The Selection of Articles for our Papers

Our power and efficiency as Seventh-day Adventists is largely dependent on the literature which comes from our presses. An indiscriminate class of articles should not be published in our periodicals. Cheap, worthless stories should find no place in them. There are articles of romance and fiction which contain no seeds that will bear good fruit. I would say to our editors, Be careful in the selection of the matter which is to go to the world. Show the greatest caution and discernment. Be careful that the Review and Herald, and the Signs of the Times are kept free from worthless matter. Precious matter from what has already been printed can be found for our papers.PH070 2.1

The tastes of some who write for our papers need to be educated and refined. The editors of the Review and Herald and the Signs of the Times should refuse to fill the columns of these papers with articles manufactured by minds which reveal themselves in their productions. Articles in any way coarse should be refused as matter unworthy of notice,—the production of those who know nothing of pure, elevated, and sanctified communion with God. Let no rough, uncouth presentation find place in our papers. The articles which go to thousands of readers should show purity, elevation, and sanctification of soul, body, and spirit on the part of the writer. The pen should be used as a means of sowing seed unto eternal life. This is a “Thus saith the Lord.”PH070 2.2

The articles published in our papers should contain pure provender, thoroughly winnowed from chaff. We are living in a most solemn time. Let our editors call for articles giving living experience. Let the ministers regard it as a part of their duty to send short articles of experience to our papers. It will be food for those who are laboring in isolated places, in foreign countries, and the islands of the sea, to hear in this way from the friends with whom they have been associated. These experiences may be to the readers as a love-feast, because the writers have been eating the bread which came down from heaven.PH070 3.1

We do not need romance, for in the daily life we meet with real experiences, which, if told in short articles and in simple words, would be helpful to many. Let our workers try this. We want truth, solid truth, from solid, consecrated men, women, and youth. You who love God, whose minds are stored with precious bits of experience, and with the living realities of eternal life, kindle the flame of love and light in the hearts of God's people. Help them to deal with the problems of life.PH070 3.2

Speech and pen are to be under the control of the Holy Spirit. If this is not the case with the writers for our periodicals, they might better lay aside the pen, and take up work of another order. God calls us into the mount to talk with Him, and when by faith we behold Him who is invisible, our words will not be cheap and common. The space in our papers is too precious to be filled up with articles that are not the best. Crowd in subjects weighty with eternal interests. Put not the crib too high for the minds of the common people. Let the articles be written with Christlike simplicity, and let them be free from all chaff and stubble, for this will be consumed as worthless. God calls for consecrated pens. The articles published in our papers should be full of practical, elevating, ennobling thoughts, which will help and teach and strengthen the mind that reads them. God help our editors to choose wisely.PH070 3.3