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“Whatsoever thy Hand findeth to do, do it with thy Might.”
VoLume 8.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., NOVEMBER 3, 1897.
NumBER 50.
THE M[NNESOTA WORKER,
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MINNESOTA TRACT SOCIETY.
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Laborers’ Meeting.
[CONCLUDED.]
ON the topic “How to work for the children’,
Bro. Nettleton suggested that in order to help the
children, we must gef sno the child world.-- Christ. was
born a child, and lived a child life. The Old Testa-
ment is full of Child Stories, and we should tell them
these stories in a child-like way. Another suggested
that we as ministers should be inore simple and
child-like in our preaching;—as the old negro ex-
pressed it—‘put the cookies on the lower shelf.”
Bro. Flaiz read from one of the Testimonies, “Let
not the youth be ignored: put work into the hands of
the children.”
Following this, the topic ‘How to Study the Sab-
bath-school Lesson’ was taken up, and it was re-
markable that the Spirit of Prophecy sustains a sim-
ilar relation to us that the pillar of cloud did to the
Children of Israel, and that we should study the les-
son in the light of it. Next the subject of ‘‘Sabbath-
school libraries’ was considered, and the secretary
of the Sabbath-school Association read a well pre-
pared paper, showing the difference between good,
pure, and elevating literature, and that of the op-
posite nature, in the formation of character. Great
care must be taken, or pernicious reading will find
its way into the hands of the children, and an appe-
tite be formed for it as hard to overcome as is that of
the drunkard for his cup. The thought was pre-
sented that children need, and must have, something
to read, and it is ours to furnish the proper kind of
reading We have the best books in the world, and
they should be placed in the hands of our children.
It is not the number of books we read, but the books
we read well. ‘The ministry need to instruct the
parents. in regard to reading our books, and then the
children will be interested to read them.
The last hour of Wednesday afternoon, and the
whole of Thursday was devoted to the consideration
of “Home Missionary Work’’, and the subject was
more fully considered than it has ever before been.
The limits of this report will not admit of even a
cursory glance at the thoughts presented by the dif-
ferent speakers, and only the results of the discus-
sion, as formulated in a somewhat definite plan of
work for the future, can be given. One ortwo of the
thoughts presented must suffice. It is a truth that
missionary work is doing something. There is a vast
difference between talking about work and working.
The lines of work are laid ont before us, and we
must seek the guidance of the Spirit as to how to
work along these lines. Again, as missionary work
is applied gospel, when we go to work and wse the
knowledge we have, we shall be missionaries where-
ever we are. The Lord wants the gospel of work to go
out from this meeting.
Wednesday evening, Bro. Scoles took up the sub-
ject of “Preparation for the Coming of the Lord”,
froth Mark 13.77
Thursday evening Bro. Phelps spoke upon
“Knowing the Day of our Visitation”, as set forth in
Luke 19:41-44.
Friday morning was given to the consideration
of Sabbath-school work, and the topics ‘How to get
all at work,” and “Map Study’’, were taken up and
discussed. From 10.15 to the noon hour, was devoted
to the consideration of plans for future labor. There
were no afternoon services held, the time being
given to preparation for the Sabbath.
On Sabbath Bro. Nettleton gave an impressive
sermon on ‘‘all prevailing prayer,” starting from
Ps. 47:13,14. Evening after Sabbath, the topic “How
to get our publications before the world”, was taken
up and considered at length, the State agent leading
out, calling attention to Jer. 16:16, ‘Behold I will
send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall
fish them, &c.’’, and read from the Testimonies, that
our books should not be allowed to lie upon our
shelves, but should be sent out among the people:
hundreds of men shoyld be sent out to scatter these
books as canvassers; men of tact and ability, keen
foresight, and business talent. God has caused
gracious light to be brought out, and it should be in
‘every honie, and be read in the family, and loaned
to the neighbors. Considerable discussion was elici- .
ted on the question, Should the laborers engage in
selling our publications? and, if so, where should
the profits of their sales go? The question was re-
ferred to a conunittee composed of M. H. Ellis, J. F.
Pogue, Fred Johnson, D. E. Scoles, and L. H.