been such, he has not valued money. He is very free, open-hearted and confiding and has not discernment of character. He must value means more. The brethren work hard and some suffer privations to put money into the treasury, and then when they see it foolishly wasted for want of judgment, it saddens them and also discourages those who have used their influence to call out means from their brethren.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 17

If God has a special important work for you to accomplish, He will open the way before you and not only teach you your duty in the matter, but instruct the church, lay the burden upon them to assist you by their prayers and aid you with their means.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 18

I was shown that Brother C’s family must not be left to suffer. There is no need of this. If all the churches in Vermont and Canada do a very little each while Brother C is with them, they would scarcely feel it, and at the same time, Brother C’s family would be comfortable. This burden must not rest upon any one individual. God loves Brother C. His eye is upon him and his family, and He will bless those who will kindly care for them and aid with their sympathy and substance. Brother C suffers much in mind. His trials are peculiar to himself, and his family has known what pinching want is. Sister C suffers from poor health yet she tries to do her duty to rightly care for her little family. I was shown that none should oppress them but do them good; yet Brother C must be willing to be corrected and reproved and must reform where he fails. Yet Brother C must not be deceived and think his labors more valuable than they really are. Brother C must exercise judgment and economy in using means. Brethren work hard for their means and, while they see so little accomplished in the field by Brother C, they are in trial. Brother C must remember the brethren have cause for trial on account of his lack of judgment and use of means. He must be willing to be instructed by his brethren where he lacks judgment and not suffer jealousy to come into his heart against them who would labor for his interest.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 19

In love.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 20

[P.S.] Some in Vermont are deceived in regard to Brother Buck. God does not acknowledge him as his servant to labor for the salvation of his fellow men. He has long been a hindrance to the cause of God by his lack of consecration. He has so long suffered self to rule and has been controlled by a passionate and willful spirit that he is weak, too weak to help others. Unless there is a thorough reform on his part, God will not use him in His cause. His life has not been elevated, his expressions have been rough and unbecoming a Christian. His influence has not been good. He has been too ready to dictate. He has been making efforts to reform, yet he has not taken all the stumbling blocks out of the way. He has spoken against this matter and that, and expressed himself very hard against them, and has not made thorough work to undo what he has done. When he makes clean work in the sight of God, then the church will know it. God sees not as man seeth. Only those who are holy, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, will Jesus present to His Father. God’s work requires clean instruments, pure vessels. “Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” Isaiah 52:11.1LtMs, Lt 31, 1861, par. 21

Lt 30, 1861

Lt 31a, 1861