Chapter 42—Give the Medical Missionary Work Its Place^{*Remarks of Mrs. E. G. White before the General Conference in Battle Creek, April 11, 1901, speaking to a resolution that made provision for the selection of six members of the General Conference Committee, especially to represent the medical missionary work. It will be noted by those familiar with the Testimonies on this subject that several striking sentences or paragraphs were published in later compiled articles. Considering the occasion, these remarks are of interest in their original setting.}

By Ellen G. White

I have been given light all along the way in regard to the workings of the cause, and last night some things in regard to the medical missionary work were brought more especially before me.1NL 135.1

When health reform was first brought to our notice, about thirty-five years ago, the light presented to me was contained in this scripture, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of the heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.”1NL 135.2

In the light given me so long ago, I was shown that our own people, those who claimed to believe the present truth, should do this work. How were they to do it? In accordance with the directions Christ gave His twelve disciples, when He called them together, and sent them forth to preach the gospel. “When He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease.... These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”1NL 135.3