The following quotation is taken from Moses' farewell address to Israel: "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul dirgently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life : but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons." Deut. 4:9. Moses reminded the people, first, of the danger of forgetting their marvelous experiences ; and, second, of the need of instructing their youth, or the future generations, regarding those experiences.
In order to make very specific which memories Israel should never forget and should always teach their children, Moses continued : "Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb. . . . And ye came near and stood under the mountain. . . . And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire." Verses 10-12.
The event that the youth of Israel especially needed to remember was the day when the Lord spoke unto their fathers. Thus also it is in the advent movement today. We believe that the Lord has spoken to us through Mrs. E. G. White. We believe that a message from God came through her life, her ministry, and especially through her writings. This marvelous fact must be kept alive in the minds of our "sons, and ... sons' sons."
Unfortunately, many of our present-day youth have been prejudiced against the Spirit of prophecy. About all some of our youth know concerning Mrs. White is that she wrote some books called the "Testimonies" that their elders refer to in condemnation of certain youthful follies. Often they have heard their parents say, "The Testimonies say we shouldn't do this ;" or "Sister White says we shouldn't do that." The writings of Mrs. White thus become associated with prohibitions and repressions. And the extracts on standards that are read to them with such an air of finality carry little weight with them, because they have not been led to accept the writings of Mrs. White as a norm of Christian conduct. As a result, some of our youth grow up with a bias against Mrs. White and her writings, and consequently they lose much that might stabilize them in their experience as Seventh-day Adventists.
Having stated the problem, we shall proceed to make some suggestions that we hope will be helpful to parents, pastors, and teachers, in rightly shaping the attitude of our children and youth toward the gift of prophecy, as it has been revealed in our midst.
I. Stories for Children. Begin the process of education in very early years. Tell the children how God talked to the men and women of Bible times. Tell them of the early life of Ellen Harmon, taking care not to place undue stress on the tragic and melancholy features of her early experience. Explain how much Ellen loved her Lord, and how when she was still a very young woman, He talked to her in dreams Select from her life, experiences comprehensible to the child, and tell them in story form. Ruth Wheeler, in her book "His Messenger," has made a valuable contribution in this field. When the child is told such stories early in life, these facts become as familiar to him as the world around him. An appreciation of the facts can thus be developed that will serve as a foundation for, and an introduction to, further instruction.
2. Selected Reading for Adolescents. As the child develops into adolescence, do everything possible to strengthen this appreciation. Let him read such literature as the very fascinating biographical sketch of Ellen G. White in Everett Dick's "Founders of the Message." Help him to choose portions of Mrs. White's writings within the scope of his understanding. Beware of the serious error of requiring him to read that which he cannot understand. In our Bible teaching we do not require adolescent youth to wade through Daniel II, or the complicated doctrinal dissertations of St. Paul. Neither should we expect them to appreciate much that is abstract and profound in the writings of the Spirit of prophecy.
There is much in Mrs. White's writings that can be enjoyed and assimilated by youth. I recall with pleasure the thrill I received as a boy in reading from the closing chapters of "The Great Controversy." Those graphic descriptions of the coming of Jesus and of the new earth gripped my imagination. Such reading contributed to my spiritual development. But if I had been compelled at that time to read from the same book about "The Protest of the Princes" or "The Bible and the French Revolution," my reaction would undoubtedly have been adverse.
Such books as "Christ's Object Lessons," "Patriarchs and Prophets," and "The Desire of Ages" contain much that a young person can enjoy, provided such reading is not administered in too large doses. Never should children be subjected to the indignity of sitting for long periods of time while passages they cannot understand are read to them. Never should the reading of these, books be used as punishment. And, as has been suggested before, we must be careful how we quote Mrs. White in condemnation of practices that may appeal to inexperienced youth.
3. Consideration in Academy Curriculum. Sometime during adolescence the average youth becomes concerned over questions of right and wrong. Standards that he has previously taken for granted he now questions. Sometimes he takes issue with his elders regarding their interpretations of duty. During this stormy period it is essential that there be some fixed stars in his sky to direct his voyage. Confidence in and love for his parents are essential. Sincere respect for the Bible is necessary. A warm spirit of fellowship with the church is a great advantage. Fortunate are the youth who have learned to appreciate and respect the Spirit of prophecy. Such youth can be reached by such excellent counsel as is contained in "Messages to Young People." This book is of inestimable value. The selections are well arranged, and the material is readable. But this wealth of counsel and guidance will probably be lost to the young person who has not learned to appreciate the gift from which the counsel emanates. Confidence must first be established.
It is my humble opinion that "Messages to Young People" should be placed in the hands of every Seventh-day Adventist youth. Every academy graduate should have read and studied it somewhere in his curriculum. Several years of experience in presenting this book in the classroom to eleventh-grade students has convinced me that it fills an important place in their lives. The majority enjoy the book—particularly the later chapters—and students often appraise it as one of the most interesting subjects in the curriculum.
What more fruitful effort could a pastor put fdrth for his youth than to acquaint them with this book and its standards? What better work could be done for youthful converts than to introduce them to Mrs. White's writings through this book? What better gift could be given to a young man entering his country's service than a copy of this book?
As the young person develops, his knowledge of Mrs. White and her work should be enriched. We have already referred to Doctor Dick's biographical sketch of Ellen G. White in "Founders of the Message." This can be followed by such books as "The Spirit of Prophecy in the Advent Movement," by W. A. Spicer. This book and others like it not only present biographical data of interest, but also reveal the place of Mrs. White's work in the advent cause. Several excellent brochures have been issued by the White Publications that can be used with success in enlarging the youth's background regarding her life and writings. Occasionally, a young person of exceptionally mature mind can be introduced with profit to such books as "The Abiding Gift," by A. G. Daniells.
4. Further Guidance in College. Our colleges have the privilege of putting the cap-sheaf on that which has been done by parents, pastors, and elementary and secondary teachers. College students, in their reading and research in various fields, have the opportunity of viewing the sublime grandeur of that which the Lord has given us. College instructors can lead their students through the green pastures of spiritual truth and beside the still waters of inspiration, as they present the marvelous light that has been given through the Spirit of prophecy. Students so trained can enter their chosen professions with an understanding of the prophetic gift that will enable them to guide the footsteps of other youth.
5. Strive for Balance and Beauty. In presenting the Spirit of prophecy to the youth of all ages, and to older people as well, the parent, pastor, or teacher must never forget two principles. The first of these is balance. The second is beauty.
Balance demands consistency. We must not ride hobbies. We must not seek all the information on one side of an issue and ignore the other side. We must not endeavor to place the Spirit of prophecy in place of the Bible. We must not take quotations out of their setting to make them prove our contentions. Neither should we use these truths as a club. Such very common errors are quickly detected by thinking youth, and this develops lack of confidence. We are told to "handle rightly the Word of truth."
This applies to the Spirit of prophecy as well as to the Bible.
The beauty of truth has been grossly neglected. "The sin of being uninteresting" is probably the greatest "sin" we commit in our efforts to teach truth to our youth. The experiences and contributions of God's messenger must stir the imaginations of youth. Currents of vital, life-giving power must flow from these Spirit-indited books into the lives of youth. Much of the truth contained in these books came through visions. These same truths should inspire a vision in those who read them. It is our privilege so to present these great truths to the youth that those who "come to scoff will remain to pray."
We read this pertinent statement in "Life Sketches :" "We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history."—Page 196. May we who are leaders make sure that our "sons and . . . sons' sons" know how the divine hand has led the advent movement.
"The volumes of 'Spirit of Prophecy' [forerunners of the Conflict Series] should be in every family, and should be read aloud in the family circle. More than one half. of our people know little or nothing of the contents of these books, and they are losing much by their neglect.
"The 'Testimonies' contain instruction which meets the case of all, both parents and children. Should these be read aloud to the entire family, the children as well as the parents would be benefited by their counsels, warnings, and reproofs. While these are placed out of sight and neglected for the reading of fictitious, sensational literature, both yourselves and your children will be retrograding mentally and spiritually."-- E. G. White, Review, Dec. 26, 1882.