Shall We Buy Mining Stock?
By Francis M. Wilcox
These are days of peril; not alone in so-called spiritual ways, but in every phase of human experience. The spirit of speculation is rife in the land. Speculative philosophy is seeking to turn away thousands from the truth of God. We see the same spirit of idle speculation in the commercial world. As never before, men are investing their money in idle schemes which hold out great promise of sudden wealth. And this temptation assails the believers in this message as well as the men and women of the world. Every device will be invented by Satan whereby the means of this denomination shall be tied up, and thus our needy missions be robbed of the support which God designs his people to afford them. If Satan can induce Seventh-day Adventists to invest their means in some patent right, some new invention, some mining scheme, or in the thousand and one worldly inducements which present themselves, he is most highly pleased. And the fact that thousands have invested their means in such ways, and lost their all, seems to have no deterring influence in preventing others from rushing heedlessly on in the same worldly ventures. We are forcibly reminded of this by letters recently received from some of our conference officers in the East, making inquiry as to whether it is advisable for our brethren and sisters to invest their means in mining interests in Colorado, in answer to alluring advertisements which are being sent to them. We have responded to these letters, advising that under no circumstances should investments be made in these enterprises until our brethren had satisfied themselves by thorough personal investigation as to their reliability. But a thorough investigation would be difficult for the majority of our brethren to make. Totally unacquainted with mining operations, they would therefore be almost wholly dependent upon the representations made by others; thus they would be largely at the mercy of wild speculators, who, while perhaps perfectly honest in their faith in the outcome of the venture, and perhaps members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, would be so drunken with the spirit of speculation that they could not carefully and correctly weigh the question in all its bearings. We have known Seventh-day Adventists to withdraw thousands of dollars from our institutions, where they were receiving a reasonable rate of interest, and where their money was accomplishing good for the cause of God, and invest it in mines in Colorado, with no returns whatever except mining stock, which is absolutely worthless. The fact that these mines were operated by Seventh-day Adventists, did not make the investment one whit more safe or successful. Hence we wish to say to our brethren and sisters throughout the country everywhere, Beware of every scheme and representation which would lead you to withhold or withdraw your money from the cause of God to invest it in mines or other questionable enterprises, where in the majority of cases you will be sadly disappointed in the realization of your hopes. Says our Saviour, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” In harmony with this plain scripture injunction, much has been said in the writings of the spirit of prophecy on this subject. While many quotations might be made, the following extract from page 665, Vol. II, of “Testimonies for the Church,” contains the central thought of all:— “A flattering prospect may be presented to invest in patent rights, or some other supposed brilliant enterprise, around which Satan throws a bewitching enchantment. The prospect of getting more money, fast and easily, allures them. The reason that, although they had resolved to put this money into the treasury of God, they will use it in this instance, and will greatly increase it, and will then give a larger sum to the cause. They can see no possibility of a failure. Away goes the means out of their hands, and they soon learn, to their regret, that they have made a mistake. The brilliant prospects have faded. Their expectations are not realized. They were deceived. Satan outgeneraled them. He was more shrewd than they; and he managed to get their means into his ranks, and thus deprive the cause of God of that which should have been used to sustain it in extending the truth, and saving souls for whom Christ died. They lost all they had invested, and10robbed God of that which they should have rendered to him.” Please read also the chapter entitled “Speculations,” page 225, Vol. I, “Testimonies for the Church.” May God make us wise and sensible men and women in these days of peril, not allowing ourselves to be outgeneraled by Satan, and thus be brought into places where he shall triumph over us in entailing regret and discouragement, and also robbing the cause of God of the help which it is within our power to bestow.