Lt 223, 1899

White, J. E.; White, Emma

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

June 22, 1899

This letter is published in entirety in 20MR 85-86.

Dear Children Edson and Emma:

I feel a great desire to see you and to have you connect with me in my work. I have been unwilling to write you, hoping and praying the Lord would send you. But the Southern Field has been presented to me as a difficult field to work, because of the white people who have the slave master’s spirit with the slave master’s cruelty in exercising the same, as if the blacks were not more than beasts; and to be treated worse than the dumb animals because they are in the form of man, having the marks of the black—Negro—race.14LtMs, Lt 223, 1899, par. 1

As you have had so little cooperation in your work by those who should have helped you in all their power, and as there has been so little interest in your work, the Lord would not have you work to such disadvantage, for health and strength are failing, and there are places where you could do a good work for the Master. Some things were presented before me of a determination of men who, under their general, Satan, were full of hatred to you and to your work. This is the best evidence you can have that the work was of the Lord, that Satan stirred up the people as he did against Paul the Apostle.14LtMs, Lt 223, 1899, par. 2

The Lord has preserved you, that they could not do you harm, but you now know what you will meet. It is enough to meet this against the enemies of the truth, but when those of our own faith show so little interest and their hearts are as selfish and unsympathizing as a stone, the Lord would not have you exposed to perils without and unsanctified, unconsecrated elements in responsible positions of trust. They have not yet hearts that have been worked by the Holy Spirit. I am so sorry, I am so sad for these brethren who have manifested the selfish, unsympathizing spirit, for in every case these individuals will be brought over the ground, the very same trials will come upon them, when they will be brought into positions where they will remember that their hearts were destitute of the love of Jesus Christ, and therefore they had none to flow out in free, rich currents toward their brethren in hard places.14LtMs, Lt 223, 1899, par. 3

There is a work to be done for those who claim to be servants of God. The softening, subduing power of God is to come into their lives, but never will it be until they have humility. The Spirit cannot work with them until they are learners in the school of Christ. I was in an assembly where there were the responsible men in the publishing institutions. I was bearing a message from God; I was greatly burdened. I stood up in the power of God and read to them 1 Corinthians 13 [and] Hebrews 12:12-15.14LtMs, Lt 223, 1899, par. 4

Mother.